WHY would you not tell your dog-walker...

eh... I guess some people don't think it's really a big deal. those are the same type of people that don't spay their tempermental dogs

Brainless wonders?

maybe she's incontinent? Either way...good info for the walker LOL.

 Sheesh!  No way would I even be walking her!  When Onyx was in heat, the rottie across the way tried to throw himself out of a second story window to get to her and she was in my fenced yard, with me!  And here, there are just way too many loose dogs around.  And my thought is, that if the owners don't care enough to contain them, likely they haven't bothered to alter them either.  And forget you, if you think I'm gonna get in between a receptive in heat akita with a bite history and some determined male or 3....

 Yeah, and considering that here, most of the loose dogs are Pibbles, Rotts, Sheps, Boxers, etc., any accidental litters with an Akita mom would not fare well...

Does your company have a policy about this?? If not... maybe they should have.... sort of a premium ticket type of thing, the risks are increased massively both for the dog and you, the walker. Some dogs really do not care much but some are a mess when they are in season. I know I have no problem walking my girls in season but I do take extra precautions when I walk them, as in no intact males along for the stroll or changing the routes I walk.  I also do not allow anyone else to handle my dogs in season. I will have to pay the price if a problem happened so I know it will always be more important to me than to anyone else.  And since many walkers take more than one dag at a time out it can affect the number of dogs you can get out or at the very least alter your schedules.  I really think they should pay a small increase , it could be as simple as a 25% increase but it would keep everyone aware and on their toes and if that increase was problematic they can always alter the dog to eliminate the issue.  My New York pups have a team of walkers that come twice a day on the days that appointments keep the owners busy. They pay a premium to be able to schedule at the last minute and for their dogs to be walked as a pair no other dogs on the walker's leads. It makes sense as they weigh about 150 pounds together and most walkers seem to be teeny tiny little people    I never complained about paying a premium when hiring for my kids or dogs as I really want the caregiver's attention focused on my kids or fur kids not on several. even the Handler I used was paid a higher rate than her norm to assure my dogs would never miss a ring because of another client's dog. I have never been comfortable with the passing around of a dog because you are caught in a ring. I select a handler based off their gentle touch and quickness to follow the dog's thinking.  So I would not want a handler who had never worked my breed and was heavyhanded.   Bonita of Bwana 

SIGH. I just can't wait for this weekend to be OVER!!!!

Ummm, I would suggest that you NOT walk her and make them pay the standard rate any way!  Play with her in the house or use a treadmill, but NO walks.  I always walked Gypsy in season and was VERY careful to keep any eye out for ANY loose dog.  I would NOT endanger anyone else while the bitch is in season.  If anyone is going to get bitten, it should be the clueless OWNER, not you!

 You wouldn't tell your dog walker that your dog was in season for the same reason that you wouldn't tell your groomer, who flipped out when she noticed drops of blood and couldn't find any bleeding feet.

AND OWNS an intact bitch! LOL (groomer may be slow, so please, enlighten her!)

Not sure if it's the case here but for some people it's no big deal and more unnatural to alter a dog.  My uncle is like that.  My aunt got a 5 month sabatical so they moved away but had to drive for days in one vehicle and he could not take his dog.  So my brother said he would take care of her.  After he left, we realized we had no idea if she was intact or not.  She did end up going into heat.  My brother took her hunting every weekend (she is a hunting dog) and on one trip, they found a male dog and decided to keep him but he had to go live with the girlfriend of my brother's friend because uncle's dog turned out to be an intact female.  He never made mention of it, but knowing him and his dogs, it probably would never occur to him to spay a dog (and he has never bred dogs).