Male dogs are not human males!

[RhodaBull]

Yet again I encounter this morning a woman with dog on extendable lead. As we amble towards her she starts shrieking that her dog is in season and to keep back. I assure her that my dog presents no problem in that area, but then she starts on that male dogs should be trained to walk on by when they're told a female dog is in season.

Honestly! A human male is socialised not to goggle if he sees an alluring woman, but unless I've missed a training trick, I don't think dogs have quite got there yet!

What is a suitable reply to these people?

The accepted etiquette is that when your dog is in season you keep her at home, or possibly on a short lead and walk in quiet areas or at quiet times.

Even my neutered boys can smell a bitch in heat from miles away.

My 'suitable reply' to someone with so little common sense would probably be very rude...

I hope you see her again and then you can put her straight.

So what? She expected him to avert his gaze and walk out of the way because he understood the words she's in season?

Make sure he doffs his cap as he goes too. Teach that boy some manners!

She is being rediculous, male dogs can't resist the urge it's instinct. Female dogs need to be kept at home. I took our dog for a walk when she seemed out of sorts, knowing she was due in season I kept her on a normal short lead just incase. A male dog approached and was interested even though my dog was on a short lead and not at the point she was interested it was incredibly difficult to keep the male dog off mine even when she jumped in my arms the dog still managed to mount her (luckily not tie) even with me pushing him off. My dog is now neutered but for the times she was in season before she was old enough to be neutered she stayed in from the moment I suspected until it was definitely over. We played a lot of mind games with her in the house to keep her entertained like searching for treats/toys games. She is a working breed but wasn't that unhappy being kept in as long as she was with us.

Well I'm sure there are male dogs who'll ignore the urge, like with an actual command to recall them or walk to heel or whatever, but not just because someone's shouted that a bitch is in season, rofl

Reply: "your dog's in season, and you're taking it out walking? That's your problem, not mine, and [certainly] not my dog's".

Crazy lady.

I saw her again! I swear it's the longest extendable lead ever, and slightly transparent so ripe for garroting small dogs and taking down humans.

My dog knows not to bother dogs on leads, but he was a bit confused and ran up to this one before spotting that it was attached, but at a distance of almost 100 yards...

I'm so glad I've read this thread because I'm smarting from the bitch owner (owner of a bitch, obv, not a terrible woman, well a bit) who told me off yesterday. Her dog was off lead while she was miles away chatting and mine started trying to hump. I pulled him off and ran up to the owner to say, gosh I think your bitch might be in season (my boy had ignored another bitch who was right at the end of the season to get to this one). And she says 'well why isn't your dog neutered?' He will be, shortly, but he's six months old. She asked me to put him on a lead and take him away, which I duly did because I'm a mug.

I was muttering to myself all the way home. The onus is on the bitch-in-season owners isn't it? If I hadn't pulled off my dog, there might well have been some very strange mixed puppies...

Oh and extendable leads are the work of the devil. Have a long lead for training, a short lead or let them off-lead entirely, but it it must be so confusing for a dog to have no idea how long the lead is going to be at any one time.

I'm with you polly. Both my boys were neutered at six months, but one of them started trying to hump an elderly in- season lab who was being allowed to casually wander off lead and the owner didn't think to say anything. FFS. Neutered or not, it's not a behaviour I want my dog to learn and I would have given a very wide birth if I'd known.

Make sure he doffs his cap as he goes too. Teach that boy some manners!

And she says 'well why isn't your dog neutered?'

Why isn't hers?!

There is always chaos round my way when there is a bitch in season, I'm at a loose to work out how some peoples minds work. Keep them in and remember the bitch will look for a male too.

She sounds like a right nutjob

A neutered dog can mate fully with a bitch in season, obviously no chance of pups but they shouldn't be meeting at all.