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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To not walk my dog at the minute?

115 replies

BourbonBon · 08/03/2023 08:34

I really want to but she’s in season. She’s already a very reactive dog so I don’t think I should? But she’s desperate to go for a walk 😞 it’s snowing and I so want to take her out in it 😭

YABU - walk her
YANBU - you can’t

OP posts:
BourbonBon · 08/03/2023 12:52

louise5754 · 08/03/2023 11:43

Is she used for breeding

Absolutely not

OP posts:
BourbonBon · 08/03/2023 12:55

Forgooodnesssakenow · 08/03/2023 11:46

How old is she? How aggressive is she? What training have you done?

From what info you've included you sound like a very irresponsible dog owner.

How do you work that out exactly? You have absolutely no idea about me!

As for training we’ve done positive reinforcement training from day 1 as well as BAT training. She’s massively improved from what she was like but hey, think what you want

OP posts:
Vloader23 · 08/03/2023 12:57

BourbonBon · 08/03/2023 10:52

I decided against it, better safe than sorry.

for those who were asking, she isn’t spayed yet as she’s EXTREMELY vet fear aggressive. Just going in that place sends her loopy to the point where she wants to attack everyone in sight and pisses herself. It’s horrendous and traumatising for her (and everyone else). I’m looking into sedation that can be given at home so I can get her done but the vet is reluctant. I’m also concerned that having her spayed will make her even more aggressive.

"looking into". This is very simple and common - just ask your vet for some sedation and get on with having her spayed. And find a behaviourist!

BourbonBon · 08/03/2023 13:03

Vloader23 · 08/03/2023 12:57

"looking into". This is very simple and common - just ask your vet for some sedation and get on with having her spayed. And find a behaviourist!

We already have a behaviourist

OP posts:
Whiteroomjoy · 08/03/2023 13:11

Dumb non dog owning question here

can the bitch not be given hormones/device to block fertility ( eg pill for a dog).I realise in most cases it’s cheaper and easier to sterilise it, but is that the only option?

WiddlinDiddlin · 08/03/2023 13:15

Hire a secure field if you can.

If not, drive to somewhere quiet and not near major roads, don't walk direct from your house as you then leave a trail of sexy bitch scent right to your door which can end up with local dogs escaping (or doing a bunk on walks) to follow it and serenade her from outside.

The middle of the season is the point where shes at her most alluring and receptive so avoid walks then - the week either side of that week/ten days you may get by using anti-mate spray to disguise her scent, but still keep her on lead and avoid places busy with off lead dogs.

I would still spay though, whilst spaying an already 'aggressive' (inverted commas because aggression is simply communication and we all use it...) bitch can make that worse (particularly if timed wrong, it should be 3 months from the start of the last season), thats really only a significant consideration if she lives in a multi-dog household and theres already tensions between the resident dogs.

If she's a solo dog or with another dog and they get on just fine theres no reason to think that won't continue post spay.

The risks of leaving her entire increase season on season and they are significant.

Your vet should be able to give you something like Nutracalm to give before she goes in and then put her first on the list for surgery and send her home ASAP afterwards. I'd also be going for as minimally invasive a spay as possible (ovary only, keyhole) so that recovery time is fast. If your vet is not taking her fear of vets seriously, find another.

BinleyMegaChippy · 08/03/2023 13:18

Whiteroomjoy · 08/03/2023 13:11

Dumb non dog owning question here

can the bitch not be given hormones/device to block fertility ( eg pill for a dog).I realise in most cases it’s cheaper and easier to sterilise it, but is that the only option?

Yes, you can get them, a friend of mine enquired about her bitch having them, as she was due a season when she would be staying with me and my two male dogs. The vet was reluctant to give them to her though, as she wasn't quite old enough and hadn't had her first season, so they decided against it. Thankfully she didn't get her season while she was staying with us

passtheolives · 08/03/2023 13:18

Look at the free resources absolute dogs have about games and enrichment you can do in the house which will help tire them out mentally.

I would walk somewhere quiet if you can and try and avoid busy times more for your dogs benefits that anyone else’s, being in season can make them more nervous than usual

ignore all the idiots making horrid comments, no doubt they’re part of the ‘my dogs friendly gang’ which cause half the issues for people trying to retrain reactive rescues!!

Anneofgreencables · 08/03/2023 13:23

I think a secure field would be your best bet, if too late for today, it’s worth finding one near you to use in future? I wouldn’t walk in a public space as I’d worry that she’d find it distressing, as she’s already reactive to other dogs and it could make the issue worse long term.

Could you play games at home? Ball and tug in the garden, some scent games or training in the house to tire her brain? A kong or a licky mat?

2bazookas · 08/03/2023 13:24

You'll have to rent sole use of a secure dog-walking pen until her season ends.

Expensive; maybe that will persuade you to get the poor bitch spayed.

passtheolives · 08/03/2023 13:32

2bazookas · 08/03/2023 13:24

You'll have to rent sole use of a secure dog-walking pen until her season ends.

Expensive; maybe that will persuade you to get the poor bitch spayed.

Did you read ops posts 🙄

timeforachang3 · 08/03/2023 13:39

My dog is a bit of a nightmare at the vets and she’s huge, whereas they are used to cute little pocket dogs so they’ve insisted we give her sedation tablets before every visit, not ideal but does mean we can get any checks done that are required to make sure she’s ok. We also got her spayed and it all went fine, she was a bit subdued for a few days after but can’t say I’ve noticed any difference to her behaviour, we just kept everything around it as normal as possible.

my dog was massively reactive but we got a lot better by the time she had her first season, I just walked her at off peak times (super early or late, it was often dark) and in areas where there shouldn’t be off lead dogs (near busy roads etc).

also, a walk is part of their routine but is mainly a social construct. Do you have a garden? If so, get outside and do some training/breed fulfilment/games. Often do this in the house too when the weather is too hot for walks!

