My cocker spaniel is un-neutered and three years old. Until a fortnight ago he showed no particular interest in bitches. But two weeks ago he picked up a scent whilst out walking and followed it at a gallop, oblivious to my calls (recall usually good). I was still searching for him when I got a call from a woman who said he was with her and very interested in her bitch. When I arrived to collect him from her it was clear that the bitch was in season. The woman had walked her bitch on the same route as me about 30 minutes earlier.  She lives locally to me. She said she didn’t know her bitch was in season, but would stop walking her until it was over.

The following day we met another dog walker with a young bitch on her first season. She continues to walk her dog throughout her season.

I was so rattled by this experience that my dog now has a Suprelorin implant - we are at day 3 with that and I’m aware that it could be up to six weeks before the full effects kick in.

This morning I lost my dog again after he picked up the scent of the young bitch. I had let him run off-lead in an area where I was pretty sure the dog hadn’t been walked - clearly I was wrong.

I have absolutely no experience of this kind of problem and wonder if any members could give me any pointers on managing my dog until the implant takes effect.  I’m pretty upset by this and wonder if I will ever have the confidence to let my dog off lead again. TIA

Imo the only safe way atm will be a long line then carefully reinforcing his recall in a few weeks .

Would that people with in-season bitches were respectful of people with entire males!!   It's NOT necessary to walk a bitch in season off their property, and experience has told me that if a bitch happens to squat in the wrong place, the risk of a Pyometra is high.   None of our girls were exercised off our properties when in season and we had NO Pyos or other infections with any of them.    It's so selfish to continue to walk a bitch in season around an area.  At least they could, if they have to continue with exercise, take them off somewhere quiet in their car!!

You have my sympathy and rather than having to resort to any form of castration with your boy, it should be the bitch owners who get them spayed so they don't bother entire males.

This makes me very cross and I guess if you have people like that around, all you can do is maybe take your dog off away from the locality, or keep him on a long line.  Sadly.

I walk my girls throughout their season for as long as they are happy to walk. Have been doing it for years, ever since we've had dogs. Occasionally we'd have girls who at peak time become a little restless, wanting to find a mate as opposed to enjoying the walk, then they'd stay in the garden for a couple of days. With youngsters on their first and second seasons I take extra care to walk them as regularly as before, to help ensure continuation of "normality" while they are dealing with hormones for the first time and maturing.  

We've never had pyometra (touch wood). Never had male dogs following us or appearing out of nowhere. If we meet a male on a walk all it takes is saying to the owner that the girl is in season, the owner would put the male on the lead and there's never been an issue. I do have an entire male, and it has never occurred to me that someone should stop walking their dog because of it or that it would be disrespectful if they don't.

> rather than having to resort to any form of castration with your boy, it should be the bitch owners who get them spayed so they don't bother entire males.

Really?

I also walk all of mine throughout their seasons but only on the lead and usually away from the house, partly because I prefer going somewhere where there’s lots of grass verges for the girls to stop sniff and pee. I haven’t had any problem with infection such as pyometra as of yet, fingers crossed. I do think it’s not fair on the female or Male to be walking a girl in season off lead, not to mention very risky. Although I have to say I get very annoyed when I’m walking my girl(s) when they’re in season in places where dogs should be on the lead (by roads) and people have gone out without putting there dog on a lead and some not even having a lead to hand! And of course then the dog comes over whether or not they’re intact or not purely because there’s another dog to say hello to. Both my girls have a vulnerable stage when they’re in season and they still enjoy their walks but don’t want strange dogs coming up to them whilst mine are on the lead and the others are not because they feel more vulnerable than usual. I’m so but owners who think it’s ok to take they’re dog out without a lead, imo are very irresponsible.

To put things simply, imo, you should walk in season bitches in lead only places where the possibility of coming across an intact Male is unlikely because even if you do he should also be on the lead. Therefore you can cross the road without having to meet it

> To put things simply, imo, you should walk in season bitches in lead only places where the possibility of coming across an intact Male is unlikely because even if you do he should also be on the lead. Therefore you can cross the road without having to meet it <img title="grin" class="fsm fsm_grin" alt="" src="/images/epx.png" />

Ditto this.  In my view as a bitch owner only, and up to three entire ones at a time at one point, would never dream of walking them in off lead areas.  I even found it best to not take any of the not in season ones to off lead walking areas, as they would carry the smell of their in season companions.

Road walking where dogs are required to be on lead ensures they get their daily exercise with minimum disruption to other dog owners.  It isn't just entire males that are distracted, other bitches and castrated males will also show interest.  The in season bitch can also of course be upset or react aggresively

> I have absolutely no experience of this kind of problem and wonder if any members could give me any pointers on managing my dog until the implant takes effect.&nbsp; I’m pretty upset by this and wonder if I will ever have the confidence to let my dog off lead again.

I have two male cockers who until a few months ago were both entire.  However, over the last couple of years there seem to have been more in-season bitches being walked so they have off-lead very much, and walking the two together became difficult (even warm roast chicken is of no interest when there's a "girlie" about). To cut a long story short and answer your question, at the beginning of the summer I had the 12 year old surgically castrated, and Suprelorin implant in the younger one.  

They are both still interested in the scents (as others have remarked) but it's less intense or obsessive.  The older one now goes off-lead, in selected safe places, but because he's almost entirely deaf and can't hear me call we mostly compromise and use a flexi-lead.  The younger one, with the implant, I don't really trust fully off-lead at present so we use the long-line. You may find that you have to do similar (long-line or extending lead), unless you can find a safely enclosed field for exclusive hire (in some places they are available by the hour).

I am using the fact that they are more on-lead than off to increase their training, including getting them to carry out their commands in unusual places (such as a "sit-down-stand" sequence in the middle of a field, and working on "sit-stays" by increasing the duration of the stay and the distance I go e.g. five minutes' stay at the end of the long-line). If you can find a suitable area, you could also add interest by getting him to find tasty treats (dried sprats are good), or special "walks only" toys which you have hidden; these things can be found even if he's on a long-line.

The scent of an in-season bitch does not quickly disperse, except with heavy rain, so her "come and find me" trail is available long after she's gone home.

I actually regret having both types of castrations done - their coats are dreadful, so that the elder one is growing a heavy coat which matts easily and the younger is a bit woollier and matts easily (and they are and always have been groomed daily) so grooming takes longer.  They are also both extra hungry, especially the younger one who has gone from not really interested in food to crying for it at meal-times and then gulping it down. (Adding cooked green leafy vegetables to their meals helps.) You may find similar effects with your dog, so you need to look out for them.

As you have found, you can't rely on the bitches' owners to know when they are in season, or that they will when ready be as eager to mate as the males will.

>> rather than having to resort to any form of castration with your boy, it should be the bitch owners who get them spayed so they don't bother entire males.<br />Really

Yes!!   For any number of reasons apart from upsetting local entire males too.

"To put things simply, imo, you should walk in season bitches in lead only places where the possibility of coming across an intact Male is unlikely because even if you do he should also be on the lead. Therefore you can cross the road without having to meet it "

Crossing the road won't stop a male from picking up the scent of a bitch in season.   Again if people HAVE to continue to exercise their in-season b itches on public land, at the very least I'd hope they take them off in their cars to a quiet area, and even then, don't let them off the lead because when ready to make, the bitch is likely to take off to find a mate.

And I too regretted having to have two of my older boys castrated (full castration) as they grew heavy coats, and tended to put on weight unless I watched them carefully and cut back when needed.  They were done for health reasons.

Except u would need to spay bitches before maturity to make sure there was never any problem. Neutered males are or can be still interested in season bitches too.

> Except u would need to spay bitches before maturity to make sure there was never any problem.

