I have three bitches, one spayed two entire. My eldest is entire and normally shows very little interest in the spayed bitch, they don't play together as a rule. The eldest bitch is currently in season and at the point where she is fertile and prepared to mate. She is showing a lot of interest in the spayed bitch, pestering her, flirting with her, tempting her to play, shoving her bum in the spayed bitches face and generally acting as if the spayed bitch is a male dog. The spayed bitch is responding by mounting the in season bitch and thrusting with her hips. This started yesterday and did not happen in the earlier part of the season.  The in season bitch is not displaying this behaviour to my other entire bitch, who is not in season but is due within the next month.

Could someone explain what is going on please?

I know that when a spaying is carried out might affect hormone levels so as a bit of background the spaying was carried out when the bitch was about 5-6 weeks pregnant (previously a stray who came to us pregnant).

That seems like normal behaviour when a bitch is in season. Her hormones are telling her what to do and she's 'going through the motions' with a willing partner.

It could be that your speyed bitch smells more male. Some bitches have higher levels of hormones like androgens, the effects of which can be enhanced by speying. All female dogs and humans for that matter will have some male hormones in their body but levels vary. It is thought that a female dog foetus that lies between two dog foetuses may be affected by higher levels of male hormone. Spaying by reducing the impact of certain female hormones may indirectly enhance the effects of the male hormones.

As JG says, a ready bitch may also look for any willing partner.

This doesn't mean that speying turns a bitch male, it just might give her a more ambiguous smell and
Cause tiny differences in behaviour. In the same way a castrated male can smell very attractive to intact males.

Completely normal for our pack too.

They've always played 'trains' when one or another is in season, even after the oldest was speyed :-)

I've even found that bitches who haven't  had a first season indulge in the game with ones who are about to, or are having their season :-)

I did wonder if it may have been hormones affecting the spayed bitches smell, especially as Little Miss Horny is not showing any such attention to the third bitch. I think the Moo is a bit less of a willing partner today, poor girl!

Thank you all for replying and confirming that it's normal behaviour other girls like to indulge in too!

Never forget they are animals.   My best advice is to remove them (separate) from the others when they come into season - if you let this go on, you may find you have a fight on your hands, and once bitches fight, there is often no way back.   They don't need all this (so you might get them all spayed!!) activity.

> I have three bitches, one spayed two entire. My eldest is entire and normally shows very little interest in the spayed bitch, they don't play together as a rule. The eldest bitch is currently in season and at the point where she is fertile and prepared to mate. She is showing a lot of interest in the spayed bitch, pestering her, flirting with her, tempting her to play, shoving her bum in the spayed bitches face and generally acting as if the spayed bitch is a male dog. The spayed bitch is responding by mounting the in season bitch and thrusting with her hips. This started yesterday and did not happen in the earlier part of the season.  The in season bitch is not displaying this behaviour to my other entire bitch, who is not in season but is due within the next month>

I have just had the exact same situation with my 2 girls, one spayed one not. They normally don't even acknowledge that the other exists. I have 2 entire males and a neutered male but my in season bitch was only interested in my spayed bitch, not the boys! Neutered bitch was mounting and humping my in season bitch quite happily. Season has been over for about a week now and they are back to ignoring each other!

I have a Yorkshire terrier spayed bitch that regularly does this to a Chihuahua bitches head.  Some bitches are just natural trollops.

I have a LC Chihuahua bitch that thinks she is ready for mating on day 3, and won't be told any different.  She would do it with a camel given half the chance.  :-)

(She doesn't get it off me!)

Pretty normal in my household, some are just randier than others. 

At the moment my worst is the youngster who despite only having her second season at 18 months has been a humper since 5 months of age. 

The others hump when the mood takes them usually when someone is in season, but half are spayed.

Barbara, I often feel that sometimes it comes down to over excitement with mine. Well, with the spayed girls anyway.