Who is in the wrong? Or both partly to blame?

[Tiddlypom]

So if you lived in the middle of a city and only had access to public space, would you just not walk your bitch for however many weeks she is in season?

Yup. But I wouldn't have an entire bitch in those circumstances barring the first season pre spay.

I would only keep a bitch entire long term if I intended to breed from her at some point.

 

[stormox]

So there's nothing wrong about being an irresponsible idiot then?

They are a fact of life and no one's perfect. You just have to be aware they're around and act accordingly.

 

[Caol Ila]

Yup. But I wouldn't have an entire bitch in those circumstances barring the first season pre spay.

I would only keep a bitch entire long term if I intended to breed from her at some point.

I don't have a dog in this fight, so to speak, but I imagine there are genuine reasons why people don't spay.

In the case of my friend, the wee Shi-Tzu is her mom's dog, and mom kept her entire for whatever reasons she had. They are Ukrainian -- friend has lived here for some time, but mom and dog moved in with her for obvious reasons. That shouldn't really matter, though. They were out late at night, and the neighbor's dog jumped out of his garden. These tenements have three-foot fences, if that. It's hardly secure.

 

[AmyMay]

Of course I understand it. Both dogs are entire and both will do what they can to get to the opposite sex. This post isn't about a wandering dog, it's about the strong desire to mate.

You clearly don’t understand…..

 

[stormox]

You clearly don’t understand…..

OK please explain......

 

[ycbm]

Another who fails to understand the original post

Of course I understand it. Both dogs are entire and both will do what they can to get to the opposite sex. This post isn't about a wandering dog, it's about the strong desire to mate.

Actually it's about an open front door.

 

[MurphysMinder]

Happened at Crufts this year for the first time I’ve seen although I can’t understand why the bitch didn’t get special dispensation to go last, they sat her on a mat at the start but the next dog to go was an entire male and you could see him sniffing on the start line.

Yeh I remember watching that, the dog did actually go on to run well but it was a bit heart in mouth.

 

[Clodagh]

Yup. But I wouldn't have an entire bitch in those circumstances barring the first season pre spay.

I would only keep a bitch entire long term if I intended to breed from her at some point.

I have spayed bitches but they aren’t spayed because it’s more convenient for my neighbours.
It’s just the same as saying women in short skirts deserve what they get. And has made me irrationally angry on behalf of all females, dog and human.

 

[Clodagh]

I have an entire male. Next door has free range entire females. Mostly it doesn’t matter but when they turn up and pee on the gatepost it’s still my responsibility to make sure that Scout doesn’t get to do what he would like to. Is that better because he’s male and the sex offender is female?

 

[stormox]

Actually it's about an open front door.

There are always going to be off lead dogs around, this was just one that OP knows. If someone chooses to walk an in season bitch they are going to run the risk of being "followed"..... dogs and bitches will do anything to get together.

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

There are always going to be off lead dogs around, this was just one that OP knows. If someone chooses to walk an in season bitch they are going to run the risk of being "followed"..... dogs and bitches will do anything to get together.

I don’t know if you’re just being purposefully obtuse.

I agree with your post re dogs generally being off lead. I’m fine about dogs being off lead on a walk, our dog is off lead when not in season. I don’t have a problem with a dog with their owner nearby on lead or not taking an interest in my bitch. It’s natural.

But your generalisation doesn’t apply to the specific situation in my OP. I’m talking about a dog whose owners leave their front door open numerous times, often not knowing their dog has got out for a long time.

That’s not an off the lead dog. That’s an irresponsible owner putting other people, their own dog, and animals (the sheep and cows behind us) at risk due to pure stupidness and laziness.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Love to see all the folks who are passive bystanders in their dogs lives.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

If the dog warden came out, scanned the dog and discovered it lived a few doors away do you not think they would ask why you’ve locked up your neighbours dog? Why does everything have to be so complicated, why not knock on their door, explain your dog is still on heat but will be spayed soon and ask if they can stop the dog getting out for a week or so ?

If the dog were normally shut in as it should be, why would I know whose dog is wandering ?

 

[AmyMay]

If the dog were normally shut in as it should be, why would I know whose dog is wandering ?

Exactly

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

According to the OP he’s going a few doors away to visit a bitch in heat. He shouldn’t but I couldn’t get that riled up about it that I’d contact the dog warden and hope the dog got taken away.

I can only hope that you have better control of your own dog than you appear to think.is acceptable

 

[bonny]

If the dog were normally shut in as it should be, why would I know whose dog is wandering ?

Because the dog belongs to a neighbour as the OP knows and has said she took the dog home. What do you suggest, hide the dog away while the dog warden is called, remove its id tag, lie about knowing the dog and hope and pray none of your neighbours notice the dog warden van turn up and collect the stray that isn’t ? Wouldn’t it be easier to just talk to the dogs owners ?

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Who in the what now?

 

[AmyMay]

Wouldn’t it be easier to just talk to the dogs owners ?

I don’t disagree with you, in essence. But when it’s a persistent offender (ie the owner) sometimes a more formal approach is needed. Paying to have your wandering dog returned to you can sometimes focus the mind..

 

[skinnydipper]

why not knock on their door, explain your dog is still on heat but will be spayed soon and ask if they can stop the dog getting out for a week or so ?

There are always going to be off lead dogs around, this was just one that OP knows.

Let's keep it simple folks.

The male dog owned by an idiot living near to obac should not be out in the street off lead, with or without its owner.

 

[SilverLinings]

OBAC, I'm sure you don't need anyone else wading in, but I wanted to say I agree with all the posters who say they think you've done nothing wrong, the owners of the male dog are stupid, irresponsible and apparently don't care enough about their dog to stop him getting run over (or shot by the farmer of the livestock), and the Dog Warden would be a good approach if this happens again.

