Female dogs on heat - please don't walk them on the Common! Post Reply

[MagnoliaMum]

With the recent rise in dog ownership, I've encountered an increasing number of people who seem to think it's ok to walk their dog in season through the middle of Wandsworth Common at busy times of the day. Although of course it won't bother the majority of dogs, there are plenty of male dogs who are not neutered because too young, for health reasons or because they will be bred from (as in my dog's case). Even if the owners of these female dogs keep them on the lead, they are recklessly putting their pets at risk of pestering, assault and pregnancy because the male dogs will be off the lead and it may take some time before their owners realise the situation and can get to them to remove the male dog from the scene.

What they also don't seem to realise is the cruelty they inflict as they pick up their bleeding dog (sorry, couldn't resist!) and walk off, often with no apology. I can't then let my dog off the lead again as his aroused hormones override all his training and he would pursue them in a frenzy, even across roads. He strains to escape the lead and is agitated, sometimes howling in frustration. I have to drag or carry him home where he stays wired and unsettled for the next day or so. This is not his fault, it is a natural biological response and can't be trained away. When not wound up by this stimuli, he is calm, easy-going and very obedient.

I understand that dogs on heat need exercise too, however I have many friends who tell me how they achieve this in a less selfish way - keeping to pavements or the roadside edges of the Common where other dogs aren't off the lead. Or going at very quiet times and giving advance notice to approaching dogs' owners. I'm sure vets would give the same advice so that all dogs can stay safe and sane. There are huge numbers of us who enjoy walking our dogs on the Common; please think and be considerate about this if it applies to you, thank you.

[worriedbuyer]

What an ignorant post. My bleeding dog is as entitled to a run around as yours .

Maybe you should be LESS SELFISH and neuter your dog . Not like we need anymore bloody puppies and breeding.

Young males should be on the leash.

[NVHusband]

My jaw dropped when I read this post.

I don't have any pets and actually feel that dog owners are ruining Wandsworth Common.
The dogs are scaring the wildlife (ducks in the pond or squirrels in the trees etc), scaring young children ("he's a friendly dog..."), dog poo and little poo bags not in bins makes me think dogs should be banned.

However, this post reinforces my view that some dog-owners are entitled and live in a bubble. What planet do you live on that you even have these views in the first place?!

You seriously want owners of dogs who are on heat to avoid your dog because he gets horny?

Shouldn't your dog be on a leash???

Better yet, please stay away from Wandsworth Common altogether as dogs (especially those not on leashes) are ruining it for the rest of us.

[parsleysong]

Why do you expect the owners of female dogs to apologise to you when your dog tries to f*** their dog and leaves them bleeding? I'd say you are the one that should apologise. I don't get how your dog, that you decide not to neuter, has more rights to enjoy the Common than other dogs and you expect them to keep out altogether. Neuter you dog like you really should (as per above post) and the problem will stop. 

[Kittens77]

Wow! Never before have I read a post on this site and felt more inclined to comment. This is shocking.

I agree entirely with NVhusband, the dogs on Wandsworth common are ruining the common, we are unable to use the common as my eldest child is so terrified of dogs. There are, of course, many, many lovely considerate dog owners but there seem to be so many that allow their dogs to gallivant around the common without any consideration to anyone or anything. Without a doubt, YOUR dog should be kept on a lead at all times if he is capable of displaying those awful behaviours you describe. Your entitled and selfish views are quite frankly horrifying and l sincerely hope the responses pointing this out to you make you reconsider your standpoint.

[southoftheriver]

Magnoliamum - this strikes me as victim blaming and erring toward misogynism. I’m sure you wouldn’t pursue that line of thought with humans. Is it ok to think like just because they are dogs?

[Pentneyprincess]

I agree with the original poster. Any respectable and well read up dog owner knows to only walk their **** in heat either early in the morning or later in the evening.

Neutering and slaying dogs doesn’t stop unwanted litters. If people want puppies they breed regardless. Neutering and spaying dogs too early can cause developmental issues with bone formation and as the dog ages they present joint issues like arthritis etc.

[RND]

Also in defence of the OP- I have an in-tact male as he’s too young to be done. He’s very well behaved but if he comes into contact with a female on-heat then we have to leave the common.
I think the point is that the females are only in season for a short amount of time that it’s not a huge undertaking for everyone’s safety to steer clear of busy commons.
I was surprised that so many owners brought their females into such busy places as I always thought it was common knowledge not to!

[Mo366]

So many people totally miss understood the original post she is not saying that her dog goes up to all bitches and leaves them bleeding! She is talking about bitches in heat... for those who don’t know, that is a **** on its period.
So those of you saying she should neuter her dog because we don’t need any more puppies etc, you should also spay your **** for the same reason.
Male dogs don’t chase spayed bitches, they only go after the ones in heat as they give off a scent.
Before my dog was spayed I had to stick to walking her at night, on quiet roads etc. This was the advice my vet gave me, it’s safer and more pleasant for everyone.
Judging by the ignorant comments in response to this post I feel that most should not even be dog owners as you have very little knowledge of dogs.

