Welcome to the 19th post in our Dog Training blog series. This ongoing series features guest posts by local professional dog trainers and highlights some of the big questions they address to their clients. Today's post was written by Adam Miller of Big Dog Canine Behavioral Dog Training.
Courtesy of Adam Miller
Humping…yes, I said it! A cause of anxiety and stress for many dog owners. The good news is that you can relax because mounting or humping are completely normal behaviors which male and female dogs exhibit for a variety of reasons. It is only if the behavior becomes obsessive or disruptive that you usually need to worry or get involved.
Let’s look at the reasons dogs hump or mount each other.
- Sexual – Well, duh? Yes, dogs tend to mount when they are sexually excited. It can happen with either females or males and does not matter if they are spayed or neutered. It is built into their DNA and is going to happen at times. This is common with dogs under 1 year of age.
- Societal – Dogs frequently mount or hump other dogs to show a higher ranking in the pack hierarchy. It is their way of showing dominance and control over another dog.
- Over-Excitement – Sometimes during excited play or a stimulating situation, a dog may attempt to hump or mount. This is totally normal unless it becomes an “every time you play” occurrence. Compulsive humping during play is a sign that your dog needs more socializing in order to learn proper types of play.
- Coping – Shy, nervous or anxious dogs may mount or hump as a coping mechanism to help dogs deal with situations that are stressful to them. Many times, this type of humping can be directed towards the owner or an object.
- Obsession – If humping becomes a habit and the “go to” behavior that your dog uses to deal with excitement or to relieve stress, then the behavior may become an obsessive and compulsive action. This compulsive behavior can become harmful to the dog’s ability to socialize or even function in general.
Now that we understand the reasons behind humping, let’s look at what is considered normal and some different ways to address the behavior. If your dog is humping on occasion, let’s say a couple times a day, then your dog is displaying totally normal behavior. If the dogs involved are not offended by the behavior and they are taking turns mounting, then there is no need for concern from the owner. Many times, if you just let two dogs “hump it out”, the behavior will diminish and will not be an issue anymore between the two dogs.
But if your dog is continually humping and being socially disruptive with mounting or you do not want the behavior in a given situation, here are several options you can utilize when trying to curb the behavior.
- Neuter or Spay – It may not completely remove the behavior but spaying or neutering usually reduces a dog’s sexual motivation and humping can diminish. It is not a magic cure for humping but can help decrease the behavior. If you are not going to breed a dog, it is highly recommended that you have the animal spayed or neutered.
- Redirection - Try and catch your dog before the behavior starts and redirect the dog by throwing a toy or asking for a simple trick. Most owners know their dogs well and the typical behavior or body language they may display before mounting. Try to get the dogs attention when you see that the dog is thinking about mounting and redirect their attention to a more appropriate activity. This works wonders since dogs can only do one thing at a time.
- Time Out – If your dog is humping you or your guests, begin by disagreeing with the behavior and bumping the dog away. If this does not work, then you can put the dog in a time out. Put your dog in an empty room by itself and be sure there are no fun items in the time out area. After a few minutes, let the dog out of the area and resume your normal activity with the dog. Repeat this course of action if the humping continues.
- Training Command – Similar to redirection, try putting some of your basic command training to use. If you see your dog begin any mounting behavior, immediately get your dogs attention and request a known command. “Sit” is usually an effective command because a dog can not sit and hump at the same time. Using a simple command can be a win-win situation because this gives you an opportunity to work on your dog’s basic training and you can now reward for a job well done.
Give these techniques a try the next time you need to curtail your dog’s humping or mounting. Make sure to not overreact when your dog humps because you do not want to punish your dog for a normal behavior. Instead, you want to teach the dog that such behavior is not appropriate in the current situation. If the behavior is getting worse or you are having no luck diminishing the activity, please contact a local trainer to assist you. As always, stay calm and confident while working with your dog and be the leader that your dog deserves and needs.
Adam Miller
This post was written by Adam Miller of Big Dog Canine Behavioral Training. For more information or to learn how Adam can help with your dog needs, contact him at bigdogcbt@gmail.com.