i'm new here, so bear with me as i talk my way through this!
i've had ollie for years. we got him when he was about a year and a half old, more or less - a mutt of unknown origin that came in as a rescue with a ton of other dogs. we lived in nyc, and i slowly got him used to the sights and sounds, and other dogs. he was walked twice a day, had plenty of friends on his walks, never a problem with a dog unless the other dog was aggressive to begin with (and even then more often than not ollie would just ignore them, unless they were lunging for me as well). we didn't live close enough to any dog parks that visiting was an option, but he didnt seem to be lacking in any social skills, and i didn't think of it as a problem until now.
we moved out into the burbs a few months ago - he's thrilled with a huge yard, and chases squirrels for hours. the neighbor has a dog, but ollie for some reason ignores him for the most part... but thats as far as his canine friends goes now, since no one around here walks their dogs, so theres no one ever out to meet. recently, this past sunday in fact, we discovered a dog park, which is where it all starts.
the first thing i noticed was that he drooled - a LOT. he is NOT a drooling kind of dog. but everyone at the park was friendly and we all just chalked it up to nerves. i kept him in the "small dog" area, just as a precaution, but he wasnt a problem... but he wouldnt approach any dog. humans he would come up to, and if a dog came up to him he would wag his tail, but he wouldn't play and kinda slunk along the fence, looking like he had rabies from all the drool stuck in his beard. we didnt stay long, figuring this was enough for his first time, and that was that.
on monday we went back for a bit, thinking it wouldn't be as busy as the weekend, so he might be less nervous. it definitely wasn't as packed, and he explored a bit more. soon after we got there, however, the small dog area was empty and he sat down by my feet looking bored, so i ventured to take him into the large dog area, seeing as there were only a few (and they had come up to him along the seperating fence to sniff without issues). he did his whole "wall flower" routine again... until a hyper, playful 1 year old pit puppy came over to invite him to play.
well he took this invitation as something else entirely and mounted her. he's been neutered since before we've gotten him, so i know that wasnt a problem, but either the dog didnt care or she was too young to know what was going on, and didn't try to stop him. i shouted and clapped my hands and that stopped him the first few times but he'd eventually go back to that one dog and try again. she thought he was playing, that was plain to see, and the turned to face him a few times, slapping her front paws on the ground with her tail wagging in the air, but his "lipstick" was out, so i tried to distract him... but then he got crafty with both of us. he pretended to lose interest and went off to make new friends... and so did she. but the minute she was engaged with another dog, he raced over and started again, like she wouldnt notice!
at that point, apologizing to the owner (who didn't really mind, thank god), i pulled him off and decided it was time to go. we didn't go tuesday, thinking he needed a break and that it shouldnt be an everyday thing anyway, but we went again today because i know for probably a week i wont be able to take him to the park and if there was progress being made i didnt want to disrupt it.
we got there and i put him in with the little dogs again, overjoyed when he actually made the first moves towards them and when they approached him with balls and tug'o'war ropes, drooling reduced to only needing two face wipes with paper towels. he didnt go as far as to play, but i was glad he was making friends again, instead of being antisocial. soon, however, they all decided to venture into the "big dog" area, for whatever reason, and he was left alone again (by the way, he's not that small, the "small dog area" is for dogs under 25lbs, and he's around 30lbs), so i took him into the large dog area with his leash. he was fine, a few came bounding over, and he was off sniffing without trying anything and i let him loose. he started to interact a bit more, to my happiness, only growling once just a small bit when one large dog (pretty sure it was a bernese mountain dog) put a paw on his back and then went back to sniffing and wagging his tail...
...and then he saw the pit puppy again. he ignored her at first, although i know he saw her, but she came up to him again, and that was it - off he went. it was almost like her hyperness made him so excited that he had to do SOMETHING.. i just wish that something wasnt taken out in a sexual way. i don't think it was dominance because i watched the other dogs do the dominance humping routine and none of them had their "lipstick" out. she got distracted and wriggled loose, as did he when a group of dogs crashed into him, but he was soon up and trying again - only when she proved to be too hard to get to due to a game of chase, he decided to try some other female! all of this happened very quickly, before i could get within range to stop his attempts, but he started moving from female to female, i made sure i was near enough to grab him but hoped that the dogs would sort it out themselves - only all of them basically ignoring him! i was hoping one would turn around and growl, or sit down at least - something! but it was like watching a 16 year old flirt with college girls, only in this case, he was most likely the pervy old dog going after the puppies! i called to him again and made him stop, at which point a collie distracted him and they danced around each other for a few minutes.. but he was at it again once the collie had to go. the owners were amused/embarrassed, and didn't say anything to me, but i dont know what to do! i know the owner of the pit puppy, while tolerant these two times, probably won't find it too funny if this happens everytime we're there. ollie's never done anything like this since we've had him, even when he was around breeding bitches in heat, off the leash! and i dont know anyone around here at all, nevermind people with dogs who i could have a play date with instead of taking him to the park, and i don't want to just write it off as "never going to work"
i would just keep him in with the little dogs, but while he was in the large area, he was going for females of all sizes, so i doubt that would help much... how do i teach an older dog that humping is bad, even if they're not pushing him away? the last thing i want is for him to tie with another dog and risk them getting hurt! nevermind if he humped the wrong dog and they jumped from being tolerant to a full blown fight... i do think he would back off if they showed displeasure, since that's what he's done with dogs who didn't care to sniff him, but none of the females in the whole park have told him any kind of "back off".
also, just to add, having him on the leash the whole time in the fenced in area isn't an option - i've been told it's actually not allowed for more than a few minutes when entering or exiting, because some of the dogs see a leashed dog as an easy target (not so much as that they'd get aggressive, just that they won't leave the dog alone, much in the way that treats aren't allowed because the person would find themselves surrounded by a pack of bouncing, begging, excited dogs)
any ideas, before the regulars at the park decide my exthusiastic "romeo" is too annoying?
thanks! and sorry about the length!