Should I not be walking a dog in season?

[Salamamca]

My 3 year old dog is in season. I have been walking her on road walks where we’re less likely to encounter off-lead dogs.

Yesterday there was a woman walking this GIANT dog on the other side of the road, it looked like a Newfoundland/St Bernard but with German shepherd colouring - I swear it was the biggest dog I’ve ever seen. Anyway I carried on walking and then this huge dog suddenly dragged its owner across the road to come to us (luckily, no cars on what is normally a pretty busy road), she couldn’t hold it back at all, he dragged her with ease. They get to us and it tried to sniff my dog and my dog snapped at it but we couldn’t get away, when we tried to carry on walking it just dragged it’s owner along with us. She said she couldn’t understand what was wrong with him as he’s never done this before so I told her mine was in season. She said “well why on earth are you out with her then?. In the end a bloke from across the road came and helped her hold her dog whilst we got away. (And even he was struggling!)

Its really shook me up. She will be in season for weeks, surely we’re not expected to not walk her for 3 weeks or more?? I’ve always walked her in the past with no issues.

Give over, you’re boring me now.

My final comment: www.brown.edu/Research/Colwill_Lab/CBP/spaynueter.htm

Health Benefits of Spaying and Neutering
Spayed animals no longer feel the need to roam to look for a mate. The result is that they stay home and have less chance of being involved in traumatic accidents such as being hit by a car. They also have a much lower incidence of contracting contagious diseases, and get into fewer fights.
In males, neutering decreases the chances of developing prostatic disease and hernias, and eliminates the chances of developing testicular cancer. It also reduces problems with territorial and sexual aggression, inappropriate urination (spraying) and other undesirable male behaviors.
In Females, spaying decreases the incidence of breast cancer (the rate goes down to almost zero if the spaying is done before the first heat cycle!). It eliminates the chance of developing a serious and potentially fatal infection of the uterus experienced by many mature unspayed animals (pyometra). Spay surgery also eliminates the heat cycle and associated mood swings and undesirable behaviors, messy spotting (in dogs) and the attraction of all available males to your yard.
Five Good Reasons Why You Should Spay or Neuter Your Pet

1. Spaying or neutering increases your pet's chances for a longer, healthier life. · Spaying your pet before her first estrous cycle (that is, before she reaches sexual maturity) greatly reduces her chances of developing breast cancer and completely eliminates the threat of uterine and ovarian cancer and uterine infection, which are common occurrences in unaltered females. Neutering your male dog or cat prevents testicular tumors and may prevent prostate problems. Neutering also decreases the possibility of perianal tumors and hernias, which are commonly observed in older, unaltered dogs. Because neutered cats are less likely to roam, the threat of abscesses caused by bites and diseases transmitted by fighting are greatly reduced.
2. An altered dog or cat is a better pet for your family. · Males neutered early in life are less aggressive toward other males and are not distracted by females in heat. Therefore, a neutered male will be less tempted to leave your property and cross that dangerous highway searching for a mate. Neutered males also are less likely to mark every one of your (or your neighbor's) expensive shrubs with his urine as well as inside the house. Spaying your female pet eliminates the problem of stray males camping in your yard and decreases her desire to roam and breed.
3. No family wants to cope with an unwanted pregnancy. Spaying prevents your pet from giving birth to unwanted puppies or kittens.
4. Spaying results in a cleaner female dog and home. Because female dogs pass bloody fluid for about ten days, twice a year, as a part of their estrous cycle, constant care must be taken to avoid carpet stains in homes with such animals. Spaying your dog eliminates this problem.
5. You are helping to alleviate the dog and cat overpopulation problem. Each year, millions of unwanted dogs and cats are euthanized (killed) at shelters across the country. Although pet behavioral problems are the main reasons animals are given to shelters, many orphans are the result of accidental breeding by free-roaming, unaltered pets. The more pets spayed or neutered, the fewer dogs and cats will have to be destroyed. Delaware Humane Association does not euthanized; however, hundreds of dogs and cats are turned away each year because there is simply not enough room at the shelter to accommodate them. Six Common Excuses for Not Spaying or Neutering Pets 1) My pet will get fat and lazy. Neutering or spaying may diminish your pet's overall activity level, natural tendency to wander, and hormonal balances, which may influence appetite. Pets that become fat and lazy after being altered usually are overfed and do not get enough exercise.
6. We want another pet just like Rover and Fluffy. Breeding two purebred animals rarely results in offspring that are exactly like one of__ the parents. With mixed breeds, it is virtually impossible to have offspring that are exactly like one of the parents.
7. My pet's personality will change. Any change will be for the better. After being altered, your pet will be less aggressive toward other dogs or cats, have a better personality, and will be less likely to wander. Spraying (urine marking), which is often done by dogs and cats to mark their territory, diminishes or ceases after pets are altered.
8. We can sell puppies or kittens and make money. Even well-known breeders are fortunate if they break even on raising purebred litters. The cost of raising such a litter which includes stud fees, vaccinations and other health care costs, and feeding a quality food consumes most of the "profit." Well-known breeders raise breeds that they like. These breeders also try to improve the standard of the breeds they raise.
9. My children should witness our pet giving birth. Pets often have their litters in the middle of the night or in a place of their own choosing. Because pets need privacy when giving birth, any unnecessary intrusion can cause the mother to become seriously upset. These intrusions can result in an unwillingness to care for the offspring or in injury to the owners or to the pet.
10. I am concerned about my pet undergoing anesthesia. Placing a pet under anesthesia is a very common concern of owners. Although there is always a slight risk involved, the anesthetics currently used by veterinarians are very safe. Many veterinarians use equipment that monitors heart and respiratory rates during surgery to ensure that their patients are doing well under anesthesia. Thus, the medical benefits of having your pet spayed or neutered far outweigh the slight risk involved with undergoing anesthesia. Consult your veterinarian if your are concerned about this aspect of the procedure.

