Dogs in heat -walks?

[tay6]

I’ve got a female retriever who is not spayed. (Still debating whether get it done or not)

Since I had her I made a few acquaintances during our walks and I hear all sorts of different opinions about dogs in heat and what they should or shouldn’t do.

I’ve heated that some folks don’t walk the dogs at all during that period

Another person who has a similar age/built dog in-spayed walks her dog in busy parks and says that it’s up to the male owners to keep their dogs in control

I also know another person with a boy lab who says that bitches in heat ruin their walks and make her dog (still intact) go crazy

I do walk my dog, on the lead, trying to stay out of everyone’s way as much as possible. Being very careful for a good 3 weeks. I can’t imagine not to walk my dog who normally has a 1 1/2 -2hrs a day but I wouldn’t want to cause trouble with other dogs I stay out of the way.

It does make me wonder though, bitches go into heat twice a year, intact male dogs are in constant danger of bumping into an in heat dog.

I think it’s a little bit like contraception with people, it has to be everyone’s responsibility and if they choose not to spay/castrate their dog then have to deal with consequences and be careful of certain situations. There are so many folks though who think that they are right about walking in heat females in busy parks or that everyone should tiptoe around their intact males.

Can you share your opinions? Just out of interest…

The thought makes me anxious as I haven’t had my intact retriever snipped yet as he’s under 2 but want to do so soon. He does well off lead and recalls generally well but I’ve never knowingly been in the situation where he’s come across a female in heat. He does sometimes try to hump males as a dominant behaviour and that’s bad enough to deal with as an owner!

I think it’s absolutely true that male dog owners need to keep them under control, but also know that the world isn’t always like that, so imagine that you need to be prepared for that. Better to hear from female dog owners who have been through it, I also couldn’t imagine avoiding walks for this long and would also wonder why should you…tricky.

It’s just responsibility isn’t it…

I was just quite surprised how I had a very strong opinion from a dog owner with a male dog and another one with a female dog. They both think that it’s the other side’s responsibility 😵‍💫 this baffles me…

sometimes I get so intimidated by dog owners on my walks. I had someone who got offended because my dog barked. She didn’t attack or anything she just barked (albeit she does have a loud bark) but I was a bit like WTF…

Why on earth wouldn't you spay your dog?

https://www.webmd.com/pets/dogs/features/spaying-or-neutering-your-dog-faq

I think when a dog is in heat you need to have them on a short lead and preferably walk them somewhere quiet and where other dogs aren't likely to be off lead. I'd expect an owner to be able to control a male dog on lead, but off lead I think even the most well trained male dog would find it difficult to resist! A female in heat does send male dogs a bit doolally, even when they've been neutered (but to a lesser extent). So it's just better for everyone - humans, female dog, male dogs, to modify your walks til they're no longer on heat.

I wouldn’t take my girls to public parks in season, these days I would use secure dog fields so there is no risk of meeting males.

My neighbour has an intact female. When she's on heat neighbour walks her at 5am to reduce risk of running into other dogs.

This.

Even a castrated male can go bonkers around a bitch in heat.

I don't know if you've ever seen dogs have sex, OP. But it's not pleasant for the bitch. I wouldn't risk a female dog on a walk in public tbh.

Because she is a rescue and has been through an awfully stressful time, and it’s not a surgery that she would need as top priority.

Everyone has got their own story so no need to jump the gun.

Before my female dogs were done I didn’t walk them until late in the evening and then just around our block. I definitely would not have taken them to the park.

Saying that before I had these two female dogs I had an intact male dog. He was a Doberman and needed lots of exercise and I can honestly say in 12 years of 2 walks a day I never encountered a problem with a female dog.

What would you do if a male dog just started shagging her?

I would say if you are walking a female in heat then you should really be walking them on a lead, well out the way of other dogs (not in a park or down the beach where other dogs will be off lead, on the streets only really where all will be on leads) and most female dog owners I know also only walk them at quiet times so early morning or late night while in heat. I don’t think it’s realistic to not walk a dog in heat at all for 3 weeks but definitely needs to be out of the way & on lead.

Everyone should be responsible for their own pets but even a perfectly trained male dog will probably go deaf when there is a bitch in heat nearby, and for me the main thing is that actually if you walk your female in heat off lead and a male dog manages to get to her and get her pregnant it’s you as the owner of the female dog who is then going to have the physical, mental & financial job of pregnancy and puppy’s, or the physical, mental & financial task of putting your dog through an abortion. For me, if I was a female dog owner that alone would be enough to make me either 1) walk far from everyone, early/late, and 2) get her spayed. There are no real consequences for the owner of the male dog if they do fall pregnant and if random in the park you’re likely to never hear from them again, but as the owner of the female dog you’re on the hook for a pregnant mother and all the puppy’s so I wouldn’t be taking any risks.

When I dogsit and the dog is in heat I am very careful. It’s easier with dogs that are small enough to be hoisted into air jail should the need arise but you can’t do that with a lab unless you’re secretly Arnold Schwarzenegger.

I’d go for a combo of early morning/late evening walks somewhere quiet with good lines of sight so you can change direction if needs be, hiring a private exercise field and lots and lots of puzzle and thinking games in the garden.

