Hi, I’ve not been on here for a long time but it was the first place I thought of when I’m needing some help and advice. I’m at my wits end. Murphy is 7 and been such a loveable, really quite docile dog, who has been really well behaved and we’ve had not one bit of bother with him. We’ve been able to walk him almost anywhere off lead and his recall has been pretty good. Other dogs would approach him and he wasn’t bothered about them in the least, we use to call him Mr Antisocial because other dogs wanted to interact with him and he was always just whatever. He does however like the ladies when they’re in season obviously but it wasn’t a problem really, although we always knew when the lady a few doors from us was in season as he would sit at the window and be desperate to get out. We always use to say in Jan and June, aw that’ll be Darcy in season again, but it was no big problem. Once Darcy had finished her season things were back to normal, although he does have a genuine fancy for Darcy! I don’t know if it’s to do with lockdown but lots of people around here have been getting new dogs and it seems everyone you speak to has a dog in season or about to come into season and they’re getting walked in the public park where we always walk. Since about Feb/March If Murphy has been off lead he’s then bolting for these dogs in season and it has caused a few fraught words. It’s now got to the point though where he’s interested in any dogs, because he’s obviously got the scent, even if the dog in season is no longer about, and he’s trying to hump anything, male or female (not always but a lot of the time). Most walks I am now having to keep him on the lead just in case because I can’t trust him. I’m really disappointed and sad because as I say he has never been like this before, he’s always been able to walk off lead, but just all of a sudden it’s like he’s possessed!! I know I have a problem too because I am getting so pent up angry with these dog owners, bringing their dogs in season to a public park and letting them run all over the place off lead whilst I now have to keep mine away from them, and my pent up anger is going to erupt on of these days. Surely there is some sort of etiquette for exercising your female dog whilst it’s in season? At the end of the day though I can’t change what other pet owners do but I do need some advice on how to stop my boy mounting these dogs. I don’t want to forever have to keep him on a lead. Thanks in anticipation xxxx
Sorry to hear about your situation. But as the owner of a female Labrador who's just had her first season, if I was stupid enough to walk her in a public park at any point during her season then I would expect an entire male to bolt towards her. It's not your dogs fault he's in an impossible situation. I can't suggest anything to help but felt its important to say its not yours or Murphys fault. The worrying thing is that people might be doing it on purpose to profit from the puppy craze
