HeresHoping
Well-Known Member
Hello. Could I please have some advice?
Before we start, I am well aware that it's ethical and responsible to neuter your dog, etc. It's now booked. However, for one reason or another, not least because he is huge and our vet advised against until he was at least two, and then because we were asked by a well-known breeder in gun dog circles to keep the options open, it hasn't been done yet. I really don't want to be berated, please on that score.
We have a Coconut Retriever (neutered) and the world's largest black Labrador (shortly to have his knackers off). Last month we acquired, as a result of a cri de couer of a desperately unwell friend, a 14 month old black Lab bitch. Within a week of her arrival she started to come into season (Grrr!) and so any immediate thoughts of spaying have had to be put on hold. The dog, who has never been mated, was not interested until she reached her peak week (we're on day 3 of that now). Of course, the poor beggar is now beside himself.
That's not the issue. We can cope with keeping her crated and his howling like a wolf. It should only be a week or so until dioestrus starts again. What we can't cope with is the fact that he has taken to beggaring off. He yanked my husband off his feet this morning on his walk and disappeared. These last two weeks he has escaped at every opportunity, even leaping out of the window. He clears the 3' 6" fence around our property like it was 1 ft 6".
Why? Because our neighbour has a 9 year old bitch in season. Who, yes, you guessed it, is also in her peak week, too. Our neighbour has a large property, that is not enclosed except with post and wire fencing and no gates. He leaves his bitch out all the time.
Our neighbour has issues with us. He always has - largely to do with rights of way down a lane he owns (we live down it). We were not happy with the way he carved up contributions to its repair for the 5 properties down this lane - he was expecting us to suck up the costs of one of the other residents. In retaliation, he walled up one of our gates and removed our splayed driveway replacing it with something suitable for suburbia. That may seem irrelevant, but it's not - it has been the cause of animosity for the best part of 3 years. So, when my blasted dog shoots off for a liaison with his bitch, you can imagine the tension in the air.
What can he do to us? He was threatening to sue if his bitch is in pup. Over lack of control of our dog. The lack of control I concede. Are there rules/legislation that state that we are liable, given that he has an unspayed bitch that runs loose in an unenclosed property?
Before we start, I am well aware that it's ethical and responsible to neuter your dog, etc. It's now booked. However, for one reason or another, not least because he is huge and our vet advised against until he was at least two, and then because we were asked by a well-known breeder in gun dog circles to keep the options open, it hasn't been done yet. I really don't want to be berated, please on that score.
We have a Coconut Retriever (neutered) and the world's largest black Labrador (shortly to have his knackers off). Last month we acquired, as a result of a cri de couer of a desperately unwell friend, a 14 month old black Lab bitch. Within a week of her arrival she started to come into season (Grrr!) and so any immediate thoughts of spaying have had to be put on hold. The dog, who has never been mated, was not interested until she reached her peak week (we're on day 3 of that now). Of course, the poor beggar is now beside himself.
That's not the issue. We can cope with keeping her crated and his howling like a wolf. It should only be a week or so until dioestrus starts again. What we can't cope with is the fact that he has taken to beggaring off. He yanked my husband off his feet this morning on his walk and disappeared. These last two weeks he has escaped at every opportunity, even leaping out of the window. He clears the 3' 6" fence around our property like it was 1 ft 6".
Why? Because our neighbour has a 9 year old bitch in season. Who, yes, you guessed it, is also in her peak week, too. Our neighbour has a large property, that is not enclosed except with post and wire fencing and no gates. He leaves his bitch out all the time.
Our neighbour has issues with us. He always has - largely to do with rights of way down a lane he owns (we live down it). We were not happy with the way he carved up contributions to its repair for the 5 properties down this lane - he was expecting us to suck up the costs of one of the other residents. In retaliation, he walled up one of our gates and removed our splayed driveway replacing it with something suitable for suburbia. That may seem irrelevant, but it's not - it has been the cause of animosity for the best part of 3 years. So, when my blasted dog shoots off for a liaison with his bitch, you can imagine the tension in the air.
What can he do to us? He was threatening to sue if his bitch is in pup. Over lack of control of our dog. The lack of control I concede. Are there rules/legislation that state that we are liable, given that he has an unspayed bitch that runs loose in an unenclosed property?