My 3 year old whippet (who is in season) had (unprotected!) sex!!

[Whippetinseason]

My 3 year old whippet went into season when we were on holiday, whilst my son looked after her. I explicitly told him not to let her off the lead, but being a 24 year old lad (who knows it all!), he let her off the lead. She normally has fantastic recall but obviously being in season, she went out of his sight for about 5 minutes and by the time he found her, she had tied with an un-neutered male whippet!!!

Anyway, when she tied with the male, she was on day 11 of her season, so by my understanding, at the most fertile time. My son and the dog's owner had to just wait until they'd finished. The woman gave my son her number and was very apologetic but obviously it was my son's fault - no un-neutered male would miss this chance of course.

Now, the one mildly amusing thing about this is that she chose a beautiful KC registered whippet (like she is!) so at least she has taste (!). What are the chances of that!! I know this as I have been in touch with the owner - her whippet is a stud whippet who breeds lots, so he's proven 😖

This happened 6 days ago. What are the chances she is pregnant and how would I know? I've googled it of course, but it talks about ultrasounds etc.

She doesn't seem any different yet, although her nipples are a bit bigger than normal (this could be my imagination though).

I'm a mixture of fuming with my son as this is going to be bloody hard work and I work full time, but also a bit excited 😬 We had considered breeding her next year anyway, but now is not a good time as we move house next month!

Help!

I'm surprised that rescues have a lot of whippets. I only know two, but they are so relaxed and serene that I envy their owners and would've thought they'd be in demand. My half cocker/half springer is bonkers, and it's never more evident than when he's in the company of whippets.

Good luck to your girl, op, whatever the outcome.

A quick google says a 3 year old whippet dog should be fine for neutering.

All these poor dogs who go onto having puppies and then the rescue centre are overflowing with dogs not being able to find homes. It's wrong to breed for money. Selfish selfish.

Neutering is important.

Why was your dog not spayed?

If you didn't intend to breed puppies, you had the option to have this done. Why not???

Either your son is so irresponsible that your dog could be currently pregnant to multiple different dogs - because no way she only met one dog offlead

or he’s lying and arranged to breed your dog on purpose.

There’s literally zero chance she mated with only one dog and by a happy miracle it’s also a whippet 🤨

If you don’t want to spay her then take her for the mismate injection.

Either that or hope your son is a liar and not an idiot and it is whippets she’s having not some larger breed cross that’ll kill her when she tries to give birth.

Yes to this.

She was considering breeding her anyway, just not yet as they're moving house. They were thinking of breeding her next year.

Yes!

Well said.

What the world needs now is 4-6 more puppies...

Your son needs to pay all the upcoming vet bills, OP.

You must think we are stupid.

I'd be claiming child support off the sire!

They’re not popular dogs, they’re hard to rehome. The only people by me who have them, cross them with bull terriers and use them for badger baiting (yes I have reported them, absolutely fuck all was done even when I reported a neighbour who had dead badger cubs in the back of his van when they turned up).

I’ve never heard that intact dogs can’t be off lead.

The vet recommended we don’t neuter our boy at the moment as he is quite timid and said it could make him worse. Better to wait a few years until he’s an adult or showing signs.

We have always walked him off lead in the woods as he had excellent recall and ignores other dogs/animals.

Am I irresponsible then?

I’ve always had bitches before and thought it was my responsibility to keep them on leads when in season, or not take them out.

well, it used to be a site for advice? Now is all about it, tell me all about it kinda thing??

What were the chances a kc registered whippet was also off lead 🤣 I guess just be glad it wasn't a big husky or xl bully. guess you'll have some lovely pedigree pups to sell soon, I would bring her to the vets in a few weeks for an ultrasound.

I'm also surprised people let their whippets off lead though, don't they have high prey drive/wanderlust

So the other dog owner, is walking her ‘stud’ dog but he is off the lead?
Really????

unless you have a really big breed - which you need to wait till they are fully gown - you are advised to neuter as soon as you can once they are one. Dont quiet understand what your vet said about making your dog worse ? Its teh best thing you can do for your dogs overall health

Whippets typically have 3-5 puppies, which currently sell for about £500-£700

So probably about £3k revenue from sales - so it'll be a loss if a c-sec is required, and even if all goes well, the necessary expenses will really eat in to that. Leaving you not much to show for one of the hardest (but cutest) 8-14 weeks of your life.

It says in the OP that she was going to make her dog breed next year.

There's no reason for intact males not to be offead if otherwise well trained. Onus is always on the owners of bitches to take sensible precautions with in season females.

I like my dogs to be mature and fully grown before spaying so they normally have 2/3 seasons before. They're lead walked only in places where we're unlikely to encounter any off lead males when in season.

What are the chances…
Also is 24 a typo? You describe him as a lad who thinks he knows it all, did you mean 14? Even at 14 he’d ought to know better.

I'd just embrace it and keep watching her for signs of pregnancy. (I've never bred my dogs, so no idea what those are, but I'm certain the Internet can tell you.) If you were thinking of breeding her in another year, anyway, I'd make the adjustments necessary to let her birth this litter instead.

Both dogs fully health tested?
Pedigrees appropriate as in not too close?

I'd spay her. The World does not need more badly bred pets and safer for the dog.

Even reputable breeders, breeding quality puppies are not breeding at the moment as there are insufficient decent puppy buyers around

I mean, tbf, they are pretty popular dogs. Especially where I am in Central London. They are good apartment dogs. The OP is talking about a 100 percent whippet, not a crossbreed (eg bully) whippet.

Owners of unneutered male dogs off the lead who then complain at the owners of off lead unneutered female dogs always surprise me. Surely both are equally irresponsible!
i would also add that you can’t have a litter of puppies unless someone is around to supervise them full time. It’s highly irresponsible. They get up to all sorts of mischief and are very vulnerable.

Oh and @Whippetinseason find out the suggested/recommended health tests for whippets and do whichever ones you can, asap. There is absolutely no excuse for not doing so, yes its a few hundred quid, but you'll not be wanting to cut corners now will you?