Advice needed from the lovely doghouse people please.

[PositiveAttitude]

I have never had to post over on these threads, so please be gentle with me.

I am looking after a friends dog while she is on holiday for a week. I am an absolute beginner with dogs, but all seems to be going ok. (Although cats have stormed out of house and sulked for the past few days)
Problem is that this morning on our walk another dog became rather more friendly than he should have done with her.

2 questions: do I need to own up to my friend that this happened? Do i need to find out if she has been sterilised? Is there likely to be a problem ie: is she likely to be pregnant?

Sorry, that was all one question.
2nd question is: What is doggy walkers etiquette when this happens? I was horrified rather embarrassed! but I did not want to separate them for fear of the other dog attacking me, or the dog. Other dog owner was round the corner and only appeared after the deed. What should I have done?

Many thanks

[tabulahrasa]

There is a mismate injection...but it can still be given when your friend gets home if you only have the dog for a week, she could also be sterilized at that point.

Female dogs can only breed when in season and although sometimes it's a bit subtle, it is usually noticeable, even to a novice - and I would have expected your friend to mention it if it was at all likely to happen. (though it's not exactly very predictable)

If it was only for a few moments then it was more likely to be a dog just being bad mannered rather than actually doing anything that could result in pregnancy. Some dogs just hump everything - it's got not a lot to do with sex really, just a behavioural thing.

Personally I'd have pulled it off, but - the other dog owner shouldn't be letting their dog wander off and molest other dogs, so it's nothing to do with your etiquette and all to do with theirs.

[binger]

Think it's likely that the dog was just humping and not actually penetrating. It's fairly common behaviour and I know a couple of bitches who also behave in this way. I'd like to think your friend would have warned you if there was a chance she would come into season when staying with you.

Try not to worry about it and ask your friend if dog has been neutered when she returns from holiday.

[MelanieCheeks]

Bitches are "spayed" to avoid unwanted pregnancies. As the others have said, she can only become preganant if she was in season (when it's best not to walk her anywhere other dogs are likely to be). The male dog would also have to "lock" rather than just a quick hump.

[1MitchellMum]

Poor you. |I would ring your friend's vet to ask if the dog has been sterilised (you can explain why you're asking). There is a morning after injection but I would think the sooner the better - if indeed it's needed. The above assumes that you can't contact your friend (if you do then you could ask if she'd been speyed, and if not then when her last season was. As a dog owner myself I'd rather be phoned on holiday than come back to a potential problem. Good luck!

[tabulahrasa]

"There is a morning after injection but I would think the sooner the better - if indeed it's needed."

I don't think that is the case actually - I think you need to wait until they're out of season or they can ovulate after it's been given.

Oh and - it's not something I would phone someone on holiday to tell them, if you're speaking to your friend anyway, then obviously mention it if you're a bit worried, otherwise there's no problem at all with waiting until they collect their dog.

It's way more likely to have just been a rude dog being a bit over enthusiastic about saying hello than that the bitch is in exactly the right bit of her cycle and accepted a strange dog quickly mating her...and the fertile bit of season isn't the beginning so she'd have to have been in season before you got her.

I'd do nothing tbh, mention it to your friend when they get back and you can describe exactly what happened and they can decide whether there's a likely issue or not. (but I genuinely doubt there is)

[PositiveAttitude]

Well thank you all very much. I was afraid I would either be laughed at or told off for letting it happen!

I have read all your replies and, as my friend is home on Monday I will just mention it when I see her then. And I will not panic between then and now.

Thank you.

[tabulahrasa]

Ah - I might have smiled a bit that you didn't know that some dogs just do that to everything they meet, but how would you know that if dogs are new to you?

And - not your fault at all, it's completely the other dog's owner's fault and very rude of the owner btw, how on earth did he know that his dog wasn't doing that to a dog that's aggressive to other dogs, or scared of other dogs, or recovering from an operation or well, anything really?

Well unless she was in season and your friend hadn't told you, then it would be their fault too, but still not yours, lol.

[1MitchellMum]

I stand corrected on the Morning After jab ... something I've not needed to know, luckily! Always happy to learn new stuff ...

[mrslaughan]

But definately tell her, a friend had an un-wanted pregnancy with her dog in this situation. Friend was in hospital, bitch booked into be spayed, but dog walker didn't tell her, and then it was all too late.
Monday will be fine, but do tell her on Monday.