Understanding dog humping
As a dog owner, nothing can make you blush faster than when your dogs hump other animals or people.
In fact, if you’ve ever been in that situation, you might feel like you want the ground underneath you to open up. But rest assured, it’s actually very common and often isn’t even motivated by sexual desires.
Is it normal when dogs hump?
It is a lot more common than you might suspect. It can be caused by a variety of things, from medical reasons to being overstimulated.
Although that doesn’t make it any less awkward to deal with. Especially when dog humping becomes a problem. It’s made even worse when your dog humps an unwilling participant.
The key to minimising your mounting mess is to understand the cause of it.
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Reasons why dogs hump
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Asserting dominance
If your dog is humping other animals or people, you’ll find that it’s often an attempt to display dominance.
If you suspect that this might be the reason your dog humps, it’s worth making a note of if it’s a persistent problem involving multiple participants.
However, if you find that your dogs hump objects instead, this is an unlikely cause.
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Medical problems
There are a number of medical problems that might be causing your mounting issues. It can be a sign of infection, irritation, and even prostrate problems in male dogs.
If your dog is showing other signs of possible distress, then it’s best to get them checked by a vet. This way, you can rule out medical causes for the mounting.
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Stress-related
If your pooch is overstimulated and stressed, you might find that they show it by humping. Pay special attention to the types of scenarios in which your hound humps. Is there a common environment?
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Hormone-related
As your puppy reaches sexual maturity (around 5-8 months old), you might find that they explore this by humping other dogs.
Even if this is the cause, you should discourage the behaviour early on. It’s easier to prevent it from becoming a problem than to unlearn a learnt behaviour.
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Pleasure-seeking behaviour
There are some instances where sex is the cause of dog humping. Although much rarer than people might think, this can be the case, particularly in dogs that aren’t neutered or spayed.
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External factors
It might be that they’ve smelt a female dog who has gone into heat. It could be that they’re mimicking the behaviour of another canine that they’ve seen.
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It could be their way of acting out
Dogs will act out in a variety of ways, such as excessive barking, chewing, or digging. This might be your dog’s way of misbehaving.
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How do I stop my dogs from humping?
As soon as you notice this behaviour, it’s important to step in early. You’ll find that much like other bad habits, it’s easier to curb them earlier.
We’ve put together a list of anti-humping techniques you can use to halt your humping problem.
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Dog humping prevention techniques
1. Redirect immediately
As soon as you see your dog humping, immediately redirect them. Take them away from the scenario and encourage other behaviour.
Use positive reinforcement to reward them when they redirect their behaviour or when they resist the urge to hump.
2. Early and thorough training and socialisation
Whether it’s a puppy problem or your older dog is humping, the benefit of training cannot be overstated.
Early socialisation is key to combating this canine behaviour by giving them the skills to recognise appropriate behaviour.
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3. Consider if vet appointments are needed
If your vet is showing other signs of distress or irritation, then it’s worth a trip to the vet. They’ll be able to give your pet the once over to establish that there aren’t any medical problems causing the humping trouble.
4. Prevention! Minimise opportunities for mounting
If your dog is renowned for wanting to hump people visiting, then take them out of the environment by keeping them away from the room.
This way, they’ll soon learn that the behaviour isn’t allowed. Not giving them the opportunity, it reduces the chance of it becoming a learned habit.
5. Establish authority with your pet
If you’ve already ruled out a potential medical cause, you should look at behavioural changes you can make. As well as providing thorough puppy socialisation, positive puppy training goes a long way to showing you’re the boss.
When your pet understands that you’re in charge, it can actually help to keep them calmer. They’ll know that they can trust and rely on you in new and unfamiliar situations.
As stress is a potential cause for dog humping, you might even find your problem disappears once you’ve established authority.
6. Discuss spaying/neutering as an option
Spaying or neutering has been often recommended as a way to stop sexually motivated humping. Although there is some research that suggests it might not be a good idea to spay/neuter too young.
If you’ve tried all behavioural fixes and had a thorough check-up with the vet, consider discussing if this would be an appropriate solution with a professional.
7. Ensure they’re getting adequate stimulation and exercise
Making sure that your dog is physically and mentally stimulated could help stop the problem humping.
Offering your pet more exercise (if appropriate) or more mental stimulation through things like food puzzles could put a stop to the mounting.