Why?   If an owner didn't want to spay until their bitch had had one season, there'd be no problem if the owner kept the bitch confined......

> At least they could, if they have to continue with exercise, take them off somewhere quiet in their car!!

Oh MamaBas, I wish it were so easy!  My last dog was reactive to many others, and we frequented just such quiet places where few other dogs went - except the other reactive dogs and the in-season bitches!

If only bitch owners were aware of their girls' condition.  Mine were "propositioned" in the summer by a keen young bitch who lay down as close to them as she could get (luckily a few feet away).  I was at bay with both mine straining at the leash to get to her, and she was looking lovehearts at them.  "oh" says the owner "she only wants to say hello!" Getting her to move her bitch on without my getting cross took all my diplomatic skills.  All the while I was afraid of a fight breaking out between my boys. This owner later suggested to me that her bitch should mate with my older dog "because they'd make pretty puppies" notwithstanding the fact that he's more than twice the size of her mixed-breed female.

Then there was the shih-tzu owner walking her bitch off-lead while she was busy on her phone, but looked up for long enough to tell me she was in season ....

   Merrypaws.

Early spaying  has potential health risks and one season is not sufficient. A bitch needs to be mature which is around 18  months to 2 years and even then there are risks associated with any spaying to  be considered. Although minor yes in some breeds coats go to pot too once spayed as can increased desired for food

Walking away from common dog areas on lead and at times when u are less likely to see dogs or a secure field I think is more appropriate than being forced to spay .both sides  need  to take responsibility
Admittedly some dog owners are just plain ignorant. Far too many see walking off lead by road or those who have no knowledge the about the risks of iwith in season and continue to take no precautions at all.

Hiring secure fields is an absolute godsend  one not only for bitches but Having a reactive dog she .can  happily be exercises off lead in safety

https://dogwalkingfields.co.uk/

This might  be useful for some. There is also a page  on fb and i think there is another site that secure fields advertised on fb
Most charge  around £10 an hour. Some field owners if approached will also let you borrow their fields too if they are being used or I have heard of a group of people approach an owner to use the field singly which has been agreed

> Mine were "propositioned" in the summer by a keen young bitch

Too late to edit - clarifying this was summer last year (2017) nearly a year before the castrations. Clearly the confrontation made a big impression on me.

> Early spaying  has potential health risks and one season is not sufficient. A bitch needs to be mature which is around 18  months to 2 years and even then there are risks associated with any spaying to  be considered.

Sorry but I really do have to disagree re the timing suggested here - allowing one season 'should' be enough, unless the first season is bang on 6 months, when you may need to make it two, to get past the growth plate closure issue.   BUT, again for every pro there is a con, or vice versa, there is evidence to suggest that for every season a b itch is allowed to have, the greater proportionately the risk of a female related cancer.

As for the risks of spaying (the surgery?), what about the risks involved with a pregnancy, whelping and rearing an unplanned litter?

None of this would be relevant IF people would realise that walking their in-season bitch isn't necessary.  Oh and btw, we had all our bitches spayed at one point or another (usually once retired from their breeding career - ie by around aged 5) so there was no need to confine for 3 weeks, twice (roughly) a year.

I think we are going to have to disagree on this point as current thinking is that spaying before maturity does increase risks of .cancerss and joint problem s at the least . There are a number of good research articles around that show this. Unless we were have medical problems u wouldn't spay untl at least two and usually later . Most show people prefer to keep their bitches entire and have g to spay would be difficult for them  at the least coat changes which are common could be a disadvantage.
However I do agree that there are sometimes good reasons a dog should  be spayed earlier other than health reasons .Some owners just can't or wont manage seasons or an  entire dog leading to unwanted and unwise pregnancy . Pyo does also have to considered but again i would not spay early to avoid that . Eadly i see as pre maturity .my bitch was 5 when i decided for a few reasons it was a reasonable risk to take to avoid the increasing possibblily of pyo.
Differing opinions I know:)

Mine are all spayed between 5 and 7 after their last litter.

