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.

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.

As numerous people have explained, it's NOT just intact dogs that will have an issue with your bitch.

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.

How old is she? Is she not too old to be having a litter if she's already on her fifth season?

@Ylvamoon

just enjoy walking her!

Make sure your hot pants & crop top stay in the ccupboard. You are not allowed to upset ANY male

Is that the dog or owner's crop top and hot pants? If i wore a crop top and hot pants it would distress everyone. Man, woman or beast

It's not illegal unless there are particular bylaws where you live or walk her. I don't actually think it is reasonable to walk an in season bitch where you expect to see off lead dogs . I would walk her on the lead , on the pavement. It upsets everyone , dogs and owners , if an entire male gets attracted to a dog on heat.it's be only for a couple of weeks and as pps say most of us then get our bitches spayed.

@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

Maybe you should read the thread.

Maybe if you had a bitch in season you might understand hy that comment is a close ally of theTaliban comment upthread.

Dogs are dogs.

Humans are humans.

Humans have pets. Humans should take care of those pets.

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.

What, you mean like posters upthread have already said they do?

It won't help either of you if you just carry on blithely, like you had never started this thread in the first place?

As a dog owner I am always acutely aware of any time we cross the scent of a bitch in season.

Many of those owners are also blithely unaware of the effect their bitch is gaving on most dogs, intact or not, and some think it is funny!

And please, if you do decide to breed, get her checked first. Your experience is of no importance, her health is!

@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.

actually yes you can and they often are....also neutered bitches are used for protection work I have no idea where you get your info from.

It’s not illegal but it’s bloody inconsiderate. FFS, step up, do the right thing and get her neutered

I’m shocked that there are people who think it’s OP’s responsibility to stop other people’s pets being out of control .

If you’re walking an intact male dog you should make sure his recall is perfect. He could bump into a female dog on heat anywhere, or smell one in her garden across a busy road. Either way, your dog’s safety and behaviour is your problem.

If you can’t stop them chasing a dog on heat, get them neutered. Only the most knowledgeable dog owners should be breeding anyway (said as an owner of a neutered male).

I must have missed that one?

Does it stem from the idea that a nervous male probably shouldn't be neutered, as it will just ingrain anxious behaviours? Because that can be true.

Because it can also increase hyper arousal and aggression.

All of which is another reason we won't be having our dog neutered.

So very many myths around neutering!

I don't think it's really about who is at fault, though. It being someone else's fault isn't much comfort when it's your dog who has been injured or knocked up by someone else's rogue animal. It doesn't matter whose fault it is then, as it's you who has to deal with the consequences of it. It's about protecting your own animal from situations where they are more likely to be injured or stressed, even if the 'blame' for it might lie with the other party. Because at the end of the day, it's not much comfort to me if someone else is to blame when my dog is distressed because I put her in a situation where that was more likely to occur.

I’m shocked that there are people who think it’s OP’s responsibility to stop other people’s pets being out of control

Could you quote one of them please?

Because, apart from other posters saying similar to this, all I can see are posters suggesting that owners of both bitches and dogs take care of their own pets. That the owner of an in season bitch needs to be more careful as it is that dog that will be hurt most should an unanticipated-by-the -humans mating occur.

Nobody has suggested that OP makes any effort towards restraining someone elses dog!

Unless you call masking the bloody discharge some bitches experience an unecessary task for any human to be bothered with?

That would be an unuseal for MN stance, given what is usually said hereabouts about doggy discharges!

@PollyPurpose

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.

A pedigree kennel club dog?? What does that even mean? Do you mean it’s a thoroughbred which happens to be registered with the kennel club? Do what! My dogs are both KC registered but I still wouldn’t breed from them as they’re not perfect examples of the breed!

God you sound a bit clueless. Do NOT breed from your dog! I bet you havnt even had it health checked for breeding have you?

For those wondering how a random dog walker would know a bitch is in season... how it usually happens for me is.

