My black lab, who just turned three, is usually very warm and
attentive.  She basically would follow me around the house.  But now,
she only says hello to me for a minute or two, and very much likes her
own space.  What is going on?  What should I do?  She has not been
spayed, so she may be coming into heat?  Or is it possible that she is
preganent??

We had a female black Lab that acted the same way when she went into
heat. We hadn't spayed her, because my husband thought we might want
to breed her someday. The surge of female hormones seemed to make her
much less interested in humans. She became obsessive about sex, and
even persuaded our neutered male dog (a big golden retriever/Great
Pyrenees mix) to mount her. I wish we'd spayed that gal and spared her
all that distress.

Hmmm... human females can also get surges of female hormones and
become obsessed with sex...heheheh.

Steph53

Well now Steph.

We know how to cure that dont we


Regards from "Kemlo the Knife"

Indeed, we do have the answer, Kemlo-- neuter the males around her.

I wish to point out to all and sundry that I will NOT blast the person
who asked this question (or Pink) for failing to spay. I will politely
remind everyone that spaying before the first heat almost entirely
prevents the occurrence of certain cancers and completely eliminates
the possibility of pyometra.

Some old idiots still adhere to the belief that their dog should have
a litter once "so they can feel fulfilled" or they should go through
heat for some ridiculous reason; the best I'd heard was "My momma done
told me they gotta go through heat." This, I ascertained, was the same
alcoholic mother that had five children from five fathers over a
period of 20 years, never managing to live with one for more than six
months and who died from drinking too much Sterno.

The simple fact is the heat cycle is a miserable, painful process with
hormones driving the dog with the same intensity that a person who has
not had food or water for two days would be driven to find something
to slake their maddening hunger and thirst.

Dammit, I thought I said I wasn't gonna say anything!

She's probably mad at you for not spaying her. Please, please, please
spay your dog! Work for just one day at an animal refuge or the RSPCA
-- particularly on the weekly euthanasia day -- and you'll soon
understand the desperate need for all non-breeding animals to be
neutered. Yes, I am sure you look after your dog diligently but you
won't be able to guarantee the quality of the owners of her puppies
once they (hopefully) find homes .. and their puppies ... and their
puppies. You can stop that cycle.

Talk to anyone who works *more* than one day at such a place and
you'll quickly understand their impatience and frustration at pet
owners who do not comprehend the urgent need for all pet owners to
spay/neuter their cats and dogs.

Personally, I've never had the *luxury* of choosing a dog or cat based
on my preference for breed, gender,etc. That's because I've always had
to rescue animals from animal refuges because they weren't wanted by
anyone else and were about to be put to sleep if I didn't take them. I
love them dearly and try to make sure that their previous experiences
of humanity are forgotten by caring for them properly -- and that
includes neutering. To be blunt, I feel slightly contemptuous of
people who do turn up with the latest 'designer breed' (teacup
chihuahuas are *so* last year, darling, but, oh dear, the pesky little
things live for 10+ years.)

I couldn't take the thousands of other animals that met that fate --
and that's only here in one little refuge in outer Melbourne. Multiply
that by every town or city in the civilised world that has animal
shelters and you might appreciate that we all must start taking this
responsiblity seriously.

Markvmd is spot on with his comment. Have a look at this website
http://www.dogsncats.asn.au/site/page.cfm?u=848
and read the very last information sheet "Why spay or neuter your pet".

Some friends of mine had a female dog that hadn't been spayed and she
could be very temperamental.

She'd never had any pups but she also had phantom pregnancies after
which she would attack anyone who went anywhere near her toys.

At other times, the toys became toys again and humans could then
approach them and throw them for her with impunity.

I would get her spayed.