As @FinnishLapphund says bitches are in season twice a year whereas entire dogs are in season all the time; so why should bitches have to be locked indoors and entire males be allowed to roam free? Especially as the males are usually the instigators. There are shades of making women hide away when menstruating in this argument, which I thought most societies now realise is stupid and cruel, as well as the idea that the fact that if a sexual act is perpetrated is always due to what the woman was doing as clearly the man just couldn't help himself

 

[Tiddlypom]

It’s just the same as saying women in short skirts deserve what they get. And has made me irrationally angry on behalf of all females, dog and human.

We all know that there are numerous irresponsible owners out there - there's a whole thread running on that. The OP is encountering problems with just one. She and her in season bitch have every right to go out for walks in public, but she should not then be surprised if entire dogs show an interest. Of course the dog's owners should prevent anything untoward happening, but we know how many irresponsible dicks there are out there.

It'd bad enough not getting aggro when walking a spayed bitch - current JRT was already spayed when we got her. It is IMHO just common sense not to walk an in season bitch in public unless you are prepared to deal with hassle.

I think that everyone has condemned the dog's owners, and I agree that they should be reported to the dog warden if there is one.

 

[ycbm]

Because the dog belongs to a neighbour as the OP knows and has said she took the dog home. What do you suggest, hide the dog away while the dog warden is called, remove its id tag, lie about knowing the dog and hope and pray none of your neighbours notice the dog warden van turn up and collect the stray that isn’t ? Wouldn’t it be easier to just talk to the dogs owners ?

Actually your first suggestion was to talk to the dog's owners and ask them to keep it in for a week until the bitch is not in season. So it's clear that you are perfectly happy with the idea of the dog, and presumably other dogs, being left to wander the streets alone.

why not knock on their door, explain your dog is still on heat but will be spayed soon and ask if they can stop the dog getting out for a week or so ?

 

[bonny]

Actually your first suggestion was to talk to the dog's owners and ask them to keep it in for a week until the bitch is not in season. So it's clear that you are perfectly happy with the idea of the dog, and presumably other dogs, being left to wander the streets alone.

Talking to people is generally a better idea than conflict! In a few days the OP won’t have a problem with her dog being in heat anyway.

 

[ycbm]

Talking to people is generally a better idea than conflict! In a few days the OP won’t have a problem with her dog being in heat anyway.

It's not about talking to anyone, it's about the fact that you refuse to condemn dog owners who are routinely leaving their doors open to allow their dog to be out on the road alone.
.

 

[MurphysMinder]

Talking to people is generally a better idea than conflict! In a few days the OP won’t have a problem with her dog being in heat anyway.

But the dog will very likely still be allowed to wander, which is against the law !

 

[Morwenna]

There are always going to be off lead dogs around, this was just one that OP knows. If someone chooses to walk an in season bitch they are going to run the risk of being "followed"..... dogs and bitches will do anything to get together.

My dog has just finished her first season. I still walked her (not so much the first week as she didn’t want to go out). I went out very early and stuck to the jogging routes in my village (pavements) and avoided the parks and green spaces in the hope that any dogs we saw should be on lead. Luckily we didn’t see any but there shouldn’t be off lead dogs along the road and any we had met would have been told that in no uncertain terms. I will be having her spayed but not until after her second or third season and I refuse to keep her under house arrest for three weeks each time. It’s bad enough that we have to miss our training classes. I am responsible and do everything I can to minimise the risk of bumping into dogs to protect mine but it is not my fault if people can’t control their dogs.

 

[teacups]

Although clearly you should be able to walk your bitch in season wherever you like, in practice it is safer to to stick to quiet times and areas where you are much less likely to meet uncastrated male dogs.

If you know there is one less than 100m away who is allowed to escape on a regular basis, I would just avoid the stress and walk elsewhere for the duration.

Same as many other things in life: you should be able to walk safely on your own late at night in a busy city; you should be able to walk on a public footpath without getting killed by cows, and so on…

ETA if the owners are the irresponsible type it may not be advisable to go and speak to them…although in practice, obviously, you should be able to!

 

[MyBoyChe]

I would expect to be able to walk an in season bitch on her lead and under control and also expect other dog owners to have similar control of their entire male dogs. The desire to mate is as strong in the bitch as in the dog so common sense would suggest to me that if I had either sex as an entire animal I needed to be super cautious about how, when and where I walk them. That said, the OP seems to be about a dog that is being allowed to wander and that is against the law so season or no season, the dogs owner is in the wrong. Mine are all castrated/speyed because imo its fairer to them as pets and takes away the desire to mate, which is entirely natural but not something I want to encourage. By taking away the desire I believe they have a calmer more relaxed life, one thing less for them to worry about

 

[GSD Woman]

Dogs will be dogs! No one's in the 'wrong' ...... both choose to have entire dogs, both humans need to put up and deal with the consequences.

WTF! The bitch owner was being responsible walking the bitch on lead. The owner of the off lead dog was totally in the wrong.

Having had intact bitches with an intact dog is a headache. I had to crate and rotate or send my bitches up to their breeder for a few weeks but I never had an oops litter. I am lucky that I have a fenced in back garden and I would just go out with my bitches to keep any males away. And if there were roaming dogs I would have called animal control to have them picked up.

 

[GSD Woman]

It'd bad enough not getting aggro when walking a spayed bitch - current JRT was already spayed when we got her. It is IMHO just common sense not to walk an in season bitch in public unless you are prepared to deal with hassle.

What is to be done when there is no garden to have the bitch relieve herself? Seems to me that the only way to do that is to walk her.

When I lived in an apartment I had to do that with my intact bitches.