OK, so it may be that your bitch is coming into her first season (Click here to determine) – but she’s too young and you don’t wish to mate her yet; or you just haven’t got around to getting her desexed – or any other number of reasons?

If you’re not a registered breeder, you will really want to be careful in this matter – there’s a lot of time committment required and it can be expensive; not to mention that finding homes for unwanted puppies is hard work.

It’s important then that you’re on your toes – preventing this will be a bit of a challenge, depending on your pattern of work, the security of your property (from unwanted mates), and even if the bitch spends most of her time alone?

As a general guide – in the first 7 days of her season she’s not really interested in mating (though males will still be interested in her) – but the next 14 days or so ( add about 3 days extra to be certain) are the real risk period!

Do NOT underestimate the desire of neighbouring dogs to sniff her out (literally) – or her desire to go get mated! You MUST be vigilant – we’ve heard stories of people with 6 foot fences coming home to four males in the yard – or out walking with their hounds and them getting into trouble, one case of a person stopped at the traffic lights suddenly looking down to find a male has tied with their bitch!

One point – since it would be cruel to not walk your bitch for 3 weeks – we would highly recommend that, you consider making or buying a pair of Chastity Britches (see here). If you don’t do that you may have to house her in an appropriate kennel (with a run) – or even send her to a Boarding Kennel for that period.

My wife spends all of her time with our dogs – so its only rarely that they are left unattended. If it is required she will crate them briefly – which protects all of them from escape or theft – and any bitch in season.

Crated Bitch in season - to prevent unwanted matings

But lets assume that after all of your efforts though – you failed, it happened to us once – our bitch had only just finished with her previous litter and we did not want another so soon afterwards!

There IS a medical way out – and without any major side effects! The bitch can be given 2 x injections of Aglepristone 24 hours apart, 0-21 days after mating. As I understand it, this acts on the sperm to make the environment unfavourable – or if it has already bound with the egg, causes it to come away from the placenta – ending the pregnancy.

This should be a last line of defence though, prevention is better than cure – keep your bitch safe, or better still if no breeding is required or wanted; get her desexed ASAP.

Steve