Competing While in Heat

This is in my mind this week since Didgie decided to come into heat when I had a big disc comp coming up this weekend (of course) and she can't compete.

So, figured I would make a thread about it:

What are you opinions about females being in heat and competing in sports? Should they be allowed while in heat? Should their be steps taken if they are competing? Do you think different sports should have different rules?

Basically, what are your thoughts?

If your dog is ready to compete, compete and nothing is a problem. Doesn't matter if its a bitch in heat, another female or a male.

I hate the excuses actually. I get that my sports are a bit different, but its still just dog training no matter the sport.

i don't compete & I don't have a female BUT, I don't see a problem with it. Maybe if the dogs were running in packs, but something like disc....I just think the dog should be able to focus on the handler & if it can't THEN it should be asked to leave. But I kind of feel that way for male or female

The real problem I have with it is... average people don't watch their dogs. I've been to so many agility trials where even dog sport people, who are supposedly dog savvy, are NOT watching their dogs.

I could just see me sitting there and all of a sudden a dog flies out of nowhere and tries to hump Pepper through her crate. Or if I were competing with her, some dog trying to hump her in the lineup. And the owner just standing there like derp de derp I'm a dumbass don't even see what's going on.


I wouldn't take my bitch for her own benefit. I don't even allow Payton to pester her and he's mine.

My dogs stay crated in my car anyways, so the strange dog thing isn't an issue. I'll be competing Carma at some point during her heat and absolutely thunk she deserves to be able to. My two intact males also trialed the last time she went into heat without a problem. Just dog training..

I think it depends on the stage of the heat, and cleanliness of the bitch first off.
A beagle that we fostered years ago was very unclean when it came to her heats....she was very drippy. I can't see that being fair to other competitors in any situation as that would leave a visual and scent distraction physically on the course.
Or in events where the dogs are in close proximity - such as flyball.

But otherwise, it really doesn't bother my competing dogs. I don't know if it's because Cobain is neutered, or because he's just very focused (I'd like to think the latter), but things like that have never phased him.

That said, I don't know how an intact male would react. I know plenty of dogs in my area that compete in agility and have their masters no less, but really don't have that focus. So I wonder if the scent would distract them? If so I'm not sure how I feel.
On one hand, the dogs should be under control and trained to a certain level of focus. But on the other, I don't know what it's like managing an intact dog around a bitch in heat - if it really is that difficult, I'd be pretty upset if I dumped a ton of cash on a trial only to have my dog entirely distracted and unable to compete to the best of his ability.

I used to think this way, until Caleb came along. Then I learned that some males just loose their brains when there is a female in heat around. I don't mean misbehaving, I mean looking at you as if you were just teaching them "sit' for the very first time.

I think they should be allowed. I think it'd be fine to just have them go last.

I like Oko's idea of having them go last. I think they should be allowed.

I am 90% sure UKI allows females in heat to compete. They go last& are asked to bring a towel for them to sit on at the start line.

That's what they do in NACSW. But the difference is, in Nosework, there is only the working dog in the search area. All others are either in vehicles or the crating area, depending on the venue. That won't work for obedience and rally. And pretty sure it won't work for agility.

If your dog cannot even handle being in the general area of an in heat female, I would consider that a training issue. Oh and yes, bitches in heat can compete in sheepdog trials. I believe UKI is bitches in season are allowed as a blanket rule but whoever is running the trial has the right to void it.

Has anyone thought about the flip side? We don't xray bitches in season because they have increased laxity and it can look like they have HD when they might not. Does that make it more dangerous for them to be flinging themselves around doing extra things we ask of them while they're in season?

I agree

No I don't worry abou it, because dogs, wolves, humans, elephants, or any other mammal in heat or carrying babies doesn't get to take a time out from life for a little while. Can something happen? sure, but I'm not convinced it's any more likely than at any other time of the year. If your dog is in shape and conditioned, she should be just fine and ligament laxity shouldn't really be an issue unless pregnant closer to delivery.

I know they don't xray during heat cycles, but i'm not entirely convinced it's a real issue not to, it's just something that usually isn't done. Gives one less "potential" reason why something didn't turn out as expected, but I'm not sure in reality it makes much difference.

Most mammals in heat also don't generally participate in sports with a risk of repetitive motion injuries, they're just going about their normal day to day lives.

I don't believe nature would create an animal as hearty as a dog and give it something that could be so crippling such as joint laxity during estrus. That is my point. They should be able to run fast, jump, turn and do it again, just like they should be able to any other time of the year.

I don't believe hormones affect the ligaments until closer to delivery. I wouldn't compete with a bitch a few weeks out from delivery, but that's different.

I don't have a huge care in either direction, but given how obsessive they are about cleaning any spot where a dog peed/defecated/treat was dropped, I think it would take a major shift in attitude for a potentially dripping female to be tolerated. After are, the others are training issues as well, and not tolerated.

Nature didn't create modern dogs, we did. And we haven't done the best job of it, to be honest.

Ok, show me something that says estrus creates joint laxity. I have never been aware of anything that says it does. Not in people, not in animals.