Bitch in season - how long left till walkies time - she's miserable?!!!

[Lucky13]

My poor girl has been in season now for 17 days (well i presume that is correct as that is when she started bleeding) and is miserable.

I'd love to take her for a lead walk, but dont want to cause any problems to male dogs.

I understand that it usually lasts for 21 days, but she is still bleeding now, so is this always the case, as i was hoping to take her out at the weekend?

When do you think would be the best time to take her out again?

We've decided not to breed from her now so will get her to the vet asap. I just feel so sorry for her though as she keeps asking for a walk and looking like we're so mean for not taking her

[Winetimeisfinetime]

I'm no expert but when my dachshund had her season I still took her for walks but just kept her on the lead and tried to go to places with not too many other dogs.

It was never a problem and no other dogs have ever approached her to be honest.

[Lucky13]

well, we do live in a really rural location and only have other bitches nearby, but i wasn't sure whether we should take her.

Last year we took her at 11pm in the dark through the woods, but a bit creepy and wierd - lol!

[madwomanintheattic]

we walked ours, but were careful as winetime lol and she stayed on the lead in less popular areas. you can buy those weirdy pant things if you feel the urge. never had any trouble.

[bella29]

If you're rural I'd take her out.

Dogs can smell her, quite literally, for miles anyway.

HTH

[Wags]

This is pretty sensible advice. We used to take out bitch out at the very beginning of her season, probably for the first 3/4 days. As the blood gets more watery and straw coloured thats when they are becoming fertile and would be very receptive to other dogs. I would then pretty much leave her at home until the 3 weeks was up. We live in a quite doggy populated area so was probably safer. We did take her out over some fields once and I watched a male dog off the lead come into the same field and just scent his whole way round the field following our track. The owners were calling him but he was on a mission. You have never seen me run so quick in all my life . I would be tempted to wait, especially if you are going to have her spayed. This is probably the only time in her life she can't go out so I would live with it. I just think its unfair on the other dogs if you did meet any and its also really difficult to deal with a male dog trying to mount your own, unless you have a small one that you could just scoop out of the way. The other thing is if you walked to a park and crossed over roads, then a dog could pick up the scent and run over the road later. The advice on the link suggests to drive somewhere so you'break' the scent. Sensible to do that. Also, when the season is ended I always used to either bath my dog or at least give the rear end and legs a good wash down, just to mask the scent a bit more.

[Lucky13]

Wags - that article's really helpful thanks.

We live in a very rural area with no roads to cross just miles of woods and fields where we usually don't see anyone whilst out - but you can bet if i walked her now i'd see everyone!

No she isn't small - 4 stone - but i still pick her up occasionally

I think maybe she'll be more than 21 days then. Maybe i'll just get DH to take her out on Sunday (22 days by then) with a water pistol just in case!

Haven't gone for the wierd pants this time as last time she just kept taking them off.

As for the bath - oh yes - she is definetly having one of those - lol!

[madwomanintheattic]

lol at her getting the pants off - that must have been soemthing to see

[frostyfingers]

Bitches are hot to trot between day 10-15 approximately. Usually before or after that they repel all boarders, unless you have a tart. We bred from our lab last year, and any male dog that presumes to even look in her direction in the wrong way gets his head bitten off! She met her partner when her puppiers were about 3 months old, and went for him snarling and snapping, so we don't have any worries.

You must walk her though, it's not really fair not to - could you pop her in a car and take her away from home so that any males she does meet won't be able to track her? You used to be able to get a spray to disguise the scent, but don't know if it's still available.

[Lucky13]

ooh - now i feel really mean

I didn't walk her this time because everyone said that it was unfair on male dogs and they could get run over etc it trying to get to her.

Oh well too late now - she'll get the longest walk of her life on sunday now!

[stripeyb]

I know this thread is OLD, but I found it on google and probably others will too, so I'll add my two cents.

It isn't "mean" to not walk your bitch for a few weeks, especially if you're unsure about your ability to prevent a mating. If a 100-lb German Shepherd wanders up, are you going to be able to repel him with a squirt gun? I think not.

Dogs do live in the moment, so you'll have to endure some nasty looks and a lot of whining from her - but all will be forgiven after this is all over. :)