I’m walking somewhere fairly busy where you’d expect off lead dogs, I see someone with an on lead dog approaching so I recall my dog - only he doesn’t recall, so I run over to grab him thinking WTF is he doing, his recall is usually great. I get over there and have to drag him away and he’s crying and shaking as I say, I’m really sorry, he’s usually very good at coming back...

And they then go, oh she’s in season, lol.

And I’m left dragging a still crying trembling dog home who is totally wired to the moon fir the rest of the day at least, because he hasn’t actually got a clue what’s going on as he’s either too young or is in fact neutered.

Weirdly, when I had a reactive dog aggressive dog that I walked in very quiet places at weird times to avoid other dogs, I never met an in season bitch, it’s always the odd occasion I go to a park.

Thanks @PollyPurpose for the latest addition to my bulging People Who Make Random Shit Up And Say It's The Law file.

If I were you I'd get my dog neutered but the dog walker/owner should see to their dog too.

@BreastedBoobilyToTheStairs

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

The pawtriarchy?

Pawtriarchy! Love it!

Unless you are a professional and knowledgeable breeder, do not breed from her and do the right thing and get her spayed.

No it's not illegal to walk her, but you have to accept it comes with risks.

Unless you want your female dog to be followed and harassed by male dogs walk her either v early in morning, late at night and in an area not highly populated by dog walkers. I walk my bitch on a woods I drive her to when on heat and she is always on a lead.

Nope
Being irresponsible isn’t illegal

@Saucery

We are allowing our dog to have one, maybe two (depends on vet advice about whether after 18 months or 12 months is better to ensure fully developed joints) seasons. During her first season we walked on lead, on pavement only. It’s actually quieter wrt to dogs during the day round here so that’s when we took her. We avoided the local parks, fields, woods etc as unfair to her and to male dogs offlead to take her there. We informed any owners of dogs that approached on lead of her season. It’s not illegal, no. Our first Lab died suddenly and before her time from osteosarcoma. She was spayed before her first season. I will never go through that again without being sure we have done all we can to avoid it.

for you. You are right that there is a lot more research than there used to be about the pros/cons/timing of neutering and the risk factors for various cancers and other conditions. It is often an anxious decision for an owner to make even in the face of evidence (look at the number of people who have decided not to have the covid jab despite good evidence to show that on the balance of risk, almost everyone should have it). For many male dogs the consensus is that there may not be clear health benefits for neutering at all.

At 3 years old, for OPs dog, I would be thinking about getting this season finished and spay in 3m, but it’s not illegal to go for sensible walks on the lead in quiet places, and it is ultimately her choice.

I had a dog come over to us today. My lot were all on leads, flustered owner came & caught her, saying she's in season...

I do have one dog, un-neutered, as he was sent home by the vet. They'd had him there for the morning & they did not consider it in his best interests.

So I would say best to keep the bitch on-lead whilst in season. I kept my dog on a lead for the rest of the walk, just in case he legged it in pursuit.

It's not illegal but it's Dam stupid and if it's something you think is ok you really shouldn't have a bitch who isn't spayed.

As for breeding

Please don't. People should only be breeding if they are experienced and know that are breeding from perfect breed standard dogs which is normally gained from the show ring along with excellent health and temperament to protect the breed

Breeding because you fancy it, isn't acceptable at all.

If yours is under control on the lead then you're doing nothing wrong - other people need to be in better charge of their dogs. If they chase females they should be on leads and have adequate fencing!

Thank you @Pawprintpaper. We don’t want to face osteosarcoma again if we can possibly help it , but nor do we want pyometra, false pregnancy or mammary cancer. Plus, the season wasn’t much fun for our girl, there was constant mess to clear up (bitches britches not being for me) and we had to cancel a weekend away as it didn’t seem fair to inflict an in season bitch on a rural area we didn’t know and just walk on pavements all the time (boring).

Only one owner we met that month seemed clueless about what “my dog is in season” means. They just went “oh” and left him to dance about in front of her until she let him know she wasn’t interested. He was a strange looking PooCross in a full anti-mud jumpsuit so I was pleased she showed some taste

@PollyPurpose

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.

It's no longer always recommended for males to neuter unlike bitches for health reasons

Neutering males can have negative affects on their health.