Hi, I have an 17 month old Labrador. He is very big and strong. He's not aggressive but is a bundle of energy and very scent driven. As soon as I let him off the lead in the park, he's sniffing the ground frantically. I'm scared to let him in the large open space of the park as he bolts across to the other side, zig zag sniffing the ground and doesn't come back when I call him. I have a bad knee so getting to him quickly is difficult. He's ok at recall without other dogs around, and we have done lots of training in this, but it seems we are going through a bad stage.
He can become very excited and whimpers and whines when he sees another dog. He's intact and I suspect he is running to find a mate. But surely all the female dogs in the park can't be on heat. I try to entice him over with high value treats, but is totally not interested even when I hold the treat right near his face. Walks are really no fun anymore as I have to put him on the lead and he's so strong!!
Will this get better? Does he have hormonal cycles and he may calm down soon? Is this just typical teenage behaviour? Or is it time to get him castrated? Also, he's super territorial at home, barking at visitors at the door.
The vet suggested that castration can make dogs more aggressive as they act 'in fear' and can be very defensive. And also more prone to disease. But the situation, we are at is extremely hard work and distressing. I'm fairly sure the answer is obvious, but just wanted to hear what other owners have done in similar situations.