Feel your pain, it felt like a really long time when my dog was in heat so I understand!

LivesOnPigeonStreet · 08/03/2023 13:46

A lot of uncalled for aggression from the humans on this thread so they should be able to understand it in dogs. Jumping on someone with a reactive dog is really easy. Getting a reactive dog from a rehoming centre and trying to help that dog become less reactive is hard and doesn't require a load of unnecessary rudeness.

2bazookas · 08/03/2023 13:47

SnowLemons · 08/03/2023 08:43

Is this a thing? If a dog has a season (is that a period?!) They can't go out? Seems cruel.

If they go out, every entire male dog within a mile will smell her on heat and run like hell to mate with her.

If she is a reactive bitch there may be serious aggression ( injury risk to either dog and owners ). Neither owner will be able to prevent sex. In dogs the male penis gets locked in, "tied", sometimes for a long time; impossible to separate them. Danger to humans who try.

If the breeds are wildly incompatible there may be damage to the bitch and the likelihood of awful x-breed pups too large for her birth canal. Expensive.
Or unwanted bad-cross pups that end up being dumped at rescue charities.

That is why RESPONSIBLE owners of bitches are prepared for dealing with season, and segregate her, for her safety, their own, and that of other dogs.
Or they get the bitched neutered for her own health benefit.

Repeatedly coming into season (but no mating/ pregnancy) can cause serious uterine health problems in the bitch. Expensive. Or leads to the bitch being dumped on a rescue charity.

2bazookas · 08/03/2023 13:50

passtheolives · 08/03/2023 13:32

Did you read ops posts 🙄

Yes, but I don't believe in the excuse of a bitch that can't be handled and operated on by professional vets.

jannier · 08/03/2023 13:55

BourbonBon · 08/03/2023 10:52

I decided against it, better safe than sorry.

for those who were asking, she isn’t spayed yet as she’s EXTREMELY vet fear aggressive. Just going in that place sends her loopy to the point where she wants to attack everyone in sight and pisses herself. It’s horrendous and traumatising for her (and everyone else). I’m looking into sedation that can be given at home so I can get her done but the vet is reluctant. I’m also concerned that having her spayed will make her even more aggressive.

I think you need to look at a pet behaviourist ....spaying normally calms them and reduces risks of other health issues. You can't not use a vet if an animal is Ill so I think that sorting it is a priority

passtheolives · 08/03/2023 13:57

2bazookas · 08/03/2023 13:50

Yes, but I don't believe in the excuse of a bitch that can't be handled and operated on by professional vets.

surely if you read the op posts being spayed would help massively as she wouldn’t be having to worry about walking her in season dog.

Perhaps rather than being so bloody rude you could offer some advice on how to go about curing her reactive dogs issues as clearly you think it’s easy to do so and know better than the current professionals supporting op

tonystarksrighthand · 08/03/2023 14:02

@passtheolives .... @2bazookas is absolutely right.

If you own a dog, you take every responsibility seriously. No excuses!

DrWhoNowww · 08/03/2023 14:10

tonystarksrighthand · 08/03/2023 14:02

@passtheolives .... @2bazookas is absolutely right.

If you own a dog, you take every responsibility seriously. No excuses!

I’m curious about what in the OPs posts leads you to believe she isn’t a responsible dog owner?

Shes working with a behaviourist and a vet to overcome the vet reactivity so that she can be spayed.

in the meantime she’s asked for recommendations from other dog owners about how to handle exercise during season…

What else should she be doing?

Floralnomad · 08/03/2023 14:13

The point is it’s in the dogs interests to be spayed , I find it hard to believe that the dog never needs to go to a vet for anything so a bit of short term pain will be the long term gain .

KarmaStar · 08/03/2023 14:23

Hi op
Put a covering on her for bitches in season put her on a lead and go out.Is there somewhere quiet locally?
About the speying,please do it.
I had a a dog,a rescue so I don't know his history,but he was very very anti vet.
But required check ups and treatment so he went in having had a slight sedative from the vet first which I collected the previous day.
you dog,if not neutered,can get
Pyometra
.This can lead to kidney failure and if not found and treated,is fatal.
Have a lovely walk in the snow and please consider speying.🐾🐾🌈

Sassyfox · 08/03/2023 14:32

I wouldn’t as it sounds like it will stress her out, if she’s already reactive and in season.

If you don’t have a private field you can hire can you just throw the ball around the garden and do some mental games with her too?

Sassyfox · 08/03/2023 14:36

I agree with @KarmaStar about pyometra.

I know 3 dogs who have died from it and it’s not a pain free experience.
2 of them got to the vet and were treated but still died and 1 had to be put to sleep immediately because of how much pain she was in.

I’d spend some time getting her used to a muzzle and then once she’s comfortable with it then book her in to have it done.
They’re under anaesthetic most of the time anyway.

BourbonBon · 08/03/2023 14:37

Thanks for all the sensible repairs.

regarding the private fields … I was told I would be unreasonable to book one as it isn’t fair to anyone using the field after me 🤦‍♀️ we do have one we use regularly though, I just didn’t book it as I thought I’d be being selfish! Just had a look now and no slot until weekend. I’ve booked it for next week though

OP posts:
BourbonBon · 08/03/2023 14:38

Replies, not repairs

OP posts: