In Season Bitches

i have had males put off showing at a shows due to people taking bitches in season it doesent matter if its an open show or championship show champ shows ae over two to three days and there will have been bitches in season and a dog will know

i have always said it should be the same as greyhound racing that bitches in season are not allowed to run for upto six weeks from the start of their season

I show All Bitches & would NEVER take a bitch in season,

I have missed Champ shows last year leaving me out of pocket,

But i just don,t think its fair to the dog owner,

I wouldn't show a bitch in season, but I find it very interesting to see the difference between expected behaviour of dogs and horses. If someone is showing a stallion (in-hand or undersaddle), which is not unusual, especially in mountain and moorland classes, the lad is expected to mind his manners and behave himself , even if there is an in season mare in the ring. It is not up to the owner of a mare to avoid shows, and I've never quite understood why owners of dogs don't expect to control their boys -rather than bitches being kept in purdah for 3-4 weeks.

Ducking out of sight to avoid being shot down in flames h34r: h34r:

I personally believe in no way should an in-season bitch be taken out to a show..

irrespective of the fact you might be out of pocket a few quid or not its not fair on the males at the show, we all know how sensitive a dogs nose is so there is no doubt in my mind that the odour of a bitch who is up for is going to affect most of the dogs within a fair radius, when I was at Pride of the Peaks a chap came past with two hairy grey bitches and even I could smell that one of them was in full blown season so god alone knows how bad it was for the dogs he must have encountered that day..

The bitch must get stressed by the fact there is potential mates everywhere that she cannot get to as it must be fustrating for the males to be expected to leave her well alone, having shown my own boys around in a ring where an in-season bitch has been previously shown (maybe even hours before) it unsettles them and they start to seek her out..

so there you go,,my opinion??

If shes in season leave her at home... be fair to the others....

fable said:

I wouldn't show a bitch in season, but I find it very interesting to see the difference between expected behaviour of dogs and horses. If someone is showing a stallion (in-hand or undersaddle), which is not unusual, especially in mountain and moorland classes, the lad is expected to mind his manners and behave himself , even if there is an in season mare in the ring. It is not up to the owner of a mare to avoid shows, and I've never quite understood why owners of dogs don't expect to control their boys -rather than bitches being kept in purdah for 3-4 weeks.
Ducking out of sight to avoid being shot down in flames h34r: h34r:

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I heard a while ago that a dog should not be ''punished'' for humping or showing interest in bitches, since it sends out mixed messages. later on, if using this dog at stud he might remember what ''mummy'' said and not perform. dunno how much truth is in that.

if you're happy to have a great dane or a mastiff after you and your bitch then it's up to you. I personally wouldn't be a happy cookie if my dog f... up in a ring because of an in season bitch, who was dying to come to the show and didn't want to be ''kept in purdah'' or maybe it is the owner

Noise said:

if you're happy to have a great dane or a mastiff after you and your bitch then it's up to you. I personally wouldn't be a happy cookie if my dog f... up in a ring because of an in season bitch, who was dying to come to the show and didn't want to be ''kept in purdah'' or maybe it is the owner

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As I said in my previous post, I would not show a bitch in season- apart from anything else she would be unlikely to show well - and I'm lucky enough to be able to exercise my dogs in quiet places where we are unlikely to meet others, but I always have great sympathy for people who run the risk of being tracked by male dogs if they have no option but to walk bitches in public places and if you have a small garden then 3/4 weeks is a long time for a bitch to miss out on exercise.

fable said:

Noise said:

if you're happy to have a great dane or a mastiff after you and your bitch then it's up to you. I personally wouldn't be a happy cookie if my dog f... up in a ring because of an in season bitch, who was dying to come to the show and didn't want to be ''kept in purdah'' or maybe it is the owner

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As I said in my previous post, I would not show a bitch in season- apart from anything else she would be unlikely to show well - and I'm lucky enough to be able to exercise my dogs in quiet places where we are unlikely to meet others, but I always have great sympathy for people who run the risk of being tracked by male dogs if they have no option but to walk bitches in public places and if you have a small garden then 3/4 weeks is a long time for a bitch to miss out on exercise.

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of course it is difficult, but you kind of expect that when taking on a bitch. that's why I got dogs, don't have to sneak out for walks at 4 in the morning

fable said:

I wouldn't show a bitch in season, but I find it very interesting to see the difference between expected behaviour of dogs and horses. If someone is showing a stallion (in-hand or undersaddle), which is not unusual, especially in mountain and moorland classes, the lad is expected to mind his manners and behave himself , even if there is an in season mare in the ring. It is not up to the owner of a mare to avoid shows, and I've never quite understood why owners of dogs don't expect to control their boys -rather than bitches being kept in purdah for 3-4 weeks.
Ducking out of sight to avoid being shot down in flames h34r: h34r:

