I Feel Female Dogs Are Descriminated At Doggie Parks!
 

I took Ruby to the doggie park yestarday as we hadn't been there for along time because she is in heat. Ofcourse I had panties on her to protect that area. She was doing fine playing with others until an older lab got close to her and started sniffing her and i guess he detected it. Well as soon as I started seen his interest I went to pick her up and there was the labs owner infront sitting in oneof those convas folding chairs. So I picked her up and said"I think he is interested because she is in heat" ,He didn't even give me the chance to say I was getting ready to leave when he said"If she is in heat then she shouldn't even be here" I said "Well thats why I have her wearing panties" he then just gave me the look. I understand why my female dog shouldn't be there because she is unaltered, but unaltered male dogs have no troubles being there. I think I am just as much at fault as those with unaltered male dogs. I think both sexes should be judged with same criteria. My little girl is going around teasing the dogs that aren't fixed she was just there to play. I think this is very unfair of people to think that those of us with females should stay at home while they are in heat and the males that have testicles have notroubles being out and about. :thumbdown

the only reason it is frowned upon to take a female who is in heat to a dog park is beacuse it may spawn aggressive behavior in the unaltered male dogs who are there. and sometimes the little female or big female can get caught in the middle of the ensuing fight over who would be the "alpha" dog to get to breed with said female. i think for the safety of all the dogs at the park that a female in heat shouldn't be taken i. i know i'd feel horrible if two or more male dogs were to start fighting because of my female who was in heat.. and then you have a whole different set of problems to deal with. just my opinion though others have their own.

I know it wasn't the best judgement but males dogs that aren't altered should not go either to prevent these incedents. We most be fair in these things. :thumbup:

I FULLY AGREE WITH THIS...Accept really I do not think unaltered dogs of either sex should be allowed, unaltered males tend to be more aggressive anyway (NOT ALL) and well it is just as you mentioned about the little ladies. I can honestly say if Bruce got caught up in some affray because dogs starting fighting over a little girl in heat the owners of all those dogs would have hell to pay...Which is not to say that I think it is ever okay to be rude to another dog owner at the park, especially a yorkie owner, so I am sorry you had a bad experience.

You know what that is true, I never thought of it that way.

not all unaltered male dogs have a tendency to want to be alpha. but... give them a reason to fight (like an unaltered female) and they will. that beign said bot9h my dogs are altered and so are my yorkie nephews. i do agree that some unaltered male dogs shouldn't be at the park but if you put an unaltered male in with unaltered females... chances are the females won't start bloody fights to get to breed with him. they have other ways. and a pair of panties on her wouldn't really help if the dog were determined to breed her. and if you really think about it... if an unaltered female wasn't in the park the chances of males fighting over her wouldn't exist. i can only imagine the heartbreak if something happened to someones dog because the female was in heat and all the intact males caught scent (which many do if the female is within a mile! omg... talk about single minded lol) though i must say that unless your (not specifically you, just in general) pet is used to better the breed it should be spayed or neutered to avoid unwanted litters that many times end up in shelters and then when no one wants the puppies.. a more tragic ending for them.

When you take your dog into a public place, it is the owner's responsibility to control their own dog and safeguard those around them. If you cannot reasonably control your dog, be it male or female, altered or not, then you should not have him/her out in public. It is not a doggie thing it is a human thing.

I am glad other are with me. I thought I was alone in this frame of mind. I just think male or female they should be measured with the same ruler. :thumbup:

The pet park here in Grand Rapids will not allow any unaltered males in the park or females in season. So I think it's kind of unfare that my Gizmo is never allowed in the part at all, but the girls are. It sounds fun, but I would never leave my Gizmo behind!

I agree....even an unaltered male can be trained to behave even around a female in heat. It is up to the owner to train the dog properly so they are not a nuisance when out in public.

I think that it would be best to keep a female in heat on a leash when in the park since you never know if the intact males are properly trained. When my girls are in heat and we go to the small dog park, I always ask if there are any intact males there and i ask each new dog owner that arrives. I hold my girls or keep them in the stroller if the intact males are not obedience trained.

Unless you are showing or planning to breed all dogs should be fixed. One it's healthier for the dog, and two it makes issues like this, a non issue.

