Bitches...

RED-DOT

Well-Known Member
Why do owners of bitches insist in bringing them out close to or in season when they should be left at home? I have had two instances in a week where menstrual dogs have spoiled the day.
I own three intact Chessies and one fella asked me to keep my fertile males at home for an evening duck flight as his lab bitch was in season and also a guest brought a bitch to our shoot on Saturday fully in heat...
 
I have only been on the other end having only ever owned bitches but it takes no effort to leave the bitch at home if it is near or in heat. It does feel like I've lost a limb when I go out shooting without them but saves ruining the day for everyone else or getting an unexpected litter of pups. There are a couple of dog owners I know that I am not even sure if they would know if it was in heat or not - could be sheer ignorance.
 
Many a litter has been produced from shooting day encounters. As CW184 says much is down to ignorance but on one occasion I can remember I am sure the owner brought the bitch with the intent of getting a free stud from a good dog. Maybe no papers but the quality of the pups would just be the same.
 
All dogs should be under full control at all times when out - whether both male & female. There are two sides to every story. If owners can't manage to keep all their (multiple) male dogs under full control in every situation they should also leave (some of them) them at home.
A bitch needs her exercise right through the season so there is a case to take one out for proper exercise - I'd agree that they shouldn't be allowed to run off distracting every male in the area.
A shoot day is not the place for a ripe bitch I agree & only an idiot would subject a bitch to the likely harassment. BUT! Shoot members with male dogs don't have unique right to the countryside & should remember their responsibilities too.
It takes two to tango!

Ian
 
Bitches in season should be left at home. Simple really. 95% of dogs on 95% of shoots are so poorly trained anyway that adding a in season bitch To the mix is asking for even more trouble.
 
Yorric... pray tell us how you can beat out a drive with a male dog and a bitch in heat without her getting pinned?
 
Exactly because you would expect to leave a bitch, in heat, at home on shoot days many dog owners buy a dog rather than a bitch !!
 
Yorric... pray tell us how you can beat out a drive with a male dog and a bitch in heat without her getting pinned?

I agree. Really difficult. One shoot I used to be a member of had a dog that was well trained, well handled, obedient etc. etc. For some reason though it was in love with my lab bitch and as a standing gun, I have heard the horn go off to start the drive and beaters at one end of the wood only to see the dog some racing through to me only minutes later, handler left dogless at the other side. This was a few weeks after my bitch had come out of heat if I remember right. You can try and stop them but when the dog has one thing on its mind it is pretty hard to stop it!
 
Yorric... pray tell us how you can beat out a drive with a male dog and a bitch in heat without her getting pinned?

RD - I don't say I recommend having a bitch in heat on a shoot --- READ MY POST!

All I was saying is that ALL dog owners should be in full control of their dogs at all times! -- If people can't do that they shouldn't own dogs IMHO.

Ian
 
Bitches in season or coming into same should be left behind. As should dogs with kennel cough!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've had them both on shoots and let the owners know exactly what I thought of them, guns or no guns.
 
RD - I don't say I recommend having a bitch in heat on a shoot --- READ MY POST!

All I was saying is that ALL dog owners should be in full control of their dogs at all times! -- If people can't do that they shouldn't own dogs IMHO.

Ian




I think u are expecting an awful lot, there would not be many people owning dogs if that was the case. And all dogs would be FTCH een some of the very best bred and trained dogs have 'moments'.I have seen FTCH dogs go out of control (only for short periods thou) with some of the best handlers in the country behind the whistle.
1 FTCH lab that got lost on a shoot for 5hrs while picking up on a fairly prestigous shoot.

There used to be 1 fella that i beat with on 1 estate, dinae think he knew if his bitches were in season or not so just covered them in 'anti-mate'? some stinking stuff meant to disguise the smell. We used to come out the back of a 110 landy hardly able to breathe/smell ourselves no idea how all the dogs felt.
 
having an in season bitch on our shoot is probably the only time the male dog owners will know where there dogs are.....
 
Anybody bringing a bitch in season to the shoot would be told to put it back in their car, enough opportunities on a shoot for badly behaved dogs without adding any more.
 
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