Some dogs go off their walks a bit when in heat and don’t want to be dragged out so much when they’re usually raring to go. One dog I had got really shy with people when in season and would refuse to walk past them in the street.

I’m 35 rescue dogs in. A fair few weren’t well enough to be spayed/neutered before they came to me. I have always spayed and neutered all of them, once they were well enough. There is literally no medical reason not to, particularly with a bitch. Pyrometra is no joke, unspayed bitches can and do die from it. I am ALL OVER my dogs, I watch them like a hawk, nothing gets past me. A year ago, we adopted an unspayed 8 yr old. I waited for her season, then 3 months after, I sent her to be spayed. My vet (who I trust implicitly) said her uterus was a nightmare and she was well on the way to a pyo. If I had waited, even 2 more months, that dog could well have died, even though she showed no symptoms, nothing, ever. Spay your dog.

I have a male and a female. Both now neutered/spayed, but I had the male as a pup, and the bitch came to us unspayed.

The ‘convention’ where I am is to walk the bitch at quiet times, avoiding dog-centric areas , always on lead, unless in a secure dog field by yourself.

Do not underestimate the canine desire to mate. Both dogs and bitches are driven to reproduce.

It is absolutely YOUR responsibility to keep your bitch safe from unwanted pregnancy.

I would have thought it would be less stressful in the long run for her to be spayed.

Until you do the right thing and get her spayed you need to stick to 5am walks in deserted areas.

My female St Bernard was in heat recently I walked her at quiet times so early morning and late evening. It’s not realistic or fair on her to be kept in for 3 weeks. A walk isn’t just a walk to a dog it’s exercise, its smell, seeing new things it mentally and physically tires them in a way a garden just can’t do. I wouldn’t want to be kept in for 3 weeks so I will not do it to her. Also with her being a giant a spay isn’t recommended untill she’s over 2 which she isn’t.

I think it’s a little bit like contraception with people, it has to be everyone’s responsibility and if they choose not to spay/castrate their dog then have to deal with consequences and be careful of certain situations.

I think you might be in danger of muddying the waters by relating this to humans. You are putting your dog in a situation where she might be attacked.

You can't depend on other dog owners being responsible. People are walking round with dogs that are killing people for a start.

My dog had one season before she was spayed. I did once try taking her down the park like normal and just kept her on the lead, but it was clearly bothering some of the males,even though they were neutered, so I left and just stuck to pavement walks until it was over.

Our golden retriever recently went through her first heat, she’ll have her second and then we’ll be getting her spayed.

Personally there is no way that we could’ve kept her at home for 3 weeks straight. She would’ve gone absolutely mad - it wouldn’t be fair to do that to a dog that is so used to getting out for big, fun walks everyday.

We still took her out for walks, just made sure to avoid popular spots where dogs are often off lead like beaches, forests etc and only took her out during quiet periods, obviously kept on lead 24/7. We hired a private dog park a few times to allow her to have a bit of freedom as well. Also bought a special spray that is meant to put male dogs off - whether it actually worked or not I don’t know but even with the few dogs we did come across on our walks none were particularly interested in her

I've walked intact males and it is 100% my responsibility to keep them under control at all times. That includes being aware of the chance I may run into a bitch in heat (or just the lingering scent). In reality, for an off lead dog, that means keeping them close enough that when they give the few second warning they can smell something attractive, you get them back under physical control asap.

But...

Will the fact that the other party did not have the control they should have, be of consolation to the bitch's owner when they have to deal with the consequences in their dog? It wouldn't be for me and I would walk an in heat bitch away from popular areas, away from popular times of day - to minimise the risk to her.

In reality, I've actually had more real-life trouble from an escaped/loose, in heat bitch following me and my instact dog down the road, skipping ahead of us to present herself. My dog (on lead) crying and straining at the lead while I try to get the loose dog back to her garden safely. Or, at least, not inadvertently lure her into the road!

It'd help not to drip feed in that case. I presume in that case you mean "not spaying her yet" rather than "not at all". Was she from a shelter? Don't they require pets to be desexed before adoption? Or did you rescue her direct from whatever her situation was? Kudos either way.

I think everyone should be responsible for keeping their dog under control, male/female, intact/not. But…a significant majority of people don’t.

No, we don’t generally walk ours while in season except somewhere very remote where we’d be unlikely to see another human let alone a dog. Mostly, she just stays in the garden, but we have a very big garden and she can do plenty of running around in there.

To be fair, she mostly wants to just hide in the kitchen when having her season.

@NoBunnyHome has it - owners of intact males have the responsibility to keep them under control, but you need to be aware that not all owners do have control. Once the male dog has the scent, they can go bananas. When yours is on a lead, do people let their off lead dogs come up to you? If yes, then your dog is at risk immediately, because your only recourse at that point is to lift your bitch in the air and keep her there.

Locations that are quiet, and then v early or v late is the best bet. Also be aware about walking from home if your bitch is scenting - it will bring all the boys to the yard.

After losing my favourite childhood dog to pyo, there's noway I wouldn't have a bitch spayed.
Isn't it usually terms of rescue that they're spayed by the new owner if not well/old enough in rescue? At a suitable age
Whilst in heat I'd be walking early/late and in less busy areas.