Regardless of whether there are unfixed males at the park I wouldn't bring a female that is in heat there. I grew up dealing with show dogs and females that were in heat were always separated from the males not only to avoid unintentional breeding but to cull the violent behavior that males can exhibit when a bitch is in heat. The sweetest male can become a very different creature when exposed to a female in heat, it's instinctual. Domesticated dogs (and cats for that matter) are only so far removed from there wild ancestry.

Yes, the owners of unspayed males ARE responsible for there dogs behaviour. However exposing them to a bitch in heat is not a wise decision. It's unfair to the males, causing them stress and very risky to have your little yorkie exposed to situation that may become aggressive.

Like I said all dogs should be fixed. However if someone has a male that is showing or acting as stud (retired from the ring) they have every right to be at the park. We loved our females (I always have a female, to this day) but they were ALWAYS separated during heat. When your little baby comes out of heat then bring her back to the park.

Measured with the same ruler? Sure in theory, however male and female dogs do not share the same ruler.

exactly. :thumbup: :thumbup:

Oh Lord, here it comes...
I bet this is a difficult thing to have to deal with. There are not any dog parks near us so luckily I don't have to deal with this and the boy next door has been fixed. Reading all this, maybe not having a park near us is a blessing in disguise! :)

I can't imagine anyone taking a female dog in heat (covered or not) out to a public place where other dogs are. Believe me - male dogs can smell a female in heat miles away! And, it certainly will bring out the best and the worst in any boy dog --- every time!!

A male dog being neutered is premanent procedure as is a female dog being spayed. But a female in heat is only temporary - and it shouldn't be too much of a problem staying home - away from other dogs - for that short period of time. A diaper only keeps the female from spotting - it doesn't keep every male within a mile from knowing she's in heat.

I have never thought about males having to be neutered to go to dog parks. I know a lot of them aren't at one park I go to - but it has never caused any problems.

Carol Jean

I am not trying to be funny with this question but do they require a note from the vet to be in the park or do they just trust everyone to be honest. I mean not all "neutered" dogs have their gonads removed. There are alternative procedures now. Just curious as to how they enforce this rule?????

Sometimes you don't even know when a female is in heat. How do they know and who checks?

Also does this mean that stud dogs NEVER get to go to the park for their entire lives? How sad and what kind of a life must that be? To stay in your yard and never go for rides in the car or exploring new places? :(

I would not take any female dog in heat any where near any other dogs. I think its best they stay home until they are over it.

I think that's the big difference between the males and the females and why females take the hit and are separated from others when she is in heat. for the safety of your female furbaby and the safety of other furbabies, it's best to just take one for the team and avoid the dog parks while she's in heat.

with that being said, i know that in my area, many of the obedience/agility classes, playgroups and doggie daycare as well as boarding will not accept unaltered dogs, male or female. the trainers and facilities will require proof of spay/neuter as well as all vaccinations before accepting the dog. some daycare and boarding facilities will also require an interview with the dog and owner to assess the owner and the dog's behavior to determine if the dog is a good fit for the facility. in these cases, unaltered females and males are equally discriminated against, for the safety of all.

I question if an unaltered male *may* be trained to behave around a female in heat. the behavior is instinctual, not a learned behavior. i think it's probably as easy to train a non neutered male to ignore a female in heat as it is to train a non neutered male not to hike up his leg to pee and not to mark. It's instincts. they can't help themselves.

A female in heat does not only upset the male dogs. When I was breeding German Shepherds, my females would get quite upset with each other when one was heat. Not sure if it was jealousy or what, but one female is season, would upset the whole bunch, not just the males.

I just can not imagine taking the chance of taking any dog, let alone a tiny dog out while she was in heat. They need to be home where they can be safe and comfortable.

:yeahthat:

Took the words right out of my mouth!

Also, I wouldn't rely on panties as a birth control method. Others here have had "accidents" that way.

