AIBu to take my dog for a walk when she’s in heat?

[berryfull]

Obviously on the lead, we’ll controlled. Obviously trying to avoid busy dog places where possible. But a walk a couple of times a day.

I’ve had several owners of entire make dogs give me a mouthful this week, when they’ve had to come and forceably remove their intact off lead dog from following me. Even went so far tonight that the dog that was following us had no owner anywhere visible, so I had to phone them from the number on the collar. When they arrived to get the dog (having delayed me 20 mins or so) they decided to tell me off !!

Flabbergasted! Surely if you have an entire make dog, then you should be keeping it in the lead or under supervision. Why should my dog get no excersize ? I’m keeping my dog under control. Why should I have to lock her away while male dogs roam free?

Dog patriarchy anyone?

@Mamanyt plenty of posts demanding in accusatory tones to know why she hasn't spayed already. And then some arguing over her vet's advice.

Not false equivalency, valid analogy.

If these poor male dogs cannot control their sexual urges when a bitch in heat is within 3 miles, then their owners have to keep them under control. And neuter them if they are problematic.

The owner of the bitch had her dog under control, i.e. leashed in a public place.

Why should OP have to keep her bitch indoors for 3 weeks just so irresponsible male dog owners don't have to take responsibility for their own dogs? It's not as if she let her loose in the packed dog park and called out, "Hello boys, come and get it"

@Smallgoon So you let the terrier get out of control and mount a bitch in the park, even when he was leashed, and it's the bitch's owners fault for just being there? Jeez.

Many dog shows, events and training schools ban bitches in season; some won't even allow them into the grounds where the event is taking place, let alone enter the actual competition.

Showing shows hold the dog classes all together before the bitch classes in case the dogs fall to pieces or come to blows over bitch scent left in the ring.

Active events (obedience, agility, etc.) do not allow in season bitches on the showground.

Most working bitches (police etc., guide dogs) are spayed, brood bitches kept separately.

Female racing greyhounds have their seasons chemically supressed.

Hunting hounds work in separate bitch and dog packs.

It's not just the prospect of unplanned mating, but the possibility of fights between male dogs attempting to mate, other females attacking the bitch, the risk to male dogs breaking free (or escaping) to pursue the bitch (some cannot help themselves, they lose their minds and many will blindly hunt her down); injury to or fright caused to the bitch (which may well affect her temperament from then on) and of course the risk of injury to people.

Therefore the etiquette is that in-season bitches are kept away from other dogs during their heat and shouldn't be left unattended on private land.

It's nothing to do with 'patriarchy', it's biology and common sense. Of course you don't have to walk her as usual for three weeks; it won't kill her to do fewer walks - in solitude - for a bit.

Walking her in season on a beach, however quiet - even on lead - isn't really fair, to be honest. It is a place where dogs are taken specifically to walk and swim off-lead. Many male dogs (and some females) will not react 'normally' to their handler or training in that situation.

Hormones and instinct will take over and they may detect the bitch before she is even in sight. Doesn't matter how much people bleat about 'all dogs should be under control', some won't be able to be, because their owners won't be expecting to come across a bitch in heat.

First and second seasons can be tricky anyway; the rush of hormones will have her head all over the place and her own behaviour might change: she might break away from you and go hunt out a dog for herself.

YABU

[quote BendyLikeBeckham]@Smallgoon So you let the terrier get out of control and mount a bitch in the park, even when he was leashed, and it's the bitch's owners fault for just being there? Jeez.[/quote]
You've clearly missed the point haven't you? I couldn't control him even whilst he was on the lead, because the scent he picked up turned him into a completely different dog, and not the usually calm dog that I've known for 3 years! He nearly sent me flying ffs!

Hormones and instinct will take over and they may detect the bitch before she is even in sight. Doesn't matter how much people bleat about 'all dogs should be under control', some won't be able to be, because their owners won't be expecting to come across a bitch in heat.

Exactly this.

I think you are BU taking her to the beach. One of mine has not been spayed and she gets on lead pavement walks at quiet times only. It's not for a long time and despite being a very active and energetic dog she is fine with it for a short period of time.

I haven't spayed her (yet) because for me, the risk of certain health problems have of greater concern than the risk of the likes of pyometra. She is now getting to an age where the reverse will be true so I will spay her soon.

I grew up on a sheep farm. My dad had five working dogs. His best dog was intact as he was a sought after sire due to being a fantastic working dog. He was trained to within an inch of his life. When the lady dog in the neighbouring farm was in season he became Houdini and would escape from wherever he was to make the 3 mile pilgrimage to their farm where he would howl outside their back door. Sometimes our other intact male would accompany him. The intact male also chewed through a door to get to one of our bitches when she was in heat.

You can’t train this primal instinct out of animals. A football pitched bit of beach is nothing if you’ve got a bitch in high season. I am 100% for dogs being trained and under control but I think you are being massively unreasonable. You are essentially suggesting that all male dogs in a 3 mile radius need to be kept on a lead while you walk your in season bitch. Coming from a farming community I can’t believe anyone would be so selfish. Where I was brought up if your bitch was in heat she stayed at home - it was only a few days.

Also, I’ve previously owned a 70kg Great Dane - I once had to separate a fight between her and a friends dog it was absolutely terrifying and I’d hazard a guess that if a male giant breed decides to impregnate your girl you are not going to be able to stop it.

If you are at the stage of numerous random dogs following you around the beach then I’d say she’s probably at her peak. Would it be so hard to stay at home for a couple of days until high season has passed?

