Exercising bitches whilst on heat.

Spot_the_Risk

Spot_the_Risk

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Starbucks post below has thrown up some interesting points.

I noticed some people mentioned about bitches on heat being on a lead, and therefore other dogs should be kept away, which I certainly agree with, but I was always taught that you shouldn't take an on heat bitch for walks where you knew there would be other dogs. Surely it would be unfair for both dogs if an entire dog encountered on heat bitch, if there was more than one dog around it could easily become an unpleasant and dangerous situation?

When our bitch is on heat, the dogs end to be a bit limited for walks for a while, they still get their twice daily freedom in our field, but don't go 'public' at weekends as they normally do.

I'm interested in what other people do, and I do realise that we are lucky to have a lot of freedom to walk our dogs without meeting many others, whilst some people simply don't have that freedon.
 
like you fortunate to have lots of walking where you dont meet other dogs, but always keep on lead as well. dont think i would take them out in season if was sure to meet many other dogs, ie if exercised them in a park or popular dog walking spot.
 
Our youngest dog has just come into season - letting her have 1st season then she is being spayed. I have 2 entire males and they are being an absolute nightmare - so definitely wouldn't take her out for a walk where we might meet other boys! And most definitely wouldn't take them all out as would not want my boys getting in a fight over their lady!!
Have to say I'd prefer not to meet too many bitches in season with my boys - although they are only interested on the right days - but at the same time I never let them go up to dogs that are on a lead so there shouldn't be too much of a problem
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I don't have a garden large enough for their exercise need, well maybe for a day if I'm really ill and maybe only can drag myself to the door with a bucket in one hand
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, then they'll accept that, but that's the exception. I also live in a area with more than the average number of dog owners, so there really is no "safe" area in any direction I can choose. Unless I walked them maybe around 3 o'clock in the night/morning, but I wouldn't take even that for certain.

Besides my experiences in Sweden is that dog owners here doesn't expect bitch owners to change their walking "routine", due to whether they're bitch/bitches are in heat or not. Here it's more about that the male dogs must learn to control themselves. Doesn't mean I trust them one bit around my girls though, even if it's supposed to be the wrong days in the heat...

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My girls pretty much went on 'house arrest' when in season although they were able to have a run in my fully fenced paddock. I don't think it's very fair on anyone to have in-season bitches out in public (JMPO).
 
When mine is in season I walk her on a lead round the streets where there aren't very often any other dogs (we live near a big park all the dogs are usually in there!). If we do come across another dog I know it will be on a lead because of the traffic.
 
I met a bitch on heat in the local park last week... now clearly it wasn't her 'time' but my entire male was very taken with her - our dogs were both off lead - and we walked past each other - Loki was much more interested than normal and the owner said 'oh she's on heat at the moment'.

I called Loki away and he did come back - but then I wouldn't let him do anything - but can't believe how trusting the owner was - we have loads of free ranging dogs near us - one I know is an entire male whose owner sends him off to the park alone... What would the bitches owner done if he'd come across that dog? Especially if it had been her 'time'
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That dog has no collar - so you'd have trouble dragging it off her - plus - it could be agressive... think is a bit of a risk.

I personally hate meeting bitches in season - but is my choice to have an entire male and to deal with him.
 
My 10 month old pup is just having her 1st season, we also have an entire male as we show him. Hes actually been okay.. so far..... I have been lead walking my pup early morning and late night round the roads only and not in the parks.. shes not too happy not getting off the lead but thats that the way it is.. I havent met any other dogs that have been off the lead so far.. dreading it when i do..shes a bit big for picking up!!! lol..
 
I forgot to say that before I joined HHO forum, I had never heard a dog owner express a view that a owner with a bitch in heat should avoid their usual "park" or at least only go there at the times of the day when others don't.

The only thing I've heard was complaints about stupidity/common sense, when there's a "bunch" of dogs playing in one end of an area and a bitch owner walks over from the other end, straight to them (and not because they're simply following a footpath or something) and then it turns out that they know their bitch is in heat...
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So before HHO, I've only heard people saying that bitches in heat have the same right to take their walks as other dogs.

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FL - Whilst I see your point - it does really rely on the owners of entire dogs being responsible... which if you lived where I do - you would know they aren't all responsible!
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If I had a bitch in season I would not walk it in a park full of dogs off lead, where I have no idea how well their owners can control them - I'd keep to the roads for walks so that any dogs I meet are also likely to be on leads. Am sure most bitches can cope with 3 weeks of lead only walks
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I mean if something happens - the bitch owner is the one that ends up with the puppies... so surely they'd want to keep away from entire male dogs off lead...
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We used to drive somewhere to walk her - that way there was no scent leading back to the house
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She wouldn't let another dog near her bottom anyway though
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but we used to use that bitch spray in case
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I presume it depends on what you're used to and as you say Widget, what other dog owners it is that lives in your area. We're not allowed to have bitches off lead when in heat, but we're allowed to walk where we usually walk without complaints, as long as you show some common sense, keep your distance and don't walk straight up to a "bunch" of possibly male dogs playing off lead.

Also in both city-areas that I've lived/are living in as a dog owner and definitely in the area where my summer-home is, there hasn't been/isn't any place where I could be even 50% certain of not meeting a dog off lead. Well unless I started walking them along the motorway, but it would still be the slight problem of getting there... And not to mention that it would be against the law, safety aspects etc.






The only safe place would be to stay indoors, f. ex. some years ago I opened the door in the morning and found a Medium Poodle outside, he had escaped through their cat-flap in the early morning to come and wait for my girls... They lived just a few hundred metres away, so we just walked him home. But obviously even if our garden had been large enough for my girls exercise needs, it still isn't safe enough.


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Our bitches don't go off private land when on heat, mind if I had my way all three would have been spayed instead of just one of them.
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IMO owners who take their on heat bitches to the park at prime walking times are asking for trouble (those dumb enough to let them off leash even more so).
 
I only have a smallish garden so I have to take my bitch for walks whilst she is in season. I personally think that as long as you use common sense, keep your bitch on a lead and stay away from areas with lots of loose dogs that it really isn't be a problem.

Got a great "on heat" story though - a friend was taking her dog around a local park when a seriously horny JRT approached it and began trying to hump it from every angle. The JRT owner approached and huffily asked if the dog was in season, to which friend said no actually HE is not.
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I have one spayed bitch, and one who isn't, she won't be done as i am hoping to breed form her later on, trusting all health checks are passed. She had her first season last month (bless her) we have a rather large garden so she was kept at home a lot. Went for late walks or at times when i know it's not busy.
To be honest, it is never busy... we live in the country and the fields we walk around i have only ever come across a few people over the whole of last year. So she was allowed off lead and to use up some (much needed) energy.
I believe dogs should be kept away from others, but when you have active dogs you need to find a way to make sure they're happy and not jumping off the walls.
 
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