I live in a place where spayed and nuetered dogs arent an every day thing,infact,90% of dogs here are unaltered and Iv never heard of anyone saying that they cant take their female out because she is in heat..and getting her fixed just to be able to go out without having to worry about this just seems a bit drastic to me.
I mean,people DO want to breed their pets,or just dont want to risk anything happening during the spay etc,so why should they change their mind just so that other dogs wont ruin their walk?
I take my girls out on a leash ALWAYS,I never let them run free and I have come across dog owners on the beach who dont have their dogs on leashes and to me the problem is the owners,not the actual dogs when something happens!
This last time Jess was in heat we took her for her walk as usual and of course we came across a couple who were walking their cocker without a leash.Well this cocker was being a pain in the butt so his owners put him on a leash,which I think is the right this to do and they were totally fine with it.Why should I stop taking Jess on walks just because she is unaltered?,Why should I be the one to stay at home? I shouldent have to put up with other peoples dogs no matter what my females situation is and I shouldent be pressured into spaying just to make our walks more peaceful...owners of all genders should just be more flexable.
Here,when people let their dogs loose,they usually put him or her back on its leash if another dog is close by and then just let it go again when the coast is clear,to me this is the right thing to do and this way everyone is able to have fun:rolleyes:
Those who think "why should I have to put my dog back on its leash every 5 minutes?" are being selfish imo.It only takes 2 seconds to clip it on and another 2 to clip it off,its no big deal and makes everyones life alot easier.

That is a protection in the park only. Like I said Icould have use better judgment, however I was keep an eye on her constantly and that how i noticed the male getting interested. After seeing this I got up pick her up and was about to leave to not cause disturbance with the dogs playing. I still feel unaltered males should go either regardless. :thumbup:

You are probably right. It does "take two to tango" as the saying goes. :p However, since the burden of an unwanted pregnancy would fall on you, it would probably be best if you didn't go when your girl is in heat.

All your points are very valid and reasonable. Both male dog owner as well as female dog owners are at fault. If any rules are to be made they must be fair. I believe if both are unaltered then each pet owner has to do their part in responsibility. If any one had doubts about my pet ownership let me say me girl comes first, second and third for me. I would never allow for something like an unwanted breeding to happen even if some think it happens in no time I am very confident in how I look after my girl. Every one who knows me knows this and would not have a doubt in my pet ownership abilities. :)

Yes, I am sure that when my girl is in heat it is better to not go to high concentration areas like this. I just wanted to give her a good time as we hadn't been there in a while. Thanks for mentioning though that "It takes two to tango" :thumbup:

Hey there long time no see! Its good to see you back you need to post a recent picture of your Sheila for everyone to see.

About 20 years ago when we lived in town, we had a Lhaso Apso. He was a wonderful dog, smart & loving and everyone in the family loved him dearly. Our large yard was not fenced, but he NEVER left the yard. He just went outside to do his duty and came right back in. One day I undressed to take a shower upstairs and heard him barking to go out. I ran downstairs (naked) to let him out as I was the only one home. I started back upstairs when I heard a shot and a yelp. I looked out the window in the back of the house and there was our little dog trying to pull himself across the lawn.
The man who had moved into the rental house across the alley had a female in heat. He had tied her to the garage back by the alley. Of course, as soon as I let our male dog outside, he immediately smelled her and ran over there. The man shot him and severed his spine. He was paralized and we had to put him down.
I called the police and he had to go to court. They fined him, but that didn't bring our dog back. The judge said by law it was the female dog owners responsibility to keep the female in heat locked up or in a fenced area or confined area that the male dogs could not get in.
I certainly am not knocking anyone or criticizing. I have 2 male and 1 female. Because of my experience with losing our dog, I would probably be very upset if someone brought a dog in heat to the park and my male dog was injured by another dog because of it. It is not as if you couldn't ever take your female to the dog park, but it would probably be better if you didn't while she was in heat. I'm sure you have never thought about the consequences to others. The judge also said "No matter how well trained a dog is, they will still do what nature has given them the strong instinct to do and that is to mate with a female in heat".

That is horrifying!! :( I can't believe someone would SHOOT a dog for that. I would have had a difficult time living next to that guy without shooting HIM....I am so sorry that happened to your little guy.

I TOTALLY AGREE :thumbup:
When I took my SPAIED female to the park the other day, Ruby was pooping and a small male dog came over and tried to mount her while she was doing her buisness. I got so grossed out that i yelled at the dog and shoved it off her.
The problem isn't the dogs its the stupid owners who don't train their animals and let them roam off leash and do whatever the H&*l they want.
If I got a dollar for every off leash, untrained dog on an ON leash side of the park I would be a millionaire.
I'd have to say that is one of my biggest pet peeves.