Puppy's first season - can I walk her or not?

[moonlunar]

My puppy is having her one and only season as per our vet's advice. She'll be spayed in a few months. I've never had a female dog before and when I've researched about walking dogs when they're in heat there is such differing advice, and a lot of anger directed towards the owner of female dogs who do choose to walk them. I wanted to know what the general consensus is? Obviously being off-lead and going to dog parks is a stupid idea, but what about on-lead pavement walks around the block?

If it was just a week that's one thing, but 3-4 weeks of no walks is a long time.

Please be kind

Where I live it seems that the norm is up that it’s ok to walk on lead on paths, we also have old farm areas, no farm animals where dogs can be off lead. My boy is isn’t neutered, but thankfully once we get near the owners warn us that their dog is in heat. Thankfully we put our dog on lead whenever a dog approaches, unless we know the dog. I believe it’s the 3rd week that the bitch will make herself available to male dogs, so only a short time where you should be extra vigilant.

My girl had two seasons and I used to walk her in the evening so there weren’t as many people out. She just had lead walks for the time and was fine with that.

I really would not. I avoided male dogs at all costs - didn’t walk my dog at all, made sure doors were shut so she didn’t run out etc. I would take her over to my parents for a change of scenery for her, whist putting her in the car in my driveway (literally outside my house) a dog ran over and starting humping her. The owner told me he was neutered, he clearly was but he’d really made a run at her and didn’t want to let go. It was hard to get him off her.
I would imagine that an intact male would really not let go.

I have walked my bitch on lead late at night in an open field, so I can see if any other dogs appear. And I have hired freedom fields, so she can have a good off lead run a couple of times a week.

Well done for planning on neutering. When ours had her only season (same reasons) we walked her really early and late to avoid other dogs. She’s such a sociable dog that she was miserable not being able to play with her pals but it was much safer.

When our girl is on heat we tend to walk her around the neighbourhood and surrounding area on lead late at night. If we come across other dogs I just cross the road - none have ever seemed overly interested in her though, thankfully! We avoid beaches, forests, parks etc where there are likely to be lots of dogs around. Have hired private fields for her in the past but she’s honestly much happier just sniffing on lead - doesn’t like playing/running around without company!

I walked my dog but well away from other dogs.

You should be fine to walk your bitch as long as you are cautious.

Our current girl has just started her second season. This is our fourth bitch, none of them were spayed and we never had any unwanted attention from dogs.

Same advice as previous posters: Obviously you need to keep her on a lead. Try to walk in quieter areas with less dog traffic, or at quieter times of day if you can.

We used Bitch Spray that you can get from Pets at Home and walked her on lead. If anyone approached we told them. We didn't go in the woods or to beaches like we normally would.

Avoid other dogs and you’ll be fine, couple of weeks ago someone was walking their dog that was on heat in the park and she was extremely popular with the intact males. Felt really sorry for her.

Please don’t if you can avoid it. Your dog might be fine - assuming that you are able to avoid male dogs - but male dogs will bolt and follow her scent. Walking her at night will not prevent this.
Ive seen so many normally very well behaved dogs run out of dog parks as soon as they smell a bitch in heat.

Yes it’s fine. I used to walk along wide roads so if I saw a dog approaching I could cross over/change direction.
couple of times a week I hired a dog field and met a friend with a female dog to play with.

I’d walk her if she were mine and I say that as the owner of a randy male dog 🙈😂

Like you said it’s too long to keep a dog in for, just keep her on the lead and as much as possible away from other dogs.

Do lead walking on quiet roads, where all other dogs will also be on leads. If you see another dog, cross over or turn around. So def no parks or woods. You can hire a dog field for a run around now and then.

Perhaps it depends if you live in an area where dogs roam loose. We've had 4 unspayed bitches and never been followed by a male or had any turn up at the gate.

Yes on a lead at quiet times.

Do NOT do what my husband did and take her out forgetting she is on heat and allowing her to disappear into another field with the local male retriever.

Also, if by any chance that does happen please don’t wait three weeks until your wife comes out of hospital to let her know.

Just walk her OP. It is cruel to deny a healthy dog proper exercise for weeks on end. My bitch's first season lasted well beyond the norm. No way was I denying her right to exercise for that length of time. ( A pavement walk on a short lead is NOT a walk imo)

I walked my bitch in heat, just kept her on a long line and got in with it. I didn't walk her at 3am on the outer Hebrides without so much as a moth about (I exaggerate for effect 😂) but neither did I go to the busiest park at 3pm on a weekend... I just did my best within reason.

It would be absolutely cruel to lock her indoors for weeks on end, despite what strangers on the internet say.

Just do your best but don't twist your life in knots over it.

No, please don’t walk her. The attention is unpleasant for her and even late at night/ early in the morning intact males will bolt and follow her. Try a private dog walking field for exercise.

I just walked mine a bit later and in areas that I knew were quiet/ I was pretty sure we wouldn’t meet other dogs. To be honest, both of mine were very down in the dumps throughout their seasons (2 each), so weren’t up for lots of walking. I could relate 🤣

a private field for roughly £10 a time? For all her daily exercise during her heat? That's £310 a month, for about 2 months that's £600 odd

Thats rediculous. It's posts like this that make people freak out and cruelly lock their bitch indoors for weeks on end and deny them a right to proper exercise or only give them a ten minute shuffle on a pavement and then home again. It's downright cruel.

I am close to two bitches who were in heat last year and three bitches who have been in heat this year, my own included. In all cases the anticipated "attention" from males was nowhere near as intense as it's made out to be on the internet. Not even close.

People unduly hysterical and go over the top when really all that's needed is a little common sense.

OP - walk your dog, keep her on a long line, always in your sight, choose the quietest spots you know, and if you see another dog in the distance, reel her in and give other dog a wide berth. She might end up with only one walk per day instead of two. Doesn't need to be any more complicated than that.

@OnlyHerefortheBiscuits Seasons usually last around 3 weeks. Not two months.
I didn't walk my bitch at all for her first season. She wasn't cruelly locked indoors. She had the garden to run around and exercise in. She wasn't bothered about missing out on walks at all.

The “3 weeks” people quote is just the bleeding/diacharge stage, but that’s not really the point if we’re talking about male attention. The swelling and scent extends well before and after that, which is why I felt I was "dealing" with my bitches season for nigh on 7-8 weeks.

I stand by this: making a healthy bitch suffer without walks for even three weeks is cruel. A garden, even a big one, isn’t the same as getting out for a proper walk...most dogs would prefer the stimulation of the outside world. You sound like you’ve got acres, lucky you, but most people don’t. I kept mine safe and under control, and I wasn’t about to trash her quality of life just because a few males might notice her; that’s natural, and it’s their owners’ job to deal with.

Sadly our small suburban garden isn't big enough for us to have this option, so we have no choice but to continue normal walks @SpanielsGalore .

Total hysterical nonsense @MissHollysDolly In almost 50 years we've never yet encountered a bolting intact male whilst out with our bitches. If you use common sense and choose quiet times there are no issues.

@OnlyHerefortheBiscuits And I'll stand by: it isn't cruel and my bitch didn't suffer.

Missing out on a few walks didn't trash her quality of life. There are lots of games and training activities you can do in a garden of any size to keep your dog entertained, stimulated and exercised.

@CoubousAndTourmaIet But you've said you walk at quieter times of day and in quiet areas. You don't carry on as normal and parade her round the village at peak times.