Humping Mishaps and their Causes
You just invited family over for dinner, and Fido gives a happy greeting by mounting your sister’s leg! How embarrassing! Dogs’ humping is the number one cause of embarrassment for owners in social settings. It’s important to understand your dog’s motivation to hump and how to help prevent this behavior. This guide will touch on the reasons dogs hump, common behaviors around dog humping, and tips to curbing this undesired behavior. With the proper preventative techniques and training, you can help turn naughty dogs’ behaviors around.
Common Causes of Dog’s Humping
Excitement
Humping or mounting behavior is more common than you might think. Puppies, especially or dogs that are not fixed, may be more likely to exhibit the behavior but even fixed dogs, and sometimes females, will hump while playing with other dogs.
Dogs that are not well socialized may exhibit mounting behavior as a response to over-excitement during play; they have not learned how to properly play and control their excitement when interacting with other dogs. It is vital to socialize your dog from the time that they are a puppy, so they develop healthy doggy habits. Find tips to get you started on how to socialize your dog.
Stress
Your dog may be a bundle of nervous energy in social situations with other dogs or when company comes over. Dog humping may be a coping strategy to release this energy and calm themselves down. Overstimulation from interactions with other dogs can cause your dog to display humping behavior. You can help your furry friend by identifying signs of distress early on [1].
Common Signs of Stress in Dogs
Pacing and Trembling
Your dog may show signs of stress if they are pacing back and forth from room to room or shake off like they normally do to dry themselves off. They may also tremble or lightly, continuously shake when nervous.
Barking or Whining
They may make a low continuous whimpering sound or lick to get your attention. A high-pitched or shrill bark is normally a sign of distress as well. If your dog continuously barks at a guest or another dog, and their tail is in between their legs, they are showing signs of discomfort. Similarly, you may also see problems with your dog whining in his crate.
Body Language
Monitor your dog’s body language for stress. Are their ears back? Is their hair standing up on their neck or back? Is your dog cowering or shifting its weight to its back legs?
Bodily Functions
If your dog urinates directly after meeting a new friend or being introduced to a new person, it can be a sign of stress. Additionally, loss of appetite, refusal of pats or treats, or avoidance are signs of discomfort. Your dog may begin shedding more than normal. Look for cues that are outside of your dogs’ normal characteristics or demeanor. Take notice of how your dog looks and behaves when it is in relaxed situations to help you gauge its signals of distress.
Medical Conditions
Humping can be a sign of a medical condition such as urinary tract infections/ urinary incontinence. Monitor your dog for signs of licking or chewing their genital area. Other signs of underlying medical condition itchiness, or signs of distress or rubbing against things excessively. Your dog may be suffering from skin allergies if they frequently rub themselves against items or people. In male dogs, it may be a sign of a prostate condition. If you notice an uncharacteristic increase in mounting behavior or it is a new behavior, it’s best to follow up with a veterinarian to rule out any medical conditions.
Dominance
Humping is a way for dogs to show dominance and control over another dog. As pack animals, dogs naturally have a social hierarchy that they display and set through social behaviors. It is important to monitor for aggressive behaviors when your dog mounts another dog or is mounted during play; a dog that does not want to be mounted may react negatively and display unwanted behaviors as a result.
Sexual Desire
Sometimes dog humping is a display of sexual motivation. If this is the case, it is typically paired with an erection in male dogs, but not always. Sexually motivated mounting and masturbation are a normal part of dogs’ social behavior when shown in moderation, or only every so often.
Compulsive Disorder
A dog displays compulsive behavior if they are constantly focused on mounting or mount multiple times a day. This can interfere with normal functioning and may be linked to stress. Look for signs of distress in your dog in response to the environment, people, or other dogs your pet interacts with. During a stressful or overly exciting even a dog may mount a toy, their bed, a stuffed animal, a person, or another dog. If the behavior becomes compulsive, you may seek to consult a certified professional dog trainer.
When Humping Becomes an Issue
It becomes an issue if it is undesired by you or another person. It may be an issue for other pets or other dogs that your pup plays with frequently. For example, you don’t want your dog to be known as the humper at the dog park; it can make other pet owners and their pets uncomfortable. At home, if you have another pet, it may cause them stress and anxiety if your dog is constantly mounting them. If it becomes a compulsive disorder, your dog’s quality of life may be negatively impacted, as it interferes with regular routines.
