We are due to return for the 5th time to sit a 3 yr old lab we have known since she was 6 months old. On our third visit we found she was in season and, although we managed pretty well, it did rather hamper planned walks etc. It’s not a situation we would choose again tbh and we did ask the owner about the possibility of the dog being in season for the upcoming sit but no-one could reasonably accurately predict that. She has not been spayed or had pups. With less than 2 weeks before the sit starts it seems unlikely that the situation will clear. Given the periods between seasons should be fairly regular, should the owner have warned us of the possibility / probability ? We’ve never cancelled a sit but are in two minds. It’s a 200 mile round trip to get there it won’t be great for us if we are housebound or only lead walking . What would you do ?
On a separate note, had to edit this post as the word ‘bi*ch’ isn’t allowed 
It should be fairly regular. The HO should keep track of the dog’s seasons and warn you IMHO. But on the other hand: you already accepted the sit and now it’s just 2 weeks until the start of the sit. We have had dogs in heat during sits and now always ask about that. Personally, I think this is either the HO’s responsibility or a job for a paid sitter (who would also charge more than usual). Treat it as a learning experience, we have been there and can certainly understand that it’s not a great prospect, but it’s just too late to withdraw (unless you communicated that possibility to the HO already and they have a good backup plan).
I had a sit not so long ago with two female dogs, neither of whom had been spayed, and wasn’t told until just before the sit started. One of the dogs was in season. I had never experienced this and it seems the owners had been putting off getting them spayed. I had to take them out walking separately on leads, which was obviously time consuming and would have been preferable off lead, particularly as the older dog really pulled. As a result I’d be unlikely to take up a repeat sit there unless the dogs had been spayed. It wasn’t too much of a problem with the dog in season as it was just a bit of spotting and it cleared up in a few days. Now I always ask if the dogs have been spayed/neutered, most have.
This one really sets me off 
. Our permanent home is on an island with a huge cat/dog overpopulation problem. In my (completely unsolicited) opinion, all pets should be desexed unless there is a very, very good reason not to. We’ve been caught out twice with entire females, both of which were in season, and once with an unneutered male. We’ve finally learned to ask about their status and no longer accept sits with entire pets.
Since you’ve agreed to the sit, I hope you will do it, but add the spay/neuter question to your presit check list.
Good luck.
Our sit was with 4 dogs, with one female in heat + 1 male who was castrated but still very much interested and leading to trouble in the pack. Quite a situation: separate walks and even keeping them separate during the day. Now we always ask.
Yes, we will do the sit - would hate to let anyone down. Hopefully her season may be a short one and well under way by the time we arrive.
We did ask back in November about season frequency but got no helpful reply. But we’ve worked out its approx a 6 month cycle. We’ll know for next time 
I don’t mean to sound contrarian… just trying to understand and help. Could you explain what was difficult about a solo female in season? Maybe her neighborhood has male dogs roaming off-leash or something? I only ask because i didn’t find it to be a big deal for our dog at all, and maybe there are some tips or tricks some of us could give you to help.
Before she was spayed, our female dog went through two seasons (vet’s recommendation, to balance risks of uterine and mammary cancer based on length of exposure to hormones). We didn’t have a male dog in the house at the time, so we found it to be no big deal. I ordered some cute doggie diapers for her online, and she still got to do all of her usual things – walks outside, obedience classes, visits to dog-friendly stores, running around the yard, etc. If anything, she got even more love from friendly strangers (humans) because of her adorable diapers. We saw other dogs (on-leash) occasionally, but none of them showed any more interest in her than usual. She was going to a weekly doggie day care at the time, and they even let her go to that ( I called to ask) because they had no intact males on her day.
Maybe there’s a cultural difference, too? People are pretty casual about all things animal-related here in rural Texas because a lot of people live on or grew up on a ranch.
In Europe people expect you not to go to areas with free roaming dogs if you have a dog in heat. Depending on the location this really limits where you can walk or you need to go very early or very late. It’s common for dogs in most countries here to walk off the leash even in areas where it’s forbidden.
I’ve never seen a dog in a diaper (or nappy as we call them in the UK). Is that an American thing or, UK owners/sitters do we do it in the UK?
It wasn’t a huge problem last time. It was just disappointing to have to walk on the lead most of the time which can be wearing over several miles. We don’t mind about the blood spotting etc. but we like walking reasonable distances. And that means with dogs off the lead. As it’s not our dog we would be mortified if she ran off with a wandering male and caused an unwanted pregnancy. Good recall only goes so far when the blood is up !
Aside from that her home has an unfenced garden so we would be wary of letting her wander, and could not prevent other males from wandering in.
Anyway, we are committed to the sit but will try and avoid this situation in future.
Oh, that’s so interesting! In the US, almost every city or county has a leash law, meaning all dogs must be on a leash that is 6 feet long or shorter, unless they’re in a designated dog park or on private property. Here, it’s considered very rude to let your dog wander off-leash. I don’t mind if someone does it in a sparsely-populated area and then attaches the leash when they see another person/dog coming, but those people and dogs are rare. Usually an off-leash dog means trouble because they’ve either escaped from wherever they’re supposed to be or they have an owner who doesn’t care if they bother everyone else.
I see… now that I understand that it’s more normal to walk off-leash there, it makes a lot of sense that this would add a big wrinkle to things. And no fence… yes, that makes things very tricky. I can’t imagine having dogs without a way to contain them in the yard! It was a long few weeks between the day we moved into our house and the day the fence was completed! 
Anyway, I’m glad you’re still doing the sit, and I hope the dog’s hormones will cooperate while you’re there!
Wow, that sounds draconian ! Look at it from the dog’s point of view. They are animals that are intended by nature to run, not simply serve as ornaments to us folk. If they can’t do this they are very likely to become fat, unhealthy and miserable.
We always have a lead with us, just in case ( eg if livestock are around, or we are on busy roads and built up areas etc) but the dog should be well trained enough to have good recall and more. We’ve never had much of a problem, despite the occasional lead tugger or rabbit chaser, but boy, do these canines bring a fresh and fantastic dimension to a long, cross country walk. Just love it . . .
Off the subject just a little, I use to care for a senior Chow many years ago who was incontinent, due to this she wore a doggie diaper at night. During the day usually wasn’t a huge issue. This was in San Francisco.
Oh, I’m in full agreement with you about dog (and other non-human animal) rights. I don’t eat animals or animal products, and I do everything I can to give my dogs the best life possible. I suspect the leash laws are due to our very litigious society and the fact that lack of responsibility/common sense in a few often leads to laws for all.
This is why I have a 2-acre fenced yard, where my dogs are doing zoomies together in the snow as we speak. (They have a dog door, so they are free to come and go as they wish.) So they do their running at home, and they get their mental and social stimulation on the end of a loose leash when we go elsewhere.
Some people do make use of dog parks, off-leash trails, beaches, etc., but you have to be careful about the other dogs there. Diseases and bites/fights are not uncommon, and even if both dogs only come away with a scratch (or maybe they were just playing and someone misinterpreted it)… well, then you still have the possibility of a lawsuit to consider, especially if someone saw you drive up in a nice vehicle, etc. I know, it’s ridiculous. So we only go to those when there’s no one else there, or when we know the other dogs.
I’m making the US sound like a terrible place! It’s just different in some ways! Most of us are very nice people with very nice dogs! 