If your dog humps when they get over excited, help keep them calm by controlling how excited they get, and teach them to settle with treats. When they start to mount, stop them playing by distracting them with a treat , ask them to sit down, and give them the treat. You will need to repeat this every time it happens and it might take some time for them to stop the behaviour completely. Please note, our vets and nurses are unable to respond to questions via this form.
Donate Menu. Get help. Find us. Pet Health Hub Search. What to do if your dog humps. Contents Overview Why do dogs hump? When to contact your vet How to stop your dog humping. Check your pet's symptoms. Print this page. It occurs for a number of different reasons not always sexual.
You are far from alone in having a hump-loving dog. Mary Burch. So what is it all about? Very often, Dr. Burch says, humping is an attempt at dominance. Occasionally, humping is a sign of a medical problem. For instance, humping can signal infection or irritation, or, in male dogs, prostate problems. It is also true that in certain cases, humping is a sexual, pleasure-seeking behavior.
Brief moments of humping between dogs can be a normal part of play. For instance, while running and playing, dogs might take turns mounting each other in a harmless expression of excitement. Humping will also be easier to curb if you catch it early, instead of waiting until the behavior is an embedded habit.
If your dog is also licking or chewing their own body, or showing other signs of distress, their humping behavior may be indicative of medical issues. If this is the case, an appointment should be made with your veterinarian. Humping can be a sign of a urinary tract infection, urinary incontinence, priapism painful or persistent erections , and skin allergies.
If your dog engages in humping try to distract the dog by diverting their attention by throwing toys, giving a command to perform a trick, or give a treat. Do not start yelling at your dog and putting on a show when he humps.
Dogs like attention, even if it is negative attention. If you have questions about inappropriate humping contact Dr. Sometimes, an intact dog will hump a spayed or neutered dog. Females hump too, and it may or may not be sexual in nature. When a dog humps objects or people, it might be a form of masturbation. Having your dog neutered or spayed may help with the problem, but be aware that dogs may develop the habit of humping before they're altered and continue it afterward.
Usually, dogs aren't emulating mating behavior when they hump. Nonsexual arousal is more likely to provoke a dog to hump. It's just a way for the dog to burn off energy or relieve stress. This is normal for many dogs. If the behavior is frequent, training may help by redirecting your dog to another outlet for its excess energy. Along the same lines, some dogs hump as an attention-seeking behavior or because they are bored. If this is the case, providing them with ample exercise, mental stimulation, and attention when they are not humping should help.
Like play fighting , play humping can be a completely normal and acceptable behavior between two dogs as long as it doesn't upset one of the dogs. Some dogs play hump each other back and forth, and everyone is fine with it. Some dogs simply enjoy humping. Make sure to break it up if one of the dogs seems annoyed by the humping.
Training for instance, to run to your side when called may be useful in decreasing the frequency and intensity of play humping. Before you try to train your dog not to hump, you should rule out any medical causes. While humping is not usually related to a medical condition, there are a few possibilities. Urinary tract infections, skin allergies, and priapism persistent erection may elicit humping. Your vet should be able to rule out health conditions as possible reasons for humping.
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