Just spay your dog, that waiting until 1st season is nonsense!

Dog owners should desex their dog unless they intend to breed in my view, whether male or female. Our girl was done when she was six months, about ten years ago now. She didn’t have a season, and she now has musculoskeletal issues. Wonder if these have happened due to being spayed to early? Six months was the time were told, but that was a long time ago and sounds like the advice has changed.

Why is it my responsibility (beyond keeping her on leash) ? Surely if you choose not to neuter your male dog then you should be keeping it under control?

Of course it’s your responsibility too! You can’t control other peoples dogs, what if she attracts strays or dogs who escaped and have no phone number on their tag?

You can’t take her to the beach in heat without causing chaos. Half the dogs will be off leashes there!

Neutered males can be as problematic as entire ones.

If you don’t have your own land to exercise her on maybe think twice about not spaying.

Hmm. How bizarre. I have questions:

1. If a dog will smell a bitch in heat and go crazy from miles away, how does a pavement walk help? Isn't the male at the beach still going bananas- you just can't see it because you're not there?

1. How many male dogs will do this? My parents had intact male dogs for most of my childhood and I've never seen this behaviour. Presumably affected male dogs would be going beserk in their gardens too, provided there was a bitch in season within a couple of miles of its house.

*Why though? Why has she not been spayed?^

Because large breeds should not be spayed that early. People get so evangelical about this.

what if she attracts strays or dogs who escaped and have no phone number on their tag

All dogs should be microchipped by law.

There is often quite a bit of distance between what the law says and what individuals decide to do about their dogs.

Maybe your parents' dogs never smelled a bitch in heat....

To be honest I think it's fine to walk your dog whilst in heat, but if their dogs are loose I assume you're walking her through a park or open space? It makes more sense to street walk where you're less likely to see dogs off lead (and also less frustrating for her if she's used to being let off lead)

If these poor male dogs cannot control their sexual urges when a bitch in heat is within 3 miles, then their owners have to keep them under control.

This is not a feminist issue, and depicting it as such makes several posters look absolutely ridiculous.

It's not as if she let her loose in the packed dog park and called out, "Hello boys, come and get it"

You clearly know nothing about dog (the species) behaviour.

It is more distressing for them to be out than to miss out on the walks.

Rubbish. I take my bitches out on street walks when in season and they thoroughly enjoy it. I wouldn't dream of tempting fate by taking them to open spaces where there are other dogs off lead, but street walks are absolutely fine. Mine would definitely not be happy being cooped up in the house for three weeks.

It's like blaming the woman for wearing a short skirt and going out at night, which made her get raped. No, it's the selfish irresponsible bastards who can't keep their dicks dogs under control who are to blame.

Oh for the love of...

OP your posts concern me tbh. You've obviously got your dog, read a few articles and thought "Jobs a good 'un, that's that sorted"
Reading articles is fantastic. Sadly dogs don't read articles! What looks good/clear written in that article as theory doesn't always work out in the practical sense.
When it says you are advised to probably walk in quieter places and quieter times of high traffic dog walking areas. It's highly unlikely they mean a beach! Or even fields.
The sheer fact that you work to the principal that if you want your bitch to be able to go on a beach, and she's as much right to be there as any male dog makes you sound ridiculous quite frankly. Yes maybe she has, but to anybody else your bitch won't be their problem!
They'll just carry on regardless, your poor bitch has to suffer the stress though!
Saying no dog will be mounting your bitch is worrying, as in your naivety you could find yourself, or your bitch seriously hurt or both.
If you're encountering people telling you off, or being abusive you're obviously thinking my dogs on a lead and I'm walking along merrily.... When dogs come bounding up and you're 'shooing' their dogs and waiting 20 mins for some to reclaim their dog they're obviously deepdown thinking you're a bloody idiot.
If you're not careful you're going to end up with a nasty situation that you may not be able to manage. If more than one dog gets the scent of your bitch and you have a few heading in your direction trying to 'shoo' them will be pointless, as your bitch will be chomping at the bit to get to them too. Some dogs beserk.... So nothing, and I mean nothing will stand in their way, and if there's a few it can turn into an all out bonkfest between either sexes.
Even the dogs with usual 100% faultless recall sling a deaf 'un. No amount offering a treat will work... Trust me they've only got one treat in mind.
Do as others have advised and keep your dog and yourself safe.
Trotting back to your vet and bleating out the reason for your need to visit with your bitch for advice/ injury/ pregnancy fears etc etc. They'll just say not all dogs behave in a text book way. And they don't.
So play it safe and don't put your bitch or yourself at risk.

OP you're deliberately ignoring the fact that intact dogs can smell an in heat bitch from miles away and that even the best trained dogs can lose all recall. It's biology.
Stop walking her in busy places where you know there are going to be off lead dogs.

Couldn’t agree more!!

yanbu
all dogs should be on lead unless in a secure fenced off area.

Some research here about when to spay by breed, though I couldn’t tell you how robust it is www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2020.00388/full

That’s odd, the vast majority of breeders here (not in UK), won’t let pets go to homes unless desexed/spayed as it’s meant to be some sort of breeder responsibility code or something, so they are generally done quite young. Entire animals are only handed over if they are purchased for breeding and the person is a registered breeder or for certain show categories etc and then often there is a written agreement that the animal is bred with the breeders stock or other stock at their directive with them getting an agreed number in return. It’s all very controlled. The exception to that is backyard breeders who don’t care what they are handing over and they are not desexed/spayed.