HUMPING / MOUNTING
by Scotty Valadao
ALTHOUGH HUMPING/ MOUNTING IS A NORMAL BEHAVIOUR FOR DOGS AND ENGAGED IN FOR MULTIPLE REASONS, CARE MUST BE TAKEN IN THAT THE BEHAVIOUR DOES NOT BECOME COMPULSIVE
Why do dogs mount or hump?
Mounting, or humping as often called, is not only what dogs do when they mate, they engage in this behaviour naturally, whether sterilized or not. Sometimes its not only on other dogs, their chosen item can be stuffed toys, furniture, their blankets and also on people!
Although the dog may have been sterilized they still (both sexes) exhibit sexual behaviour in various degrees and the frequency of this depends on the individual dog – some more than others and some not at all. A male dog that has been sterilized can still achieve ejactulation, it’s just that the fluid then contains no sperm.
Humping is a totally natural doggy behaviour and if your dog is doing this from time to time, there is no cause for concern - just walk away and ignore the behaviour. However, if the frequency of the behaviour increases, or it gets to the stage where the dog is engaging in the behaviour virtually to the exclusion of anything else - then it has become compulsive, and professional assistance by way of having a registered behaviourist come and observe the behaviour and give you modifications to change the behaviour is required.
With every aspect of behaviour, we need first to establish why the dog is engaging in this particular behaviour in order to address it and find a solution. Here are some of the common reasons as to why will engage in this behaviour:-
Anxiety - Dogs may hump when they are anxious, especially when it comes to anxiety over their own standing in the canine pack. You will often see this behaviour in dogs that have not received sufficient socialization or are unsure of their environment.
Over Stimulation – Dogs that tend to be very hyper and over excited sometimes engage in this behaviour. Although it cannot really be called anxiety, it is a sign that the dog is over stimulated or over excited and could be termed a displacement of behaviour or the dog is not coping.
Assertion of Rank - Humping, especially in the case of intact male dogs may be an assertion of rank. To see if your dog is engaging in this behaviour, look for other behaviours that often accompany dominance humping such as the dog mounting another dog from the side (placing its front paws on the other dogs back), circling the other dog in a strutting manner to sniff it – here the other dog may stand still and even raise a hind leg for the sniffing dog to investigate further. Another sign of dominant behaviour is one dog leaning or pushing against against another. The next stage of this interaction will depend on the reaction received from the dog being mounted or sniffed.
Attention - Some dogs seem to hump more if they are bored or seeking attention. Look at this from the dogs point of view, it humps, you shout – result – dog gets attention and the more you shout the more the dog does it! Funny as it may seem, attention to a dog is attention – regardless of whether negative or positive.
Boredom - When it comes to boredom I have seen this aspect with my own dog. He is used to getting at least an hour’s long walk, with ball throwing on a daily basis. On the odd occasion where I am unable to get him out for his daily jaunt perhaps two days in a row, these are the days where he may hump his blanket.
Reproductive Rehearsal – As dogs play fight to prepare themselves for their future roles, so to will they practise mounting as preparation for mating.
Hormones – Mounting/humping behaviour in the adolescence period, especially if the dog has not been sterilized can be observed in both sexes, and is due to the sexual hormone influences. Although having the dog sterilized will reduce the hormones, if this behaviour has become a habit, further measures will be needed to stop the dog engaging in this behaviour.
Veterinary – if a dog is licking in this area excessively as well as humping, it could be a sign that there is inflammation or an infection in the genital area. There are other medical problems that could be influencing the behaviour such as priapism (persistent, painful erections, and if your dog has a skin allergy, it could be contributing to the behaviour. Again a case of anxiety and displacement of behaviour. It is always safer to discuss this behaviour with your vet as well and if necessary take the dog for a check up.
Now I know what is causing the behaviour - how do I stop it from happening?
Ignoring - If the humping is just happening on occasion and there is not another dog involved, just walk away and ignore the dog. By paying attention to it and/or shouting or trying to pull the item being humped away from the dog, you are (inadvertently) reinforcing the behaviour.
