Question:
Ever since I have had my lab de-sexed she doesn’t like men. The vet that de-sexed her was a male and since then, when a male comes up to pat her she gets very scared and barks. She is not like this with women. Is there anything I can do?
Jessica
Answer:
She may have developed a fear of men since the op or it could be a coincidence and something completely different. Men have deeper voices and are physically larger and therefore can be a bit scarier — this is not an uncommon problem. Start by having her on a lead in the same room as a man but with no contact between them. When she is comfortable with that, try getting the man to crouch down to her level, talking very gently and offering a hand for her to sniff, with some food treats. If she has regular, pleasant dealings with males, in time she will relax a bit more.
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