How to Stop Your Dog from Humping
So, you have decided that you want to help train your dog to minimize humping. It is an undesirable behavior that can be corrected through support and training. It is important to know that humping is not an inherently “bad” behavior, but it can have negative consequences if it is not properly managed. It is a natural dog behavior among male and female dogs, so it is important not to punish your dog for mounting behavior.
What to Do Immediately When Your Dog Tries to Hump
While your knee-jerk reaction is to yell at your dog or quickly grab them away, it is important to approach your dog in a calm and supportive manner. Redirecting your dog, removing it from the triggering environment, or take preventative measures.
Preventing the Behavior
By tracking your dogs’ behaviors and logging environmental triggers, you can help to curtail the behavior. Keep track of the frequency of which your dog mounts, where and when it occurs, and to whom it occurs.
- Who does my dog frequently hump? Do my dogs hump anyone who comes or, or certain guests?
If it tends to be the same person, you can avoid the negative behavior by putting Fido in a dog crate or keeping them in a separate room when these guests visit.
- Does my dog only mount certain other dogs? Only females? Only smaller dogs or puppies?
Track how the other dogs respond and determine if it is has a negative interaction on the dog-dog relationship.
- Does my dog have common items they prefer to mount?
It may be best to put these items away from your dog’s reach until the behavior is controlled. Giving your dog time away from these comfort items will help minimize compulsive behavior.
Minimize Humping through Training
Training your dog to come to you when called – termed “reliable recall” – and basic commands which you can teach using dog training hand signals are advantageous to redirecting mounting behavior. You can intervene by calling them to you or direct them to another area in the room. Find resources for certified training from the American Kennel Club [2].
Positive Praise
When your dog approaches another dog or human and tries to mount them, you can redirect them by commanding them to sit or lay down. Give them a treat or verbal praise for performing the command, and you are sending them the message that this is more desirable behavior.
Recall Training Your Dog
Work with your dog regularly to help them master the art of coming to your site immediately. It’s important to practice this skill in a variety of environments and excitement levels. Capture and command your dogs’ attention during highly excitable events like going for a walk or playing in the yard, and immediately cease the exciting event by calling them to you. Offer treats and praise to help perfect this behavior, and it will help you to save face during future uncomfortable times. A reliable recall is a great first step to start training your dog.
Establish Dominance
Establishing that you are dominant over your dog is important as an owner. It will help your dog to feel secure during events that make them stress, anxious or excitable. They will be more like to remain calm and curb the desire to mount to release nervous energy.
Calming Strategies and Separation
Help support your dog practice its doggy manners by training it to respond to calming cues. Teaching your dog to stay calm in excitable situations will help you to keep control over your dogs desire to mount. Since humping is frequently linked to overexcitement, this is a wonderful prevention strategy to teach them.
Use separation as a prevention strategy, but be sure not to treat it as a punishment. Try not to immediately separate your dog from a person or another dog right after scolding them for mounting. This can intensify anxiety or stress if these were your dog’s motivations and can enhance its discomfort with the other person or dog.
Work with your dog on crate training so that it will feel comfortable with being alone during events and retreating to its safe space when it is stressed. Supporting your dog through crate training can alleviate negative behaviors as it can help your dog take control over removing itself from anxiety triggers. Find helpful tips about crate training, and making your dog’s crate comfortable.
Additionally, if their mounting behavior is linked to establishing dominance over other dogs, it helps that you are the established alpha, as your dog will less likely feel compelled to establish their dominance in your presence.
FAQs
1. Is dog mounting a sign of dominance?
Yes, sometimes dog mounting is a sign of dominance. It can be to establish dominance over a new pet or another dog at the park. But this is only one of many reasons that your dog may mount another dog.
2. Why do dogs hump when they are fixed?
Dogs may hump for a variety of reasons, even when they are fixed. It is not always sexual in nature; sometimes, it is out of excitement during play or a sign of stress or anxiety. Dogs may also mount their favorite toys or stuffed animals.
3. At what age do dogs start humping?
Dogs may start humping as young as when they are puppies, especially before they are fixed or neutered. At this young age, it’s usually out of excitement, as they are learning to control their body.