[this_is_cat]

My jaw is on the floor at this post.
There are few things more selfish than backyard ‘hobby breeders’ who keep their pets entire to pump out yet more dogs for clueless owners - no responsible owner will buy a puppy from them

So the irony of one such person criticising other dog owners as selfish is not lost on me.

A few facts to clear up... a lady dog (this site seems to have an issue with the word ****..!) is in season for around 4-6 weeks in total, and is fertile for around 1 week of that, but can be bothered by boys for most of that time

Most vets recommend they are spayed after their second season, which will be at around 24 months of age, as most dogs come into season every 6-8 months plus a wait of a couple of months for the season to be totally over
Males can be castrated from a year, but 18-24 months is generally considered better from a developmental perspective. Contrary to what someone else in the thread said, young males can bother spayed females although usually the females will tell them off rather than play along (as an in-season female would)
Un-snipped males can also smell females from a mile away and will think nothing of leaping fences or chewing off their lead to get to them, so you’ve got the potential for escapes and traffic accidents when he gets a whiff of a girl.

Being a dog owner, especially in an urban environment, requires consideration and compromise, and not being selfish to those around you who may not like dogs as much as you do. In my experience, the vast majority of owners do this on the commons, pubs and cafes


You might think your dog is the best dog ever and therefore should be bred from so there are more like him, but really there are enough proper professional studs so do everyone a favour and get your dog snipped

[i'macowboy]

I'm not a dog owner and know very little about dogs, so I can't comment on whether your argument is justified or not. However, this - "as they pick up their bleeding dog (sorry, couldn't resist!) and walk off, often with no apology" - made me feel quite ill. "Sorry, couldn't resist!" - is that funny?? It certainly sounds as though you think it is. And then the bleeding dog's owner should apologise? Jesus.

[NVHusband]

This thread proves to me that dog owners live on another planet.
The fact that some people defend the OP and call us ignorant means they don't get our point.

If you can't keep your dog on a lead, they should not be on the Common. Regardless of their menstrual cycle (!)

Why are my taxes paying for a the upkeep of the beautiful Common, only for dog owners to ruin it for the rest of us.
Has Wandsworth Common become the "go-to" park for dog owners as the numbers have sky rocketed over the last decade.

I am sick and tired of the number of dogs I see chasing the wildlife. I am sick and tired of the number of dogs scaring young children (we live in NappeyValley for gods sake!). I am sick and tired of seeing dog poo.

Then we see these kinds of posts.

Surreal.

[parsleysong]

Well said NV husband. I'm glad the OP posted this as she's received the exact opposite response she was expecting ... hopefully she will re-consider her views and behaviour. Why should her dog who, she treats as a breeding commodity, have full access to the Common and other dogs be expected to only emerge at night when everyone has gone home, stick to the roads etc. Does her dog also try to hump women and girls who are menstruating?! Yuk. Her huffy sense of superiority just gobsmacked me, but you do see it now and again around here. It's her dog who should be off the Common!

[Just_T]

Oh dear. People here are hugely anthropomorphising in their ‘feminist’ views of females in season being allowed the same freedom as males. The biological fact is that ‘in the wild’ an in-season female in contact with an intact male would without doubt become pregnant. It is instinct not bad behaviour. And actually, at a certain time during her cycle the female will also go off in search of a male. It is annoying to have to keep her in during this time but it is for her own safety and it will not harm her 3-4 weeks at a time. You cannot say ‘but she has the right to go out’ as she is not a human battling for equality! This is NOT the same as saying a girl has every right to wander the park at night in a short skirt and not expect to get raped because that is true enough but these are dogs, not our daughters. I have a female lab and found it excruciating to keep her in but think it’s very irresponsible to do otherwise. I’ve also seen what it does to intact males and it is sheer torture (for them and the owner).

On the note of dog poo, I also find these parks appalling but that’s not what this post was all about.

[Janet14]

Wow, I had no idea there were so many dog haters out there! We don’t have dogs and personally having grown up in the country we wouldn’t have one in London. However, completely understand people choosing to.
My mother’s a dog breeder in the country though and would never consider taking one of her dogs out when on heat. She does have the luxury of a garden for her dogs to run around in but imagine if she was in London she’d would also adjust accordingly with early walks as original poster suggested. Definitely feel like most of the replies come from a lack of knowledge of dogs and what is recommended by any vets or people with knowledge of dogs. It’s in no way a selfish post just a common sense post when it comes to dogs and behaviour!