I do not drive, and think road walking in season bitches on city streets is reasonable enough to avoid issues re male dogs.

In 30 years have never had a follower to my door, even when there were a few latchkey dogs around (pretty much cured by dog Warden, and the cost of retrieving your dog from the council).

I would never dream of letting an in season bitch off lead, or walking anywhere dogs are allowed of lead, though like others have met a few idiot owners that do.

Except in very small or sedentary breeds or where you have your own land several weeks of no excersise and home confinement is unreasonably restrictive.

Thank you everyone for your responses. I hoped my post wouldn’t start a war and in general this has been a very positive exchange.

I can see no alternative to neutering and I am heartbroken that my beautiful, good natured, friendly little dog is going to have to undergo a life-changing procedure which will change him forever. He has a beautiful glossy coat, he is slim and energetic and by neutering him I run the risk that these characteristics will be lost.  But how else can I keep him safe and healthy and enjoying our long country walks if in-season bitches are walked out?

I am an inexperienced dog owner. Ollie is my second dog and my first pup. Before making the decision not to neuter I read and researched and talked to my trainer and other experienced cocker owners. At no point did I take into account that in-season bitches would be walked out and off-lead. I’m such an idiot! I have spent hours and hours working with my dog, training him and trying to be a responsible dog owner. That the scent of a bitch in season would override all my efforts and change my obedient, attentive dog into a lunatic never crossed my mind.

We live and learn.....

Thank you, Merrypaws, for taking the time to write such a long, helpful post. Really appreciate your experience.

Why not keep him on a long line for a few weeks and then let him off with care.

When fully mature most males are really only really silly when a bitch is at her peak.

One would hope there aren't that many entire bitches being walked off lead to impact on him very often.

I have had up to 3 in season bitches and my neighbours entire males never over reacted and they only lived three gardens along so ay most 100 feet from my girls.

If you meet an owner with an in season bitch in an off-lead area then I would suggest you tell them they are taking huge risks with their bitch, running the risk of pregnancy and the costs and risks of an unplanned litter.

If they suggest the males owners are at fault then, mention it is only they who are aware of the bitches condition. so the responsibility for issues is theirs

no wars started cockerbob , members often disagree its the nature of a forum :) 
why don't you also look at renting a field occasionally to allow safe running . Brainless comments are worth considering too.

I feel for you cocker bob, I've had to make the decision to give my import boy the suprelorin implant after he ran off twice after in season bitches.

It's really annoying, this is a very good dog, I haven't had the opportunity to show him much since he won his european and german titles and was best in show at the European Silken Speciality, now he's mature and looking great and his show career is blown because of inconsiderate owners.

He's an experienced stud dog, he's sired 3 litters and he's a lovely boy who doesn't normally bother with strange dogs at all, but since meeting a bitch at her peak, at a busy off lead dog walking area he now thinks all girls in the distance are potentially in season.

I can't take the chance that he runs off after a girl and either gets stolen, lost or crosses a road

He had the implant just over 2 weeks ago and is already showing signs of improvement, yesterday I did manage to recall him several times when he seen dogs in the distance, and keep him beside me off lead until we got closer. So, annoying as it is having to have your boys neutered for others ignorance don't give up hope that he can be off lead again soon.

> I can see no alternative to neutering and I am heartbroken that my beautiful, good natured, friendly little dog is going to have to undergo a life-changing procedure which will change him forever. He has a beautiful glossy coat, he is slim and energetic and by neutering him I run the risk that these characteristics will be lost.&nbsp; But how else can I keep him safe and healthy and enjoying our long country walks if in-season bitches are walked out?

Don't despair yet.  Your dog is only a short way into the Suprelorin effect, so in your place I would wait and see how he is affected - it may be his bloodlines do not suffer the coat problems (his breeder may be able to advise you on that). The Suprelorin should last 6-9 months (what did your vet say about it?) and then his testosterone should be back to normal and his coat (probably after a moult) and appetite with it.

