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.

@mountainsunsets did you pay with real money? You should've paid with imaginary money!

My bad 😂maybe next time I go, I'll offer them Monopoly money instead.

As others have said, you need to be out very early and/or very late, preferably out in the countryside and away from pavements, because other reactive dogs are also being walked at unsociable times (though many people walk before and after work)

Before mine were neutered, on one occasion I had to fend off a Giant Poodle off lead. The owner knew exactly what was happening and simply sauntered off, pretending the dog wasn't his.
Mine were on leads, his was roaming/attempting to hump at liberty 😡

You can't reason with stupid..

Yeah mine too. We were advised with our first dog to neuter but with our young dog, the vet doesn't recommend it as he's quite jumpy and reactive.

To those saying this woman should have controlled her dog, it's not an issue of control - you can't train a dog not to have hormones, no training in the world can prevent an entire male dog being attracted to a bitch in heat. It's the most natural and powerful urge in the world. So yes it is anti-social to be walking your bitch in heat around other dogs, not to mention the risk of an accidental mating which you would have to deal with the consequences of.

Of course ideally everyone in this story would have neutered their dogs so this wouldn't be an issue but OP is just as guilty of that as the other dog's owner.

We walk ours. It’s literally never been a problem. Mumsnet gets very grumpy about it though.

Dogs reproductive urges do not fall under the 'control' category. Stay home.

The issue here is that the owner was simply not strong enough to hold her dog which is an accident waiting to happen.

Next time it may be a cat or a squirrel or the dog simply takes a violent dislike to another one and she's dragged under a car.

NO ONE should be walking a dog that they cannot control. There was a woman at the last set of puppy classes we attended with an exuberant lab pup who was much too strong for her. He'd set off across the room to try to steal treats from other owners with her being literally dragged behind him. Nothing she could do about it with an ordinary collar and lead on him.

@CaptaNoctem - if a dog gets a whiff of a bitch in heat he will suddenly leap into action at great speed, and despite the best will and capacity and experience in the world, a person walking him isn't guaranteed to be able to hold him back. I've seen grown men pulled off balance by their dogs, and sadly one dog who as I mentioned bolted straight into the street and was hit by a car. It was a miracle that his owner wasn't struck too.

It's not the same at all as failure to keep a wandering puppy in control.

No walking near off lead dogs. So the road isn’t an issue.
I walk at quiet times and cross over if we do see a dog coming (rarely happens)
It is an issue if you can’t stop your dog pulling you over. Be that because of a squirrel, bitch in season or because something frightens it.

So again I ask what happens if you walk past my fence with my in season bitch the other side?

So what happens if you walk past my fence with my in season both the other side? If you can't control or handle your dog what do you do?

Oh dear god. It’s not about not being able to control your dog smh 🙄

@WiddlinDiddlin the response of the average dog to squirrels and rabbits is not in tbe same league as the response to a bitch in heat.

I can't believe the number of people on this thread who would chance the possibility of having a litter of puppies of unknown temperament to dispose of, not to mention the stress to their own bitch or the health risk if the puppies turn out to have have large heads.

Get your make dog neutered, no unwanted puppies then!

*male

Well for starters hopefully you haven't left your in-season bitch unattended in the garden so you would be there to intervene.

Seriously, what is it with posters on this thread who think they have zero responsibility for preventing their dog from getting accidentally pregnant?

Well, presumably your garden fence is tall enough so that your dog can't escape and therefore other dogs will be unable jump over?

@giveovernate I’m not spaying my bitches for specific breed health related issues. Most owners of this breed do the same. We have never had an oops litter as I never allow her near another dog in season. Doesn’t mean we can’t go out for a quiet potter away from other dogs.

I'm sorry but you've confused me with another poster! I'm saying the same as you and specifically said the same as you and that I'm not listening to randoms on the internet!

@mountainsunsets bury it does t mean that the dog won't pull an owner over if they can't control it?

I assume that fence size doesn't stop that?

@ScaryFaces I do leave my in season safe in my secure garden unattended. Your dog won't get in but it may well pull you over and pull you across the busy road if you can't control it.

But my in season bitch is safe, your dog may not be and get hit by a car.

No, granted my sighthounds are MUCH more interested in rabbits and squirrels (And foxes and deer) than they are in shagging.

You do realise that a/ it is possible to prevent two dogs mating in a variety of ways and b/ there are mis-mate jabs and further options to prevent pregnancy/end unwanted pregnancy, so no bitch needs to have an unwanted, unplanned litter?

@Wolfiefan and @ScaryFaces your dogs safety is not my issue or concern.

Sorry @Wolfiefan tagged you in error 🤦‍♀️!