sometimes our dogs make us blush!
Humping behavior can be an expression of play or dominance. Photo Credit: CC by smerikal on flickr.
While there are many cute doggie quirks or silly behaviors, some owners may be embarrassed by one particular habit, namely, dog humping. With so many animals spayed and neutered, it’s unlikely that the reason your dog is humping another animal, person, or object is sexual. Instead, this behavior can be a reaction to stress, anxiety, or excitement, a natural response to a dog not knowing what to do in a situation with new stimuli. For instance, meeting another dog can lead to humping between the two.
Humping, however, can be a behavior that as an owner you may want to curb, as it can lead to fights between the animals. A way to stop this kind of behavior without rewarding it with attention is to try blocking your dog with your own body. Try sticking out your knee, your leg, or an elbow, or even putting your whole body in between your dog and the dog they’re looking to mount. Of course, there are some caveats to this. Be sure that your dog is showing clear signs of wanting to hump the other one, and not just play. Also, be sure to read the situation to see if there are already signs of aggression between the two dogs, as you don’t want to end up in the middle of a fight. Since mounting may be caused by stress, it’s important not to yell at your dog or otherwise increase stress factors, as this can just reinforce their response to the situation. Speaking of negative attention, that’s often the driving factor behind a more embarrassing kind of humping, namely, dog-on-human mounting. Dogs may attempt to mount new people they are meeting for the first time for the same reason they'd try to hump a new dog: they’re experiencing a rush of excitement and stress about the situation. Also, some dogs develop this habit as a way to get attention, via laughter from the deed, or even negative attention, as a previous owner may have scolded them for it. Try giving your dog a timeout if they try to mount a guest, gently but firmly removing them from the environment. This should give them some time to calm down, and it won’t reward them with attention for the behavior. It’s important to know that canine mounting can also be a response to urinary tract infections, urinary incontinence, or allergies. Or, it can be simply a way to scratch a hard-to-reach itch. So pay attention to any signs from your dog that they may be reacting to an infection of some kind if the behavior is becoming obsessive. Otherwise, try to respond to this unwanted behavior with a firm and consistent--but gentle--discouragement. Remember, your dog may not understand what it is that you’re reacting against, so try to be patient when curbing this behavior!
Craig Davis
Craig is a lifelong pet owner and dog advocate with a special interest in animal and human longevity. He founded Vet Organics to develop an affordable, all-natural, safe and effective ear infection remedy for his dog, Lucy, whose chronic ear problems could not be solved by the vet.
