Stuart McMorrow answers your pet questions

Published on Saturday 11 October 2008 11:21

Q - I have a ten-year-old golden retriever dog who has never shown any interest in female dogs. Recently he started showing more than a passing interest in male dogs, especially other retrievers and black Labradors. As you can appreciate, I am not enjoying walks any more. Please can you tell me the reason he has started to act like this and what to do about it? Anne

A - Firstly, your dog should be checked by your vet to make sure there isn't an underlying medical cause for his change in behaviour. Certain hormonal conditions, for example, can cause behaviour to change. To address the problem behaviour the medical condition would need to be diagnosed and treated.

If your dog is found to be fit and healthy, then you need to find out what is causing him to behave in this way. This usually requires help from someone who is trained in pet behaviour counselling – ideally, a member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (APBC). Your vet should be able to help you find one.

Problems like this are rarely solved quickly but with patience and the right help you and your dog should be able to enjoy walks together once more.

QOur Labrador retriever is due to have her first litter of puppies very soon. Can I worm her now or should I wait until she has had her puppies? How soon should I worm the puppies once they are born and at what age, should they be weaned? I would be grateful for any advice. Laura

A When to worm a pregnant dog and when to worm her puppies depends on which worming product is used, so it's best to ask your own vet for advice on this matter.

Worming is important for the health of your dog and her pups, so it's great that you're making plans for this now.

It's important that the worming product you use is safe and effective though, which is why I recommend speaking to your vet.