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.

Could it be a local by-law?
You don’t sound very knowledgeable about dogs so don’t go down the breeding route. Have your bitch spayed, you’ll be able to exercise 365 days of the year wherever you want and she won’t run the risk of pyometra.

If you can't afford to hire a private field twice a year, how will you afford to pay for the extensive and expensive genetic testing that is required to breed your dog responsibly and how will you afford the jabs, worming, microchipping etc of up to 12 puppies as well as the vet care required throughout a pregnancy?

I swear, we ought to require licences to keep dogs. And an IQ test.

@SirSniffsAlot

In response to the breeding it would be a pedigree kennel club dog

You may already know this, but the KC dogs from lots of breeders have endorsements on them to prevent offspring being registered without their knowledge (the original breeder must lift the endorsement).

Yep.

That's how we were found. The dog ours was bred from was considered good for the breed and we were contacted as the breeder had just such a clause on ours.

The first bitch he was to be mated with was tested pre mating and found to have a Grade 2 heart murmer. The breeder she was bought from was distraught and contacted owners of all of that litter immediately.

Sometimes breeding properly is more complicated than you think.

From your keyboard to God’s ears 🙏

😁😁

@User574773662

ONLY pets should be bred from, not bitches kept purely for breeding purposes, this is puppy farming.

Home breeding does not equate to back yard breeding. There are a great number of licensed home breeders who health test their girls.

Puppy farms aren’t always dirty kennels, there are plenty of high profile puppy farms. One thing they all have in common is that their animals are not pets.

I agree to a point though I don’t agree that all commercial breeding amounts to ‘puppy farming’. It is in the true sense, of course, but not in the way that we use the term ‘puppy farm’. By the same token ‘home breeders’ can cover a multitude of sins from backyard puppy farmers to licensed, health tested dog owners breeding responsibly and ethically from their much loved family pets.

My mother owned a smallish breed bitch which she planned to breed from - and did eventually. This was the 1960's btw. When the bitch was in season she would carry her from the house and around the block. She didn't put her down until they got to the park. The idea was not to leave a scent trail to our house, otherwise a small pack of dogs would be hanging about outside.

I remember back in the 50's and 60's many people used to let their dogs out to go walkies without them. There was this little pack of dogs that used to meet up everyday and follow their own route around the neighborhood. They didn't bother people as they made their rounds and would make their way back to their own homes for dinner.

I was waiting for a bus at 6am one morning and here comes my grandpa's old dog, out for his morning constitutional. I kept low so he would recognize me and make a big fuss.

@BalladOfBarryAndFreda

we want her to pass her genes on

Will you be testing those genes to make sure they aren’t faulty, before you do?

Of course.

[quote cavalierkingc]@undecicive Then you would be completely wrong to assume those this. Stupid comment.[/quote]
Eh? Why would it be a stupid comment. If you get a pet endorsed for breeding you surely don't withhold that info in your OP.

Not illegal.
You should walk them at a quiet time to avoid unwanted pregnancy though. Our dog needed walking when in season to burn off the energy, she was kept on the lead and away from other dogs. Our vets advise was to wait until she was at least a year old and had 1 season before spaying to avoid issues later in life, that's what we did.

@Redarrow2017

I’d be telling her to stop talking shite. If her dog is off the lead and does not recall or is HastingsDirect in heat bitches she is liable for any harm it comes too! Her dog should not be off the lead anywhere if she does. Not have full and adequate coffee trio of it! Really grated on me when owners let their off lead dogs hastle dogs that are on lead and the say aw they’re just being friendly, or aw he’s all noise he won’t cause any harm! Yet they can’t control it! My dog on lead does not want to be sniffed and chased by anyone else’s dog!

I'm sorry but when it comes to a bitch on heat it is a completely different scenario, male dogs just don't act rationally at all.

Keep all women off the streets! Whether human or dogs!
Ffs. Walk your dog when you like - just be mindful (which it sound like you are)

OP you are clearly entitled to walk your dog - very entitled indeed. Walking an on heat bitch means that normally placid male dogs might go fucking apeshit and cause an incident - there's no way any level of recall could stop them going after a bitch in heat. I presume you are expecting all male dog owners to keep their dogs indoors, immediately leave the park or put up with their dog being distressed, pulling or running over to you etc., and that'll be entirely their fault (seems quite a few others think that too). But as you rightly say you are entitled. Definitely

@Blossomtoes, excellent. Genuinely pleased to hear it.