If you keep up outdoor training and engage his hunting brain looking for tasty titbits, there's a good chance that will enhance his focus on you during walks. Also work on recall. Once he is back to normal, you can assess his behaviour with other dogs and see how he goes on; if you follow the rule of calling him to you and putting him on the lead if you see an on-lead dog (whether or not you know its gender or condition) and playing with him before letting him off after they've gone past you may be ok. (you may already do this, in which case apologies) If the "lunatic behaviour" reappears after all that you may have to neuter.

His coat you may have to clip - I don't know if you do your dog yourself or if you take him to a groomer.  I've always trimmed my dogs myself, so am going to have to learn to clip the older dog or take him to a groomer who will keep him looking like a proper cocker.

With my younger dog I am going to wait and see how he goes on, meanwhile carrying out the sort of "entertainment" on walks I have outlined.

Whatever happens, take comfort from knowing you're not alone.

Walking in season bitches anywhere seems to have become a more common problem these days. Not sure if it’s due to a higher dog population or because of inconsiderate owners who simply just don’t care, I suspect the latter.
When mine came in to season they stayed on a lead and I walked them every other day along a quiet country lane with wide verges that I found, I suspect other in season bitches were walked there too as my girl seemed inordinately interested in certain spots which then had to be wee’ed over.
I wouldn’t have dreamed of walking an in season bitch off lead in a popular dog walking area, it just seems like madness to me and asking for trouble. I can just imagine a huge fight breaking out if a number of male dogs arrived at the same time and started to compete for the chance to mate, let alone a bitch being harassed and upset by an over amorous dog

> I can see no alternative to neutering and I am heartbroken that my beautiful, good natured, friendly little dog is going to have to undergo a life-changing procedure which will change him forever.

I sincerely hope that you will reconsider.  Sorry, but you should not have to neuter your boy IMHO.

Please consider a long line while you continue reinforcing his training.  I just hate to see you spoil your boy by surgery.

I have 18 dogs, 5 entire boys and have always managed my females.  They all live in the house, I don't own a kennel.  I have one castrated male which I regret so very much.

Thank you, again, for so many helpful comments.

Merrypaws - yes I do try to make every walk an adventure and have a range of yumminess in my dog-walking bag to reward Ollie, along with squeaky toys and other bits and bobs.  I think I might have got a bit complacent though and allowed my mind to wander at the wrong moment. I was taken completely by surprise, having never experienced how the smell of a bitch could override the training.

Sorry for my outburst this morning - I was feeling pretty low. But I put Ollie in the car and took him to a little-used area of open parkland and let him have a run. His recall has been 100% and we’ve played some good games, so I feel a bit more positive.

I won’t rush to castrate him. The Suprelorin could last up to nine months according to the vet so I have plenty of time to prepare for it wearing off by reinforcing the training and doing lots of research.

By the way - someone has suggested putting some essential oil (a safe one for dogs, obvs) onto a bandana and tying it so that when Ollie gets his head down the smell of the oil will mask the smell of bitch.  On the face of it that seems like a good idea, but on the other hand wouldn’t it interfere with Ollie doing what he loves to do best - sniffing and snurfling?

Thanks again everyone - it’s good to know I’m not alone with this.

