“This is so embarrassing,” Martin thinks as he pulls his humping dog off his friend’s leg for the second time that afternoon. Next week, his boss and her husband will be here for dinner. He cannot have the dog humping anybody!
Dogs humping people, other dogs, and various unfortunate objects is typical canine behavior, and it’s often not sexually motivated. In any case, it’s not acceptable to you, the dog parent, and you want it to stop. Your dog can learn to stop humping, though some will be more difficult to train than others. It’s easy if you catch the humping when they first start doing it, but it’s much harder to unlearn an ingrained, long-term behavior.
Let’s look at what dog humping is really about and then talk about making it stop.
Humping is Perfectly Normal Behavior
It’s important to understand that humping is natural for a dog, and it is not always a sexual behavior. Among dogs, humping may define their place in the pack or just be a matter of playing. It comes from both instinct and behavior they’ve learned at some point. But when humping escalates to dogs bothered by it, objects you don’t want them to touch, and people, humping becomes a problem—you have to train them away from what they understand as normal behavior.
What Causes the Humping Behavior?
There are several causes of dogs humping. It may imply a sexual motivation, and that’s usually the first thing people think it is, but that’s only one cause. It can also mean dominance, overexcitement, pack social interaction, a medical issue, and lack of socialization. So, if you want your dog’s humping behavior to stop, you first need to understand what’s causing it in the first place.
- Hormones: For intact adolescent dogs, humping is often a matter of sexual attraction. It can create dog fights if the dog tries to mount another dog that is most definitely not interested.
- Social status and dominance: Humping may be a way to establish dominance among dogs. Both male and female dogs exhibit this behavior. A dog may also try to dominate the people in their household or, as many mortified dog owners have seen, a guest.
- Excitement and learned behavior: A dog may be humping due to an overabundance of energy. Humping may have been learned early, and even spayed or neutered dogs may continue (though 50 to 60% less than intact dogs) as a matter of ingrained habit.
- Medical problems: For some dogs, humping is a symptom of a medical problem, such as urinary tract infections, skin allergies, prostate issues, or a need to relieve anxiety or stress. If your dog’s humping seems excessive, be sure to take them to the vet.
What Do Dogs Usually Hump?
If your dog is a humping enthusiast, the easier question may be, “What don’t dogs hump?” Just about anything they can get near will do, including your furniture.
- Toys: Your dog may have a favorite toy, such as a stuffed animal, that gets their special humping attention.
- Pillows and blankets: If pillows and blankets are in their crate or dog bed, those are fair game. Hopefully, they haven’t discovered your bedding!
- Other dogs: Humping can be motivated by sexual urges, play, dominance, or overexcitement.
- People: Here is the source of great embarrassment for many a pet parent. Humping dogs usually target legs, as they are most readily available, but no body part is safe. Things can get dangerous if the dog bites when the person tries to push them away. Also, you do not want children subjected to humping behavior.
Both Early and Late Bloomers Hump
Humping behavior can start early in a dog’s life. One of our trainers, for example, worked with a 15-week-old puppy who was exhibiting some of those behaviors. It depends on when the hormones kick in. Every dog is different, and the range of time for dogs to mature is wide. Small dogs mature within six to nine months, while large dogs need 16 to 18 months.
Ways to Stop Your Dog from Humping
Fortunately, there are several methods you can try to stop dogs’ humping behavior. You may have to go through some trial and error, but eventually, something will work.
It’s important to address the unpleasant issue as soon as it starts. For example, interrupt the behavior when you catch your dog in action and redirect their attention to something else. Early intervention avoids developing compulsive habits that are harder to break.
- Use the leash: This will help you move the dog away and communicate that humping is unacceptable.
- Neuter or spay: Neutering or spaying will decrease the behavior dramatically. However, it’s important to make sure you don’t have the procedure done before they have had a chance to reach sexual maturity.
- Exercise and mental stimulation: Keep your dog’s attention on interesting, acceptable things to do.
- Reward good behavior: Give them praise and treats when they do what you want them to do.
- Remove the target: If the dog is persistent, you may need to remove the toy or keep them away from guests until they’re trained.
- Use the crate: Your dog may need a place to calm down.
What if I Can’t Stop My Dog’s Humping?
Humping is a natural behavior in dogs that doesn’t fit well in the human world. Some people may find it funny, and it’s certainly played that way on television and in movies. But it is a real problem for pet parents. It makes dog owners feel embarrassed, and it can be dangerous if it causes dogs to fight other dogs or a child is bitten while trying to push the dog away. There are ways to put a stop to it, and you may find success on your own. However, if your dog is particularly persistent, you can call a certified professional dog trainer. Here at K9 Basics, we will train your dog and teach you how to maintain the behavior you want. Contact us for an appointment. We are here to help you have a hump-free dog! In the meantime, make sure to check out our blog for more information on dog training!