Sex File: My puppy hates my new boyfriend 

"Although it is tempting just to lock your pet outside the door, in my experience this will only make her whine and claw at it"

A cocker spaniel puppy lying on his back on the bed indoors, looking towards the camera being playful.

I got a puppy last summer and she has been used to me being in the house alone for the past year. Now when my new boyfriend comes round the dog is very protective and gets distressed when we have sex. What can we do?

Your boyfriend and your puppy need to make friends. The reason little Fido gets distressed is that your boyfriend is a stranger, and when the two of you get intimate she doesn't know whether your boyfriend is being nice or nasty to you. Dogs are very protective of the people who look after them and they are also very attention-seeking, so they don't always like someone who takes their owner's attention away from them.