I have kept bitches for many years and do walk them while in season, but not at my usual spot as it is a haven for dog owners and many dogs are walked there. So when I have a bitch in season I go out of my way to find walks that are not frequented by others.  I turn to places where we are very unlikely to meet people and dogs. I also do more road walks on lead and keep them on longlines in more open spaces during the peak of the season. I too believe all dogs walking by roads should be leashed and under control. There are very few "latch key" dogs these days and I have never been followed home or pestered by stray dogs. My garden borders a green space used by many dog walkers. I cannot lock them indoors so yes they use the garden as per usual. They are separated by a 6ft fence and are not out in the garden unsupervised but do spend a lot of the day outside with me. I have never had males trying to scale the fence in 25 years of living here. I have neighbors with males and I do tell them if I have girls in season (I think it's the polite thing to do) so they are aware and act accordingly.
I will add though at the spot I walk most of the time it is becoming increasingly common to meet people with bitches in season and they seem oblivious in some cases even happy to let the males mate, no doubt hoping for some odd designer puppies to sell on !! My bitches are far to precious to allow such idiocy !!
Some males are just very "Doggy" and nothing will stop them hunting for bitches. Even neutering does not stop them 100%. Give the suprelorin time to work and re-assess, it may be that it will help and in the time it takes to wear off you might find he settles and its not essential to neuter him. Age and more training could well have a good effect.
On an interesting note I walk every day with a lady with 2 small mixed breeds (Cavalier/Bichon) both boys both neutered. One is no problem, neither look for bitches but one attracts every randy male around and he is often the focus of much humping from males. It's not nice, not fair and could be dangerous as he is small and easily harmed by bigger heavier males jumping on his back. Other male dog owners seem to find it amusing, but we do not! He has already had a back problem due to being mounted by a much larger dog.

I have just had a similar experience, walking my stud dog and his 14month old son, in a very popular off lead area, the youngster went off to say hello to an off lead bitch, he was interested but not overly, however my stud dog went over and although he didn't try to mount her he was telling me she was in season. The bitch owner grabbed my stud dog, roughly pulled him away and slapped him in the face, I was so surprised that my customary wit deserted me, I called my dog and he came away, I asked if she was in season and he said yes. His wife was very cross and said she had told him to keep her on a lead, the stud dog was not bothered but the youngester has now started taking off and investigating every other dog/bush etc. presumeably in search of an opportunity.

I am not going to have the youngster castrated or implanted but I am reinforcing his previously good recall and putting him on a lead when meeting a strange dog, at this young age the hormones do seem to more controlling than when they are older and more experienced. I hope you wait a while and solve the problem but I do understand the real annoyance of the disruption in training. I have had entire bitches and never walked them in public places during their seasons.

Brainless i agree with you ln your points about it being the bitch owners responsibility. Mine do not go offlead when in season and we either use our own land onlead or street walking. At the height of the season i have gone down tbe route of not walking them at all but do play and brain games in the garden.

> Not sure if it’s due to a higher dog population or because of inconsiderate owners who simply just don’t care, I suspect the latter.

I wonder if also people assume most dogs re neutered, so think it doesn't matter.  That or they humanise dogs too much and think that hormones won't override training, because their nice little girl wouldn't' do such a thing as allow any passing dog to mate her.

Just can't understand bitch owners being so clueless about the reproductive cycle, when they choose to own a bitch. So many think that when the bleeding stops their bitch is out of season where she is probably at her peak.

It's surprising how .many bitch owners don't have a clue ime either about seasons or how  easy it is that mating could happen.then there is the oh well a nice litter will be lovely

AS a side note if this is becoming a increasing  problem, and bearing in mind often neutered males are still interested in bitches in season, as are some bitches, would it be worth contacting your Local authorities to put up signs on Public Open spaces stating no in season bitches.

My local parks have signs at the gates of things not allowed and allowed, like no cycling, littering, bonfires, barbeques, no dog fouling etc.

If it is Private Land asking the land owner if they would mind notices being posted.  Might also be worth contacting Local Newspapers the kind that give local news views and issues.  Ask a Local Vet to write an article re do's and don'ts of managing entire animals so they do not cause nuisance.

Oh goodness cockerbob, please don't neuter your boy just because of this experience(!). 

Frankly I think the entire world is a bit crazy around bitches in season.  Yes, they are really bloody distracting.  So is a piece of pate or a sardine, a rabbit running away from a dog and any number of other things.  I see bitches in season as just another thing to proof a recall against. 