Thank you! I Totally agree, I’ve discussed the issue with my vet and experienced breed enthusiasts, I’ve made my decision based on their collective advice. No idea why @CatsandFish thinks I should ignore them to follow the advice of some randomer on mumsnet 😂 maybe she should stick to cats and fish

💤 💤

Your vet, as others have said, is a dud vet if they advocate allowing your dog to haemhorrage twice a year. Only breeders advocate keeping an intact dog, so you contacting breed enthusiasts means nothing, they have an agenda that an actual vet doesn't.

I'm out.

Don’t let the door hit you on the way out🙄

I'm out
—————

Hallelujah

Thank goodness!

Only breeders advocate keeping an intact dog

Really? My vet must be a figment of my imagination then 😉

mine just finished her first season, we walked as normal but on lead. In a busy city, busy parks ect. No issues. I don’t have a garden so had no option. I was originally going early anyway because of the weather but tbh we had no issues with any other dogs so just went back to our normal routine.

I wonder if we both have the same imaginary vet 😂

Get your bitch spayed for the love of God. And anyone with an intact dog needs to get him neutered too, lest I be accused of double standards.

It is 100% not on to take out a bitch in heat. Dogs can run out under traffic and drag their walkers after them to get to a bitch in season. Your bitch could well end up pregnant.

Put your animal first - get her spayed.

I don’t think people should walk bitches in season but I also don’t think people should own dogs the size of ponies that they have no hope of controlling.

My dog is intact and will stay that way but he’s 10kg so if he decides he’s off after some wonderful smelling bitch I could stop him with no issues. I’d probably think differently if I have a leonburger or a massive rottie!

I must have one of those imaginary vets as well.

Them feckers get everywhere and charge me for imaginary appointments as well.

Surely it’s no more unreasonable to walk a female dog in season than an un-neutered male dog at any time of year?

Nobody should have a dog they can’t control. If that woman can’t control her dog when he smells a bitch in season she should have him neutered. If she still can’t control him she shouldn’t have gotten such a big dog. If you can’t control your dog how can it be safe to walk around children? You never know when a dog could snap.

This

Ok, so by your analogy, I live on a main road. My dog is in season and she's in my garden, right by the fence, your intact dog smells her, drags you across the main road and causes an accident.

So are you saying I shouldn't even let her in the garden? Because an intact male, may smell her?

FYI, I will take my vets and breeder advice regarding getting her spayed. Not some random person whose views are outdated.

This 100%

You don’t know me or my dog.

Who am I putting first if not my dog? Because yeah I love dealing with a bitch in season twice a year, highlight of my year!

Yabu and vvv selfish...neuter your dog or don't walk it where there other dogs whilst it in season.

There are other dogs everywhere, do they not smell an on heat bitch when she's on my garden, next to the fence they're walking past?

What happens then?

Presumably you’re meant to keep her in the house and buy her a litter tray? 😂

honestly some people on here are bloody hilarious

The reason people can't control dogs around in-season bitches is that they have failed to properly train their dogs.

If they can stop their dog chasing prey whilst on a lead, then they can stop their dog hauling them over a road to follow a bitch - and if they cannot, they should not be walking that dog, they should take it to a secure field or have someone who can control it, walk it.

I walk bitches in season to just before their receptive period (middle of the season ish), we avoid off lead places or narrow paths with no room, and we avoid busy dog walking times of day.

I do use anti-mate spray to try to disguise the scent too!

On top of that... I pick routes that do not involve crossing busy roads wherever possible, doing the best I can NOT to leave a delicious scent trail across a busy road, just in case someones dog is loose.

The idea that it is impossible to train males (and no they don't need to be intact, many neutered males will if permitted, bolt off after an in-season bitch and, if shes willing, can and will mate her!) is just bullshit.

The fact is, people simply haven't bothered and as they rarely come across in-season bitches, its rarely an issue for them - and then when it IS they can trot out the line 'well its impossible to train a male to ignore an in-season bitch'.

FWIW I would neuter a bitch after two/three seasons depending on whether she's small/medium/giant breed, but thats because each season increases the risk of pyometra, not to make the lives of people who can't be arsed to train their dogs easier!

I wonder if I can ask for all my money back seeing as he doesn't exist 😂

Exactly @Salamamca, this don't let them walk an intact male can travel a 1000 miles to get to an birch that's not been spayed. But presumably if they're in a garden they'll know before they leave their house?

They definitely do. Before we got him neutered, my own dog tried to leap out of a window to get to next doors bitch when it was in season!