Management - If you humping is only taking place on a favourite humping item such as a cushion or blanket, simply remove the source. If it is the dogs blanket, you can place it back in the basket/bed at night time. Make sure you give the dog other items to keep it buys such as chew toys which will help to relive boredom and frustration.
Distraction - if you see the dog heading for his favourite humping cushion and you have forgotten to put it away - before he starts - call him in an excited voice and give him something else to do such as a nice chew toy to chew instead. If you try this while he is busy humping, you could inadvertantly be reinforcing the behaviour. If you were unable to stop him before he started, rather use the 'startle' method and banging two pot lids together, make a big noise etc, and as the dog stops for a second, or comes to investigate, have a distraction such as the chew toy above ready for him and then pick up the humped object.
Boredom - If you believe that boredom has been the cause of this behaviour, then supply regular walks (especially at the time the dog normally humps if you have notices a pattern to the behaviour), lots of lovely chew toys. Have a look at the following two articles for ideas for these - Toys & 50 Ways with Kongs.
Ensure also that the dog is not spending all his time alone. Dogs are social animals and whether you realize it or not, we are part of the human/canine pack. Due to this the dog needs human company and companionship. If your dog enjoys digging, then build him a Digging Pit to entertain himself.
Anxiety Related - If your dog is only engaging in this behaviour when he cant cope; say when meeting a new person, then you need to take steps to reduce the dog's stress and desensitize him to the perceived threatening situation. Depending on the degree of fear your dog has that is causing this behaviour, you can desensitize him to the object/person, or if severe, you may need a qualified behaviourist in the help you, as what the dog is actually doing is engaging in one of the 5F's - Fooling around and using distraction to help himself cope.
Leave Cue You can teach your dog to 'leave' any given object alone. Here is the link to the Leave article.
Assertion of Rank - If there is no reaction from the other dog in the family, I would not worry about it. However, if your dog is trying to hump other dogs, the possibility of a fight is there, especially if the dog has not been sterilized. In this case, it would be wiser to bring in an expert to observe and make recommendations as to how to handle the situation.
Overstimulation - Learn how to calm your dog down. Also with a dog like this, ensure it is getting enough physical and mental stimulation and when playing with the dog, have regular 'calming down' sessions in between play. never allow the dog to become 'over the top'.
Mounting, or humping as often called, is not only what dogs do when they mate, they engage in this behaviour naturally, whether sterilized or not. Sometimes its not only on other dogs, their chosen item can be stuffed toys, furniture, their blankets and also on people!
Although the dog may have been sterilized they still (both sexes) exhibit sexual behaviour in various degrees and the frequency of this depends on the individual dog – some more than others and some not at all. A male dog that has been sterilized can still achieve ejactulation, it’s just that the fluid then contains no sperm.
Humping is a totally natural doggy behaviour and if your dog is doing this from time to time, there is no cause for concern - just walk away and ignore the behaviour. However, if the frequency of the behaviour increases, or it gets to the stage where the dog is engaging in the behaviour virtually to the exclusion of anything else - then it has become compulsive, and professional assistance by way of having a registered behaviourist come and observe the behaviour and give you modifications to change the behaviour is required.
With every aspect of behaviour, we need first to establish why the dog is engaging in this particular behaviour in order to address it and find a solution. Here are some of the common reasons as to why will engage in this behaviour:-
Anxiety - Dogs may hump when they are anxious, especially when it comes to anxiety over their own standing in the canine pack. You will often see this behaviour in dogs that have not received sufficient socialization or are unsure of their environment.
Over Stimulation – Dogs that tend to be very hyper and over excited sometimes engage in this behaviour. Although it cannot really be called anxiety, it is a sign that the dog is over stimulated or over excited and could be termed a displacement of behaviour or the dog is not coping.
Assertion of Rank - Humping, especially in the case of intact male dogs may be an assertion of rank. To see if your dog is engaging in this behaviour, look for other behaviours that often accompany dominance humping such as the dog mounting another dog from the side (placing its front paws on the other dogs back), circling the other dog in a strutting manner to sniff it – here the other dog may stand still and even raise a hind leg for the sniffing dog to investigate further. Another sign of dominant behaviour is one dog leaning or pushing against against another. The next stage of this interaction will depend on the reaction received from the dog being mounted or sniffed.