If you take the attitude that somehow bitches in season are untrainable against, then that's what you'll get - a dog who can't respond around them.  You can only achieve so much as you expect to achieve.  Set your sights high and aim to achieve a reliable recall around bitches in season and you should do it.  Conclude it is doomed without even trying, and you definitely won't. 

The answer is - long-line on the dog, incredibly tasty treats (sardines, pate, black pudding, mackerel etc etc) and then frequent recalls during your walk (when you don't need to call) to reinforce with these amazing foods. 

I am pretty sure you will get your recall back and it is far too early to be all doom and gloom and 'I must neuter' about it.... 

As a bitch owner I agree with monkeyj, I walk mine carefully in season and avoid other dogs but try to keep the routine as similar as possible.  In 14 years of owning intact bitches, I've never had a close encounter.

Onetwothreefour - your response has made me smile VERY broadly. Thank you - a kick in the pants is probably what I need :)

Facebook Replies:

Louise Hay says:  Really simple. Keep him on the lead!!!

Julie Botterill says: Keep him on a lead.

Jo Cartwright says:  Long line. That way he still gets controlled freedom.

Colin McGavigan says:  He's a boy it's his job it's not a problem, keep him on a lead. More and more secure areas are opening up where dogs can be allowed to free run. Secure fields, warehouse areas, yards, if you like to free run him.

Jessica Kitazia says: Sounds like a lead would help you...

Tania Cunningham  says: I use a long training lead and a secure field that u pay to use.

Sam Noble says: Put him on a lead, i have bitches and a dog ( entire ) you cant expect people not to walk their bitches just because they are in season , I cant believe you think this is a problem

Facebook replies? What’s this please? Has my query gone out to Facebook?

Admin do sometimes select threads for fb  not everyone is happy about it either.  A lot of negative comments about this transfer to another social media platform  was previously   discussed on another thread a while back which u maybe able to search for .

I see that my query HAS gone out on Facebook. I may have missed something, but I had no idea that this would happen. If I wanted it out there on FB I would have put it on FB. Instead I chose to share it on what I believed to be a knowledgable and closed forum.

Thank you to all those who offered me constructive and very helpful advice on this forum. I will however be deleting my profile forthwith.

ADMIN - would you please delete the post on FB where this issue is shared? Thank you.

Please don't leave the Forum, it's not all posts that end up on Facebook, but topics covered can be searched and found on Google.

Champdogs is a public forum and everyone (all over the world) can come here looking for advice and help. From time to time (and no, it is not every day or every post) we will highlight posts from the forum. Posts that we think deserve to reach a broader audience and in turn, offer more help and advice back to the poster whom started the forum post.

Sadly, whether you like it or not - social media is here to stay. You may not like it or agree with it, but it is an evil necessary. Many forums across the internet (on every topic available!) have 'died' since FB and others came to a fore. Many others like Champdogs are hanging on by the skin of their teeth. It was not so long ago that people were moaning that the forum is very quiet, primarily because everyone is using social media! Measures have to be taken to increase 'traffic' to the forum and FB is one of those measures. If we don't embrace social media, then our forum too will go to the wall along with so many others and I am pretty sure that is not what members want.

FB is an evil necessary at this time. Forums still have a place but ignoring the likes of FB etc will not keep our forum active. All posts on this forum are freely available to everyone, everywhere. If you do not want your posts read then there is only one way to stop it - don't post. If you do not post, then the forum will die. The choice is your own and I hope you will reconsider, but the posts will not be removed. There will be people out there that are in exactly the same boat as yourself and the replies to your question will be invaluable to them.

The big difference to me is that fb uses your own name where as the forum gives people the choice of anonymity and conttol over changing and deleting their comments  at any point .also allowing a poster to reply directly to a fb comment .  I think it would help if the info regarding fb was included in tos or as a pinned post  .Some transparency of what can happen

I will leave then. You had no right to share my issue to Facebook without first seeking my permission. To say that this is a public forum and that gives you the right to share to other social media platforms is disingenuous.