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I had a stud yard many moons ago and all my stallions worked under saddle or in hand alongside mares in season. They wore different bridles for covering mares and wouldn't dream of mounting if in a riding bridle - just took a little training, but don't think a male stud dog can be trained not to and then when/if you want pups to do the business. I too think it very unsporting to show a bitch in season, not to mention the risk of infection to her. Just mho

i would never bring an in season bitch to any show and expose her to the hightened disease risk of 100+ unknown dogs cramped together in one building,

i care more about my girls health than i do about missing a show,

i'm just as prepared to loose the entry fee for that as i am to loose out if my dog has kennel cough,

it's all a bit selfish and over competative to risk your bitch's health and screw up other peoples dogs chances just for the chance of a rosette or a point

There was a time I used to ride stallion in a paddock adjacent to one with dozen of mares, it was a very hard work to keep him focused. With male dog, experienced stud dog, in show with bitches in season it was bit different. One occasion in particular comes to mind; that day, my Borzoi normally very laid back and friendly to all dogs and people, was very towy, with his hackles up and would not settle. After an hour or so I realised that a bitch parked about 6 ft from us (it was in times before we all had crates) has blood all over her pants and tail. All the boys around wanted to fend off any competition, and while in the ring tried to keep their eyes on her. It was not matter of controling them, more of them not relaxing and performing well.

But as others already said, that is a normal behaviour and I would not want to punish dog that may be required to mate bitches in the future.

Exercising bitches in season, is not so difficult with Whippets, as long as you do not walk her from and into your house, drive her to the park, or at least carry her block away.

T Hoare said:

Please don't give people ideas, it's NOT RIGHT to show in season bitches.

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I'm just saying it's not much frowned on in the US.

So, in the event that someone over in the UK finds their male being distracted, I have some remedies they can try to salvage their day.

Of course, if I showed over there, I would be guided by the norms of what was expected. If it was strongly discouraged, I wouldn't do it. Here, it really isn't.

I do agree that a bitch in absolute standing heat usually moves very poorly in the rear and holds her tail funny, so it's not her best time to be seen. But some bitches are most enticing when they are on their way out and have little discharge at all.

seaspot_run said:

Here, there are a couple of things that are tricks to distract your dog from a bitch who might be in heat in the vicinity. One is to use a squirt bottle with lemon juice and just keep squirting it into their mouth. The other is to put a little vanilla extract on a cotton pad and wipe under their nose or gently blot. The aroma doesn't bother them but it masks the scent of ripe bitch.
Hope this helps.

Karen

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So are we all expect to pack a Jif lemon and a bottle of vanilla extract into our show bags just in case a rather unsporting owner has brought their in season bitch to a show?

Gill

Gill Andrew said:

seaspot_run said:

Here, there are a couple of things that are tricks to distract your dog from a bitch who might be in heat in the vicinity. One is to use a squirt bottle with lemon juice and just keep squirting it into their mouth. The other is to put a little vanilla extract on a cotton pad and wipe under their nose or gently blot. The aroma doesn't bother them but it masks the scent of ripe bitch.
Hope this helps.

Karen

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So are we all expect to pack a Jif lemon and a bottle of vanilla extract into our show bags just in case a rather unsporting owner has brought their in season bitch to a show?

Gill

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If people are going to bring bitches in season, I think it's good to be prepared. That's a separate topic from whether or not it's unsporting. As I have said, it's NOT something that is strongly discouraged over here, so if an owner does it, it's NOT considered unsporting. It would not occur to me to be angry at a fellow exhibitor over here for bringing a bitch in season to a show so long as she held her away from the males as much as possible and didn't shove her vulva (the bitch's, that is) in my dog's face right before I was going into the ring.

It may have something to do with our system, and how numbers of entries count. I'd be much more upset if I'd driven five or six hours to a show where there was a major entry in bitches, with a dog or bitch who needed a major to finish, only to find that the major had broken because some people's bitches had come in season so they didn't bring them and I had to put my dog back in the car and drive home without showing.

I assume that there will be a few bitches in heat at every show. Even bitches who aren't entered may be in the parking and walking area because some of our exhibitors travel in motor homes with their entire kennel, and can't leave the in-season bitches at home. At the National specialty over here, every year there are people who HOPE their bitches will come in season while they are there so they can be put to or delivered without air shipping to males who are also there. It's just a fact of life of showing dogs here in the US. Last year at the National, we had a bitch in standing heat right across the hall from us.

Therefore, when I show a male who is studdy, I am prepared.

I have a bottle of vanilla extract in MY show bag.

It's something to try if this happens to you. I'm sorry if I have offended anyone as I am only intending to be helpful. You can still be angry at the fellow exhibitor if you feel they are being unsporting, but maybe you might get a decent show out of your dog.

I was personally THRILLED to learn these little tricks of the trade when someone told me of them. They have salvaged several show days for me with young males who were a little too randy after they caught a scent.

beaker said:

i would never bring an in season bitch to any show and expose her to the hightened disease risk of 100+ unknown dogs cramped together in one building,
i care more about my girls health than i do about missing a show,

i'm just as prepared to loose the entry fee for that as i am to loose out if my dog has kennel cough,

it's all a bit selfish and over competative to risk your bitch's health and screw up other peoples dogs chances just for the chance of a rosette or a point

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My thoughts exactly. Totally agree.

