To walk my in season dog? Is it a criminal offence?

[PollyPurpose]

Just that really.

I’ve just been stopped by a local dog walker and she politely but firmly told me it is a “Criminal offence to walk an in season bitch; under a section something…? ”. She stated that if a male dog follows my dog out of the park and gets hit by a car I am legally and criminally liable. She also said I am ruining all dog walks for entire dogs.

I did politely ask what it is owners are meant to do as dogs need walking - she said pavement walks in the dark. As a lone female in london I won’t be doing this.

So yes what are peoples thoughts. Is it actually illegal because I can’t imagine not being able to walk her for three weeks at a time. Twice a year.

She always remains on lead and is small enough for me to carry. She is three years old and I’ve never had an issues - if a male dog has shown interest they’ve usually been called back by an owner.

In response to “have her neutered” I will once I have decided whether Or not to breed from her.

@Aldinho57

YABU because you are trying to tell me that you have to resort to Mumsnet to find out the answer ? ever heard of GOOGLE ?, or a polite E mail to a local vets etc, so I have to imagine you are a Mumsnet bot making up thick questions just to perpetuate conversation like the vast majority of threads on this site.

Are you ok?

Posting on Mumsnet is going to get a much quicker response than a vet is and it's anonymous so nobody feels silly if the answer is anonymous.

Ha, if the answer is obvious

‘ That's not correct and is outdated advice. It is not recommended any more that male dogs are neutered. Though I hadn't considered that maybe this was because the vetinary world had been infiltrated by the Taliban’

Amazing! If this one doesn’t end up on Mumsnet Madness I’d be stunned. ‘Vetinary’ ( sic) ‘Taliban’
🤣

My dog ran off after a bitch in heat when he was still a puppy, and too young to be neutered, he pulled on the lead suddenly and I lost my hold. The bitch was being walked off the lead, on a busy path, at a busy time of day. I managed to get him back, but it was a scary moment. The owners just shrugged. I really don't understand why anyone would be so reckless. (My dog is neutered now, as soon as I was able to do it).

‘ Or, hire a private field.’
😅😅😅

I mean, whom amongst us has not hired private fields for dog walking…

The decision to neuter or not should be made after reviewing the specific dog you have, their health, breed and behaviour and the environment and manner in which you keep them.

Neutering has pros and cons and not all pros will apply to all dogs and not all cons will.

e.g. if you have a large dog from a breed with a tendancy towards bones and joint problems you may consider neutering to be too risky (it can have advserse effects on bone and joint health). Alternatively, if you live and walk in places where accidental matings can occur - e.g. your habit is for a relaxed walk in public places where your dog isn't the laser focus of your attention - then you may choose the guaranteed protection that neutering brings against accidental puppies.

The age of neutering is also an important factor and comes with different risks or benefits. As a general, but not exact, rule then the older and more mature the dog, the better. Which means everyone who cares for a dog from puppyhood is likely to find themselves walking a sexually mature, intact animal - at least temporarily.

Which, of course, means anyone walking a dog should EXPECT to come across a sexually mature, intact animal sooner or later...

I notice no one has asked what breed.

@PollyPurpose what breed is she?

I really don't agree that only professional breeders should breed. In fact they're probably the ones who should be banned.

Because of health checks etc is an entirely circular argument, as It's the fault of professional breeders and breed associations that all these inbred, unfit for purpose dogs with their recessive health disasters exist in the first place.

Ban all of that, several generations of free for all in the park and you'd have a bunch of much healthier mongrels.

I MIGHT make exceptions for some dogs with jobs.

@Isaw3ships

‘ Or, hire a private field.’ 😅😅😅

I mean, whom amongst us has not hired private fields for dog walking…

Well my area is positively overflowing with private fields for hire on an ad hoc basis 😂 it's such an easy option [/sarcasm]

Walking in a populated area during her season will be stressful for her too, not just other dogs. Walk her on lead in quiet areas, at quiet times of the day. If this isn’t possible, play brain games with her (just as tiring for her as physical exercise and fine for short periods every once in a while).