Attention - Some dogs seem to hump more if they are bored or seeking attention. Look at this from the dogs point of view, it humps, you shout – result – dog gets attention and the more you shout the more the dog does it! Funny as it may seem, attention to a dog is attention – regardless of whether negative or positive.
Boredom - When it comes to boredom I have seen this aspect with my own dog. He is used to getting at least an hour’s long walk, with ball throwing on a daily basis. On the odd occasion where I am unable to get him out for his daily jaunt perhaps two days in a row, these are the days where he may hump his blanket.
Reproductive Rehearsal – As dogs play fight to prepare themselves for their future roles, so to will they practise mounting as preparation for mating.
Hormones – Mounting/humping behaviour in the adolescence period, especially if the dog has not been sterilized can be observed in both sexes, and is due to the sexual hormone influences. Although having the dog sterilized will reduce the hormones, if this behaviour has become a habit, further measures will be needed to stop the dog engaging in this behaviour.
Veterinary – if a dog is licking in this area excessively as well as humping, it could be a sign that there is inflammation or an infection in the genital area. There are other medical problems that could be influencing the behaviour such as priapism (persistent, painful erections, and if your dog has a skin allergy, it could be contributing to the behaviour. Again a case of anxiety and displacement of behaviour. It is always safer to discuss this behaviour with your vet as well and if necessary take the dog for a check up.
Now I know what is causing the behaviour - how do I stop it from happening?
Ignoring - If the humping is just happening on occasion and there is not another dog involved, just walk away and ignore the dog. By paying attention to it and/or shouting or trying to pull the item being humped away from the dog, you are (inadvertently) reinforcing the behaviour.
Management - If you humping is only taking place on a favourite humping item such as a cushion or blanket, simply remove the source. If it is the dogs blanket, you can place it back in the basket/bed at night time. Make sure you give the dog other items to keep it buys such as chew toys which will help to relive boredom and frustration.
Distraction - if you see the dog heading for his favourite humping cushion and you have forgotten to put it away - before he starts - call him in an excited voice and give him something else to do such as a nice chew toy to chew instead. If you try this while he is busy humping, you could inadvertantly be reinforcing the behaviour. If you were unable to stop him before he started, rather use the 'startle' method and banging two pot lids together, make a big noise etc, and as the dog stops for a second, or comes to investigate, have a distraction such as the chew toy above ready for him and then pick up the humped object.
Boredom - If you believe that boredom has been the cause of this behaviour, then supply regular walks (especially at the time the dog normally humps if you have notices a pattern to the behaviour), lots of lovely chew toys. Have a look at the following two articles for ideas for these - Toys & 50 Ways with Kongs.
Ensure also that the dog is not spending all his time alone. Dogs are social animals and whether you realize it or not, we are part of the human/canine pack. Due to this the dog needs human company and companionship. If your dog enjoys digging, then build him a Digging Pit to entertain himself.
Anxiety Related - If your dog is only engaging in this behaviour when he cant cope; say when meeting a new person, then you need to take steps to reduce the dog's stress and desensitize him to the perceived threatening situation. Depending on the degree of fear your dog has that is causing this behaviour, you can desensitize him to the object/person, or if severe, you may need a qualified behaviourist in the help you, as what the dog is actually doing is engaging in one of the 5F's - Fooling around and using distraction to help himself cope.
Leave Cue You can teach your dog to 'leave' any given object alone. Here is the link to the Leave article.
Assertion of Rank - If there is no reaction from the other dog in the family, I would not worry about it. However, if your dog is trying to hump other dogs, the possibility of a fight is there, especially if the dog has not been sterilized. In this case, it would be wiser to bring in an expert to observe and make recommendations as to how to handle the situation.
Overstimulation - Learn how to calm your dog down. Also with a dog like this, ensure it is getting enough physical and mental stimulation and when playing with the dog, have regular 'calming down' sessions in between play. never allow the dog to become 'over the top'.
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