Is Kona almost in heat?

I'm asking this because a few days ago she starting humping Carl's leg for the first time.

I also noticed a couple of days ago that she has a light colored discharge (not red). I read on a few websites that this discharge may come a few days before the first stages of being in heat where the blood starts.

Kona will be 6 months old in 2 days.

Do you think she's going into heat?

Discharge usually starts out clear,about a week. Does she look more swollen back there ??

It's very possible, Barb. And you haven't really had her long enough to notice any significant personality changes yet. You'll find that some of them get PMS. I can tell when Shiva or Kharma are getting ready to come into season. Shiva gets needy and clingy - even more than usual. Kharma gets downright snarky with Shiva, snarling at her if Shiva when she tries to bull past her in the usual manner, flirting with Bimmer, snuggling with us even more than usual . . .

Oh, and Shiva tries to hump Kharma if either one of them is coming into season. One of these days Kharma's going to bite the bejeebers out of her!

Has Max been paying any extra attention to her?

Barb, it sounds like she is going into heat. 6 months is right about the time they will start too. Same thing happened with Nora. Don't freak out when it comes out red. LOL I did until a friend of mine told me she was in heat. Dogs tend to be clean about it though and you shouldn't have messes. If your intending get her spayed, however, it will cost you a bit more.

I'm not sure if she looks more swollen; I wasn't paying attention until now.

Kona has been kissing me a lot which she wasn't doing before. She loves to sleep in her cage, but yesterday she was in and out making weird crying noises. I would open the cage, she would kiss me, want to go outside, roll in the grass, come back in, back into cage, then after a few minutes all over again. This was very weird behavior.

Max has been fixed so I don't know if he would have the normal instincts when Kona is in heat.

I'll try to be more observant about Max and also how Kona is acting. I'll keep a watch out for a change in the discharge to red.

Thanks
I've never been through this before. I do know NOT to walk her during this time which from what I've read is about 3-4 weeks. I will also be outside with her in the fenced in yard to make sure no other dogs come in.

That definitely sounds like heat. Max may still sniff her "perfume," just not get too terribly torn up.

You'll want to keep her on a leash, even in the fenced back yard. She'll go out to a male, as well as males coming in to her.

Charley even had an accidental pregnancy happen to one of his females through a knothole in the fence!