I took a young dog to a breed club champ show

I was waiting in the queue for a catalouge just inside a very crowded door way and I was met with an exhibitor right in front of me with a bitch in full blown season.

That ruined any chance I had as my dog spent the whole day looking for this bitch.

fable said:

I wouldn't show a bitch in season, but I find it very interesting to see the difference between expected behaviour of dogs and horses. If someone is showing a stallion (in-hand or undersaddle), which is not unusual, especially in mountain and moorland classes, the lad is expected to mind his manners and behave himself , even if there is an in season mare in the ring. It is not up to the owner of a mare to avoid shows, and I've never quite understood why owners of dogs don't expect to control their boys -rather than bitches being kept in purdah for 3-4 weeks.
Ducking out of sight to avoid being shot down in flames h34r: h34r:

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Totally agree with the above - about going out with a bitch in season not showing as I have never done this. My bitch has just finished a season and actually did not attract very much more attention than usual! However, I am sick of the owners of dogs constantly asking 'is she is season?' when their dogs won't go away and leave her alone at other times!! Very annoying and they should not just use this as an excuse when their dogs are out of control.

caitlin said:

However, I am sick of the owners of dogs constantly asking 'is she is season?' when their dogs won't go away and leave her alone at other times!! Very annoying and they should not just use this as an excuse when their dogs are out of control.

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Wise up! It is not a matter of dogs being 'out of control' but doing what comes naturally! And it does not matter HOW well behaved or trained a dog is, if there is a bitch around in season of course they are going to show interest. You say at any other time the dogs leave her alone so I can't see how you can call them 'out of control'. I am certainly not going to keep my dogs on a lead all the time just in case somebody happens to walk their in season bitch in the same place as me, especially when I keep bitches myself and can manage to exercise them without unwarranted attention from dogs when they are in season, so as far as I am concerned it is down to bitch owners to beware!!!

fable said:

I wouldn't show a bitch in season, but I find it very interesting to see the difference between expected behaviour of dogs and horses. If someone is showing a stallion (in-hand or undersaddle), which is not unusual, especially in mountain and moorland classes, the lad is expected to mind his manners and behave himself , even if there is an in season mare in the ring. It is not up to the owner of a mare to avoid shows, and I've never quite understood why owners of dogs don't expect to control their boys -rather than bitches being kept in purdah for 3-4 weeks.
Ducking out of sight to avoid being shot down in flames h34r: h34r:

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to a point i quiet agree nobody seems to give a damn when i take my friends stallion to shows when their mares are in season and parking their lorry next to ours :angry: even so romeo is still expected to have manners behave and perform his test regardless i do understand that romeo is in the ring on his own but even so the smell of an in season mare is very off putting for him especially when a mare has been in the ring before him can i ask a question without getting shot down here if at a champ show the dogs are in before the bitches why is it such an issue after all after they have been judged and they should be back on their benches anyway away from the girls im probably talking rubbish but i know what i mean i think :wacko:

i personally would not take my bitch to a show in season just because i cannot be doing with it and dont think its fair on her either with the risk of infection i just wish horse owners were equally as considerate at least my limbs wouldnt be stretched from here to kingdom come :lol:

dessie said:

caitlin said:

However, I am sick of the owners of dogs constantly asking 'is she is season?' when their dogs won't go away and leave her alone at other times!! Very annoying and they should not just use this as an excuse when their dogs are out of control.

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Wise up! It is not a matter of dogs being 'out of control' but doing what comes naturally! And it does not matter HOW well behaved or trained a dog is, if there is a bitch around in season of course they are going to show interest. You say at any other time the dogs leave her alone so I can't see how you can call them 'out of control'. I am certainly not going to keep my dogs on a lead all the time just in case somebody happens to walk their in season bitch in the same place as me, especially when I keep bitches myself and can manage to exercise them without unwarranted attention from dogs when they are in season, so as far as I am concerned it is down to bitch owners to beware!!!

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i can actually understand what caitlin is trying to say one of my girls even out of season still attracts the over amourous boys to her backside and it can be rather annoying for people to naturally assume she is in season when in actual fact she is not especially at shows where some people look at you like you are lying it can be very frustrating to say the least

different things are expected and desired between horses and dogs showing,

a dog on the scent of a bitch will strain his neck down to sniff the floor, will try sniffing any butt that comes near him, may try scent marking, may have hightened dog aggression and will most deffinately be at the very least fidgitting and unsettled... not the picture you want to present to the judge.

a well trained controlled stallion on the other hand will be highly alert, ears pricked, head up, snorting and flaring, drinking in the wind, powering and ellivating his stride... just the thing that can give him the edge in some breeds.

it might be very annoying to you that you loose out on the entry fee or your girl is being pursued by a wound up slavering sex pest hound but it's just as annoying, if not more, for the dog owner to have their own dog's chances scuppered and their dogs wound up because a sweet smelling girl wafted past him, or was benched near him or on his bench or in the same ring the day before.

most people use common sense and good manners and don't bring an in season girl to a show but the one or two that do can bollox up an awful lot of dogs chances by their selfish actions.

it's just not sporting