[Dailydrool] Behavior changes in female in heat?

[Hinchliffe at aol.com]

Hi.  I'm babysitting my friend's 1 1/2 year old  sweetie, Cricket.  Cricket 
is usually Hurricane Cricket -- all play and  motion and play and wags and 
play and happiness.  And play, did I mention  play?  Non-stop.
 
She's about 10 days into her second heat.  Her  previous heat, there was no 
change in her personality.  But now she is a  different dog.  Lethargic, 
disinterested, tail down -- not in fear, just  nothing to wag about.  She 
sleeps, or just lies there looking at me.   I take her to do all her favorite 
things -- playgroup with young labradoodle and  best friend Sally (wrestles a 
tiny little bit, then wants to go home,  whereas usually she is the rough 
and wild leader and never wants to stop);  visiting human friends (walks in 
slowly, plops down at my feet and sleeps rather  than says hello, whereas 
usually she's the social butterfly); walks (she turns  around and goes home, no 
interest in her previous obsession of tennis balls, no  interest in meeting 
new people).
 
Maybe I emphasize too much -- she doesn't seem sick or  unhappy, just very 
tired and uninterested.  It's not from missing her Mom  -- she travels at 
least once a month and Cricket stays here, so this is her  second home and she 
loves it here.  And her Mom did say she was acting slow  and tired when she 
dropped her off.
 
I'm just not used to dogs in heat.  Is this  normal?  If I thought there 
were really something wrong, I'd have her to  the vet in a flash, the vet 
always referred to me as "Neurotic Mama" because my  girls would sigh and I'd be 
rushing them in.  As I said, Cricket doesn't  seem sick, still enjoys (!) 
her food, but for a dog who two weeks ago had her  switch stuck on "fast" and 
who hated taking a nap, she now prefers to sleep next  to me all day rather 
than play with any of her toys, or even eat a butcher  bone.
 
Can doggies have an equivalent of  PMS?
 
Thanks!
 
Neurotic Nanny Beth (Duchess ATB and Blueberry ATB, both  of whom were 
spayed before their first heat, and both of whom always preferred  to sleep 
rather than play, so actually Cricket's current behavior is very  familiar to me)

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