Other dogs liking my dog a little too much !

[likealaugh]

My dog has had the snip ,quite a while ago now,he's now 2. I should explain he's quite a submissive dog but sociable .He is a big softy and never growls and I'm having trouble with him showing any authority as I'd like him to tell other dogs off but he happily lets others bully him and take his sticks or push him around.
Lately I've noticed other male dogs try to mount him. Fair enough as I know it's not all about sex and more about who then boss is at the park ! My problem is that a couple of the dogs are big labs , fully male still and very strong. Their owners aren't always close by so don't pull them off my dog which leaves me to try and stop them as my poor boy just crouches low rather then runs away. My poor pooch is getting hurt as these dogs are bigger then him and to be honest I'm a bit worried I'm going to get hurt too when I get in the middle trying to pull their beast off. Most owners apologise but some really don't care.
I guess my question is what can I do to encourage my dog to be more proactive? If I see a problem coming I pop him on his lead,I don't let him in a submissive position if on a lead and at home play games encouraging him to win to let him grow confidence. I love his personality and wouldn't change it for the world,he's gentle,friendly but it's going to get him into trouble if he doesn't become more savvy. When we walk with our group of dog friends his 2 or 3 smaller doggy friends actually stand up for him and protect him...they are smaller than him but he still doesn't learn from them !
Please any advice ?
Many thanks.

[JustBeingJobless]

My friends neutered boy had this same issue and it turned out he had a UTI which was causing him to smell a bit fruity, so might be worth getting him checked out.

[CornflakeHomunculus]

Definitely agree it's worth a vet check just to rule anything out like a UTI.

Rather than trying to encourage your dog to "stand up for himself" (which could backfire spectacularly) you need to step in and try to prevent the situation getting to the point where he's being bullied/harassed/humped. He's obviously unhappy with these interactions and you don't want to end up with him becoming fearful and possibly reactive.

A good option is to teach your dog to go behind your legs on command. Using that in conjunction with a walking stick can be a good way of blocking a dog from getting too close. You could also carry some food/extra treats which you can chuck at approaching dogs then make your escape whilst they're hoovering them up.

The easiest thing, if it's feasible, is to try and avoid these situations arising as much as possible by walking either in quieter areas or at quieter times. A bit of a pain, I know, and in an ideal world it wouldn't be necessary but it's a very common thing for owners to mistake rude/pushy/bullying behaviour as "friendly" and allow their dogs to continue doing it.

[likealaugh]

Thank you both for the replies. He's due his yearly booster soon so I planned on getting him checked out by the vet incase it was an underlying problem. I've googled it and there are a few other cases of neutered males attracting other males so maybe the vet can throw some light on the situation!
I'll try placing myself between him and other dogs and training him to go behind my legs , although he's such a soppy social thing he always wants to say hello !
Strange really as some male dogs he rubs along really well with , wether they are neutered or not , and others take to him. I suppose it's like people , some you like , some you don't.
Many thanks.

[wheelwarrior]

You could be describing my boy .He has same problem even though he is a big lab
Have had him checked out and no uti

Vet said it's just one those things and it's more likely the other dogs hormones are out of whack

He now returns to me and goes other side f my chair which I then use to block other dog .Ihave been known to grab other dogs collar (only on dogs I know

[PovertyPain]

You could try carrying a small spray bottle full of water. If a dog try's to mount yours, give it a squirt in the face and firmly say, "leave"! Some if the dogs will know the word 'leave' and may respond, especially if squirted with water. You can wash out a kitchen/bathroom bottle. If you react quickly enough you 'may' be able to prevent the offending dog from getting a grip, which is a lot easier than pulling a dog off.

[likealaugh]

Thank you Wheelwarrior ! Now I don't feel so weird ! I really love my boy and wouldn't change his character but when walking I feel for him as other dogs take advantage . I also like the idea of spraying water but not sure how other dog owners would react to me doing that ?
I've already starting recalling him to me when other dogs start showing an interest and he's responding well so fingers crossed .
Thanks .

[PovertyPain]

No one has the right to be offended that you're trying to protect your dog. I've had to deal with similar, while walking dogs (I'm a dog sitter/walker) and I'm very commanding when dealing with errant dogs. That's not the same as being shouty or argumentative. Most people are sensible and acknowledge that their dog shouldn't be behaving like that. I couldn't give a monkies if I offend anyone, as my first priority is protecting my client's dogs.