I have just sent you this message. Kindly respect my request and understand that I have my reasons for not wishing to use FB.

“I see that you shared my post entitled “Wits End” to Facebook. This was done without my permission. I can see nothing in the forum information or rules that states that posts may be shared to other social media platforms. If I have inadvertently signed up to this, please will you copy the agreement to me.

Please will you remove the post from Facebook IMMEDIATELY! I have specific reasons for this request.

I feel very let down. Having been given some very helpful advice by your members, this action by admin has totally undermined my confidence in the Champdogs forum. “

Furriefriends - yes, that is a difference. Which is why I came HERE for advice rather than to Facebook.

Cockerbob, it is interesting that you feel strongly as on the forum we recently had exactly the same conversation, where we pointed out that especially in the light of GDPR, CD admin are breaking the law by sharing this data without our permission to another forum.  And admin said exactly the same thing they did here.  I have no idea why they can't see that their policy of sharing to FB puts off more users than it helps and actually contributes to the death of this forum - as evidenced by you now wanting to leave due to this.  Several others have also. 

As for:

> Many forums across the internet (on every topic available!) have 'died' since FB and others came to a fore. Many others like Champdogs are hanging on by the skin of their teeth. It was not so long ago that people were moaning that the forum is very quiet, primarily because everyone is using social media! Measures have to be taken to increase 'traffic' to the forum and FB is one of those measures. If we don't embrace social media, then our forum too will go to the wall along with so many others and I am pretty sure that is not what members want.

I completely agree that social media is here to stay and I think that forums can offer something it can't.  However, I disagree that the solution is to do this crossposting.  As we've discussed before, it doesn't help at all - the people who are commenting on Facebook, remain on FB - they don't join up here and continue the conversation here.  It is not helping to recruit more members to this forum.  In fact, it is putting people off and driving AWAY new members - as evidenced several times now, and here.

Here on the forum we all just ignore the 'Replies from Facebook' post - we don't engage with it, or reply to it, because we know those people are not going to read our replies here.  So there's no point - it contributes nothing to the conversation to share like this.  Personally I don't even read what people say in the 'Replies from FB' posts - as soon as I see 'Replies from Facebook', I skip over that entire post and just pick up the normal conversation.  They clearly haven't read what we have said, and we have frequently covered everything they mention and then plenty more besides.  If we're not reading them and they are not reading us, there is no dialogue or conversation happening?

Am I missing something??

I was for many years an administrator for an online forum, so I’m fully cognisant of the issues facing discussion forums like this competing with Facebook and Twitter.  Indeed, GDPR throws a whole new light on social media administration, and rightly so.

IMHO discussion forums should NOT try to compete, but should instead focus on what makes them different.  A good group won’t die. It may go quiet and need occasional CPR, but if it is valuable and valued it won’t die.

I think my indignation stems, in the main, from the fact that I wasn’t asked before my issue was shared to Facebook. There is no indication anywhere that I’ve found to state that posts might be shared.

Very disappointed not to have received a private response from Admin yet. I would have had this conversation away from the eyes of the world.

I don't think there is an info on sharing on fb unless something has recently been updated

Interestingly this is an extract from the T&Cs

You will not copy and retransmit any information out of these forums without first getting the permission of the Champdogs administrators and the original author of the message.

Looks like admin has broken the Forum’s own rules.

As yet no response from admin to my PM.

Admin has gone half way and removed the text of my post from FB, but left the link to this thread.

Thank ...... (that’s a half-thank you for half doing the job).  LOL - would still love to have a private chat about this issue, but as yet no communication.

Honestly, I’m not a bad person and I would have discussed this privately in a reasonable and measured way with Admin.   Hey ho - I guess I’ll have to stop being a pain in the a**e about this now.

:goesofftowalkdogonlongline,chuckling: