Is this "normal" when one intact dog is around a neutered dog?

For the next few weeks I am helping to look after Lucky, my brother's Lab while my bro and his GF are both working full time.

Lucky is ten years old, and intact.

He and Dexter (neutered) are usually great mates BUT for the past few days, Lucky is going crazy trying to hump Dexter.

His excitement and fixation (I have to use this word) are so intense. He refuses treats even, and won't even look at them, he is so intent on Dexter.

It lasts for hours and even if I separate the two dogs, Lucky does not calm down at all. He will stand outside the door of the room Dexter is in, pacing up and down, non stop, and scratching at the door - assuming he doesn't actually bash it open with his head (he's done this several times).

It's been three days now and nothing I try to calm Lucky down has worked. The only time he doesn't do this is when they are in the park together.

I'm meant to be helping out with Lucky for another two weeks but if it happens again today, I'll have to spend less time with him as I'll have to go and visit him for an hour a day at my bro's house, rather than having him and Dex together.

Is this 'normal' for an intact male?

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Many thanks!

I thought this happened last time or was it Dexter or someone else..

The advice was to long line the offending dog and remove them each time it happened? If I remember correctly...

It's what I do if Louie gets fixated on Sadie or Missy..

No, it's not normal behaviour at all. Does Lucky do this to other dogs or just Dexter? Has Dexter had a problem with other dogs humping him lately? Is Dexter on any type of medication or does he have any illness?

My friends GSD when I was a teen had something wrong with him (I can't remember what, sorry) and apparently it caused other dogs to react to him like he was a bitch in heat.

This is not normal or usual.

Many thanks for your response

Yes, Lucky has done this to one or two other dogs. I don't think it's Dexter per se as no other intact dogs have tried to hump him - bar one, a while back, funnily enough also an intact male Lab!

Hi - you have a good memory

We tried doing that with the long line. The problem is when it's me on my own looking after the dogs, Lucky is enormously strong, he's more like a Mastiff than a Lab build-wise! So it's quite a job to haul him away on any type of lead. He has a HUGE neck and head and is so big and stocky that it's exhausting trying to pull him away.

Also, it doesn't have any effect because when I then let him back into the room, he just resumes where he left off, fixating on Dexter!

i know a fair few intact dogs that 'try it on' with neutered males ....usually wears off tho

Thanks SMOKEY BEAR.

I didn't think it was, but wanted to check.

It's strange to observe because Lucky can be fine around Dexter for an hour or more or several hours sometimes.

Then something seems to trigger the fixating/attempting to hump. But I cannot work out what that trigger is and I guess it may be something internal to Lucky, as opposed to an external trigger.

Although if other dogs are not doing it to your boy then this is not likely the case
BUT
a neutered dog can seem to give off a scent like a b!tch
It seems Ben has the nice perfume for the boys
I have even seen some of them sniffing him and doing the teeth chittering thing
They will hump if given the chance (lots of them, most intact male dogs out and about try and hump Ben) So when I see them get 'that look' I step between them or call Ben away

If you are not strong enough to pull away you could try body blocking (steping between when you see him fixating) if you are confident it is onlly wanting to hump and there is no agression there

Or really if it is the case that he is too strong for you and noone is about to help you it might be easier for you to just do an airlock and dont have them in the same room together
I am sure it is something that you could work on - but really do you want to for 2 weeks? possibly the easiest thing is just to manage it

I've seen entire dogs do this to both neutered, and entire dogs... only once though that was anyway near the extent you describe, and in that case it happened in the park and the owner of the offending dog had to drag his dog out the park, coz he was scrambling and fighting to get back to the other dog.