Competing While in Heat

Shai

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#41
I have no problem with allowing bitches in heat to compete in pretty much any sport. Its largely a training issue. But part of the reason its such a big distraction, IMO, is there's never an opportunity to train through it. The majority of female dogs I know are spayed. If they're not, the owner pulls them from class when they're in heat. I've been in classes where bitches in heat were banned from class.

If you're never given a chance to train with that distraction, I think its overly flippant to say "its just a training issue" when that's a very specific, chemical and biological distraction that I don't think you can reasonably expect a dog to generalize about. I would be pretty pissed if my dogs first exposure to bitches in heat was at his first obedience trial.
Most of the high end obe trainers/competitors I know go out of their way to train this distraction. If they don't havr girls, they find some. If they can't do that, they will give a friend with intact females a mat or towels to have the girl sit on while in heat then strew them around while they train. I've played mat games with Mira on old towels for people before.

In short, they go out of their way to proof for it.

After all, obe trials are regularly on the same grounds as confo so intact girls may be around even if not in the ring. And if you're shooting for the national stage, that's where you're most likely to have an inheat dog snuck in.

To me, continuing to ban them from competing because they can't be trained with because they are banned from training is rather circular....
 

MicksMom

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#43
All I know is that when I'm on my period...last thing I would wanna do is sports. lol but I guess dogs aren't the same in that aspect
Actually, some are, kind of. Their entire attitude can change because of the hormones. And, as I've already said, it does affect some males brains as well, and it's not just a training thing. It wasn't until recently that the military used females (except for breeding) for this very reason. I'm hearing of female MWDs these days, but I don't know if they're spayed or not.
 

crazedACD

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#44
Most of the high end obe trainers/competitors I know go out of their way to train this distraction. If they don't havr girls, they find some. If they can't do that, they will give a friend with intact females a mat or towels to have the girl sit on while in heat then strew them around while they train. I've played mat games with Mira on old towels for people before.
I've come across people talking about Q-tipping a BIS and using it as bait in breed to enhance expression in their boy. :rofl1:
Do I "smell" a new business venture? :p
 
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#45
I know with the group that I train with, not really a class, just a few of us get together to train we are at all different levels but practice together. One of the German Shepherds has been in season twice now and he still brings her just to proof the two male dogs that compete. I think it does help but some male dogs are worse than others and even if they have never bred anything, it is hard to keep them from being distracted. I would be more worried about my in season female being around so many intact males and doubt they would perform that well as they are also distracted when in season.
 

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