As an aside, did I see a post saying you pick her up a lot on walks? If so, that’s just going to make her more interesting to approaching dogs who’ll want to know what you’ve got in your arms and will likely try to jump up at you, whereas they may well have left her alone or just initiated a quick, passing ‘hello’ if she was on the ground. It frustrates the living heck out of me when small dog owners pick their little dogs up and then are surprised that approaching dogs’ are jumpy and curious. It just serves to make little dogs more nervous and reinforce the owner’s idea that they did the right thing in picking it up to protect it.

Silly question, but how do the other dog owners know your dog is in heat? And surely if a male dog is daft enough to run in front of traffic to try and shag a female, that’s their problem and not your fault?

@similarminimer

I really don't agree that only professional breeders should breed. In fact they're probably the ones who should be banned.

Because of health checks etc is an entirely circular argument, as It's the fault of professional breeders and breed associations that all these inbred, unfit for purpose dogs with their recessive health disasters exist in the first place.

Ban all of that, several generations of free for all in the park and you'd have a bunch of much healthier mongrels.

I MIGHT make exceptions for some dogs with jobs.

Yes, this.

This thread sounds like people have swallowed the sales pitch of the commercial breeders. "Much safer with us, we do genetic testing to prevent issues known about particular breeds blah blah blah", conveniently forgetting that if they didn't exist at all, and people mostly bred mongrels as was the norm when I grow up, there wouldn't be all the heath problem associated with in-breeding in the first place.

Lockheart private hire (by the hour) secure dog walking fields/spaces are quite common all over the place now.

Not all dogs need/should be neutered. Working dogs, especially males shouldn't be neutered. You can't really train and have a dog for protection without their balls, it changes their personality.

Am genuinely not wishing to get into an argument but in the spririt of public infromation sharing: I often am looking for private field hires all over the country for ad hoc 1 hour slots, as I find them a very easy way to break up long car journeys, etc, with the dog(s).

I've never struggled to find one within a few miles (less than 10) or anywhere I am travelling through or to. So, if anyone is thinking a field hire might be an option - there are more out there than you might imagine

The private fields for hire near us - for the actual purpose of dog walking/recall training etc - don't have secure fencing for small dogs (which we have). So that's nice

@EerieSilence

Not all dogs need/should be neutered. Working dogs, especially males shouldn't be neutered. You can't really train and have a dog for protection without their balls, it changes their personality.

I don’t think anyone has said that all dogs should be neutered, just that pet dogs owned by people who are pretty clueless about dogs, breeds and breeding should be. A quick look on Gumtree in my local area reveals hundreds of for sale adverts for puppies called things like Cavacockerpoos or Goldendoodleranians - I’m pretty certain none of these are from solid working stock owned by people who know how to breed and train a good protection or gun dog.

@BalladOfBarryAndFreda

Lockheart private hire (by the hour) secure dog walking fields/spaces are quite common all over the place now.

Not round my way they're not! Or at my parents for that matter. At one there's no fields, in the other the fields are farms.

@Isaw3ships

‘ Or, hire a private field.’ 😅😅😅

I mean, whom amongst us has not hired private fields for dog walking…

Hiring private fields is an actual thing. There are dog exercise fields specifically for private hire.

@lo fair enough. but for a lot of people it is an option.

@Isaw3ships

‘ Or, hire a private field.’ 😅😅😅

I mean, whom amongst us has not hired private fields for dog walking…

It is a very easy option around here, wish it had been available last time I had an entire bitch.

I have one booked for half an hour this weekend, to trial my new puppy off her lead for the first time, with no distractions.

Am also likely to use it when she has at least her first season, before I make an educated decision on whether I might have a litter from her before spaying.

FGS, that was supposed to be for @Lockheart. Apologies

It's not illegal no but it's a massive pain. Often even neutered dogs will go after her. I do think it's selfish and inconsiderate and it creates havoc for multiple dogs and their owners just for your one walk.

Wow thank you for all the replies.

In response to the breeding it would be a pedigree kennel club dog, well bred not some back yard breeder or a pet for no reason.

I shall continue to walk my dog and keep being cautious as I have done all her adult life. Thanks for clarifying and I’m glad for once I didn’t get upset by this busy body women.

I do choose quieter times too. And I also won’t have the option for private hire.