My almost 8 month old lab bitch has been retrieving a puppy dummy quite happily over the past couple of months, although as she is still very young I still try to treat it as an exciting game.

However her behaviour seems to have changed almost overnight.  Over the past three days she has come into contact with three dogs of the same age who have been sniffing around her back end.  With two of the dogs she also did a bit of dummy work and she was not as keen as she is at home by a long way.  When I brought her home I tried her again in familier surroundings but she was again no where near as keen as last week and although she went out for the dummy she spent a long time picking it up and would not hold it properly but only with the toggle.

I am wondering whether it is possible that the smell of the other dogs on the dummy has had an effect?  Also she has not had her first season, does a season change the retrieving ability of bitches and could contact with three dogs bring her into season?

Any advice would be appreciated

Thanks

Vicky
 

She could well be coming into season, which the other dogs have noticed, and yes, a bitch's behaviour commonly changes in the build-up to and during a season - just like women with PMT!

I would forget about any training for a while. It sounds like she is about to come into season. She might not start for a few days, or a few weeks, but her mind will not be on training. You could make things worse by trying to force it. Just keep an eye on her and keep her away from other dogs when she does come in. Being near the other dogs won't make her come into season, unless one of them was in season and she decided it wasn't fair to be the only one NOT in season ;) As she is a lab I would think that she is about to change in 'Kevin' for a while. Hope it's not too long a phase for you :)

i would agree with what every else is saying dont know if this will be any help my gsd has had her first season and went totall of her food and wouldet eat it thinking she had gone off the food we were giving her we change it the same thing happend so i said to my husband just leave her and she lost quite a bit of weight when the season finished she ate like a horse but we have had other bitches and that never happend she is ok now back to normal