Humping is a completely normal behavior in dogs. Though it’s often associated with male dogs, female dogs hump too. Dogs will hump just about anything from their owner’s legs or arms, favorite stuffed animal, pillows, blanket, the air, other dogs in sight, to even your neighbor.
This behavior can leave you feeling grossed out, shocked, amused, worried or embarrassed.
Whatever your reaction was when you first saw your pet humping, it’s important to know that the behavior is very normal so there’s nothing to worry about. Here are some possible reasons why dogs hump:
Both male and female dogs hump as a sexual behavior. It doesn’t matter whether your pooch is neutered or spayed; he’ll hump when he’s sexually aroused. This perhaps explains why neutered male dogs get erections and ejaculate.
Over Excitement/ Over Stimulation
During play sessions, dogs become overexcited and over stimulated. When that happens, some of them will start humping as a response to that feeling. If you’ve seen dogs humping at the doggie daycare or at the dog park, one possible reason behind their behavior could be overexcitement.
There’s nothing to worry about if this happens once in a while. However, when your pet exhibits this behavior every time he plays with other dogs, it could mean that he’s under-socialized. So, try arranging more play dates for him with other dogs to help him get used to how dogs are supposed to play.
Underlying Medical Implications
Most of the time, humping behavior is perfectly normal in dogs. However, medical problems can also cause them to hump. For instance, when your pooch continuously mounts on other pets or humans, masturbates excessively, chews/licks his body parts excessively, or constantly rubs himself against other objects; it could be a sign of an underlying medical problem. Take him to the vet as soon as possible.
He could be suffering from skin allergies, urinary tract infections, priapism or urinary incontinence. Your vet will be able to correctly diagnose and treat him early before the problem becomes more complicated and expensive to treat.
Frustration And Stress
Just like us, dogs exhibit various behaviors when they’re stressed. Some will hide, sulk, lick themselves constantly, while others will hump anything in sight. Because of this, it’s common to see dogs mounting during training sessions as a way to relieve the pent up energy or stress. Note that when humping becomes a compulsive habit, it can hamper your pet’s ability to function nly.
Some dogs also hump as a way of exerting their control and power. It’s their way of telling the world that they have a higher social hierarchy than the dog they’re mounting.
All animals including dogs experience a wide range of emotions (stress, excitement etc.) that can sometimes get out of control. When this happens, your pet may attempt to mount on you, his bed, toy or another dog as a way of dealing with the emotions.
All in all, if your dog’s humping behavior is embarrassing to you or causing him problems, try redirecting the behavior through desensitization or obedience training. Spaying and neutering may also help to correct the behavior by reducing his sexual arousal. But if all these methods fail to work, consult your vet. He’ll be able to advice you on the best possible actions to take to bring the behavior under control.