Of course it's not illegal. Stupid woman. I'm in the if you can't control your dog don't let them off the lead camp though. My dog is neutered now but when in season wouldn't go to the toilet on lead or in our (large) garden. I took her to the park and let her off when no other dogs around.

I can see all the "breeders" are out in force. It takes practically nothing to obtain a licence from the council (certainly not experience). And everyone I know that has had problems with health or temperament of their dog bought from big well known breeders with all the paperwork (also known as puppy farms quite frankly). I would rather buy from a hobby breeder that can actually identify the father for a bitch that only does one or two litters. Much better than those arriving too young on a truck from overseas and passed off with different progeny.

If people can’t control their male dogs, they should have them castrated.
It just goes to show how entrenched the victim blaming/ woman bashing narrative really is

My poor pooch must be very unattractive in the dog world to all these Randy dogs that are apparently everywhere and go mad at the slight whiff of a female in season, as in 9 years we have never been approached by a male dog when she is in season

Interestingly (to me, anyway) - the intact males I've known that have proven recall and behaviour around in season bitches are the ones that have been used for stud. That won't be a universal truth so definately do not try that at home!

One dog I knew many, many years ago now would never touch a bitch he was partnered with until he received the nod from his owner

(for the avoidance of doubt, I also knew his owner and this was training achieved through reinforcement and habit, not the use of punishments)

@Sunnysideup999

If people can’t control their male dogs, they should have them castrated. It just goes to show how entrenched the victim blaming/ woman bashing narrative really is

Castrating doesn't always stop it. Mine both are and both still turn into monsters when a bitch is in season

YABU I I walk my well-behaved dog through some woods, the last year or so have been terrible as so many people seem to want to make money out of breeding. The thing is your dog will bleed and this trail will make dogs go off course. There are loads of dogs just running around confused as their dog suddenly takes off.

My dog will find a another dog in heat very quickly and the owners always seem surprised when I eventually get to their dog as to why he isn't under control! I always ask and every time they say yes their dog is in season!

@NichyNoo

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?

@NichyNoo other dog owners won’t know until their male dogs run away from them to get to the female in heat. As per the PPs saying their male puppy ran off after a female, dogs run across roads etc.

It’s a bit lacking in understanding to say a male dog running across traffic/running away from the owner/doing something else dangerous to get to a fella dog is because the dog is ‘daft’. Male intact dogs really do go crazy for a female in heat and it’s not something you can train out of them. So the common sense approach is don’t take a female to a busy park when she’s in heat - it’s only for a short period of time that she’s in heat so it’s less inconvenience to just walk her on lead somewhere quiet, rather than expect all intact (and also TBH neutered) male dog owners to keep their dogs on lead all the time forever because they never know when a female on heat is in the park.

It just goes to show how entrenched the victim blaming/ woman bashing narrative really is

The pawtriarchy?

@Sunnysideup999

If people can’t control their male dogs, they should have them castrated. It just goes to show how entrenched the victim blaming/ woman bashing narrative really is

Oh come on @Sunnysideup999 really? You can’t be comparing a male dog - an animal with limited self control, primarily acting on its biological urges, to humans can you? Male humans can control themselves and have an understanding of consent, ethics, morality, legality and all the rest of it. Dogs don’t.

And as PPs have said - male puppies run after in heat bitches - they’re too young to be neutered. Some males aren’t neutered at all or until they’re older for health reasons. Some are neutered but still go after a bitch in heat. Neutering isn’t always an option and doesn’t always mean they won’t be interested in a female.

Of course it's not illegal. Some people have legitimate reasons for having an unspayed bitch (responsible breeders, bitches with health conditions) and they still need to walk their animals.

However, you should aim to keep your bitch as far away from other dogs as possible, and on a lead under close control (bitches on heat can run off in search of a mate too).

So it never has caused an issue. She’s never had a dog follow her - I’ve been walking in the same way and it’s her 5th season.

She has no endorsements. I have grown up in a family with breeding experience.

I do realise it’s a concern, but surely some responsibility lies with the entire dogs owner and they realise by not having their dog neutered (unless planning to breed) that they may occasionally bump into a dog in season.

I want to thank you all for clarifying it isn’t illegal and I will continue to walk her away from bush areas in a safe manner.