After 2 very close calls with in season bitches on our walks im starting to wonder how I can keep my young male safe while out walking. He is only just 8 months old so too young to consider castration and being a collie its unfair to keep him on lead all of the time. Last Monday I had both my boys off lead, playing with their toys in the park when a choc lab ran up. Normally mine take no notice of other dogs coming up as they are playing with me but this time the collie went from playing to trying to mount her in about 5 seconds!! Owner shouts 'shes in season' and I yelled at my dog which shocked him enough into coming back...i grabbed him and the bitch decided to try with my other dog (castrated) and was actually standing and moving her tail for him! Pup went back on lead for the remainder of the walk as his brain was not in his head anymore!! Then today walking (in a busy walking area) I saw a lady coming towards us with two paps on flexi leads so downed my two while they went past. One of her paps ran straight between my two, at the end of the lead, and instantly the collie put his 'omg its a girl' expression on and started sniffing, I reminded him to down and he didn't move, the owner then informed me they were both in season :( I was pretty annoyed by then and pointed out that if mine had mounted hers he possibly would've killed her...he is 19 kg compared to her delicate dogs! Anyone got any tips to make walking a bit less stressful???

Hand out leaflets to the stupid irresponsible owners!  My springer girl is entire still and I keep a close eye on her at all times.  If she is in season we either go places where there are not other dogs around or we stick to on lead road walks only.  I care far too much about my girl to put her at risk!

Sorry I can't think of anything very helpful for you and your boy but these owners are so irresponsible it makes me really angry

I've got no advice either, it's definitely not you in the wrong but the bitch owners. If it was me I'd be tempted to shout back next time somebody shouts to say their bitch is in season "Okay you owe me a hefty stud fee then!"  What idiots. It will be a miracle if nobody gets their bitch mated sooner or later.

Thanks for replying :) it makes me mad...our gr bitch was entire right up until she died last year and like you we never risked her safety (or that of anyone else) when she was in season :/ when she was younger and would have gone crazy not being exercised she was taken to places where it was very unlikely to see anyone and kept on lead. The lady today seemed totally unconcerned that her small dogs were in danger of being seriously hurt and I dread to think how many other dogs she met on the way back to the carpark!

Lol I might try the stud fee thing! Might scare people thinking they might be out of pocket!! :D Unfortunately there is nowhere I can safely run the boys where other dogs don't go :( It annoys me so much, luckily so far his training is stronger than his instincts but who knows how long that will last :/

What's wrong with these people.

Totally irresponsible bitch owners walking an in season bitch off lead in an area where dogs are off lead.  It really is up to them to protect their bitches and I hope you told them so.

Not only are they risking a pregnancy but also risking aroused dogs getting into fights with each other over the bitch.

Also to drive the point home to such idiots I would tongue in cheek tell them you'd expect a £450 stud fee if he managed to mate her.

My way I've been asked why unspeyed bitches should not enjoy the same freedoms as intact males :o

On another matter, and off thread, so apologies, but am I the only one that keeps being blocked by their internet security and told that there is a phishing url on this site? Can anyone shed any light?

Mine blocks me for sexual content.

Lol

> My way I've been asked why unspeyed bitches should not enjoy the same freedoms as intact males :o
>
>My reply would be do they really want the freedom of your bitch getting pregnant.

Unspeyed bitches have the same freedom as intact males for approximately 46-48 weeks of the year - it is only when they are in season that they should be restricted!

Nothing you can do its as the problem isnt with you its with those stupid owners. When i was down my brothers a few months back i took my girl out for a walk just us and not his two intact boys luckerly and we met a staffy off lead so i let her play with it as we dont meet staffs for some reason in my town. after playing nicely for ages the owner said she was in season! he didnt even ask if mine was a dog or bitch. so when we went back my girl got harassed by my brothers boys for a while untill they figured out it wasnt her in season. Also had it the other week in our local field me and fay were walking with her intact boyfriend toby and his owner when a whippet ran over off lead to play, we had met her befor so thought nothing of it all three were sniffing and running about. Then her owner appeard at the bottom of the firld running over and said she needed to get her as she was in season!

How stupid do you have to be to 1 walk your inseason girl in an area where dogs are normaly off lead and 2 let her off the lead. As soon as my girl comes in (actualy in now) i not only dont go in the fields i wont even walk her past the gates so her sent isnt around the exits as i dont want anyones boys running out the gates for find her. we stick to roads only where others dogs should be onlead by law.

There are obviously a lot of stupid people out there who do allow their bitches to run free while in season :( took him this evening to do some training (same place as we met the bitches this morning) and luckily he was focused and didn't bother sniffing around for the girls :) Going to vary our walk times/ places a bit more from now on. I suppose my biggest worry is that after all the training/ socialising i have done he will end up either becoming a nuisance looking for girls or that he will get involved in friction/ fights with other males over one of these bitches as both times were in busy off lead areas at the busiest time of day...

How stupid are these people? I would be terrified that my girl would get unwanted attention in that situation. I was in a situation recently that an entire dog (much bigger breed) escaped from his kennel (1/2 mile away) and jumped the fence (4' high) into my garden to get to my girl. I immediately brought her in and no damage was done (thank dog) but is happens so quickly and I don't think these people realise the repercussions of their stupidity.

I've got nothing to add as everyone has already said what I've been thinking, however I just wanted to add that, at eight months, your boy sounds very impressive! Well done!

Thanks Josh, he is very special :) Im very excited about him ( he is my new dog for competitive obedience) and he really is a dream to train...cant wait to get him in the ring and show him off!! His temperment is lovely too so I really dont want him involved in conflict over girls!