Dogs humping things

[Spotherisk]

Just museing really, and it’s not my dog, but if you had an entire dog, young adult, and it humped things, bed, cushions, peoples legs etc, what would you do? Would you just leave them to it? None of mine have ever done it but would have been told to pack it in.

 

[fetlock]

We had a female dog in the 80s who did it all the time.
babies nappy smells was a particular trigger.
She had a penchant for jumping on the chair on top of my mother and doing it too, which was a bit much when the dog weighed six stones and my mum weighed seven so was a captive audience whilst it went on.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Tell the dog to knock it off.

I caught mine humping a cushion when he was around or under a year old, I grabbed cushion and chased him out of the room. He still likes me, never attempted to hump anything ever again and still managed to sire a litter of ten puppies at almost ten years old.

It's the best-timed accidental aversion training I ever did. Not a behaviour I tolerate from my own or anyone else's dog.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

The pups have tried humping each other. They get verbally told off and if near enough, get shoved off each other. They haven’t done it for weeks, which makes me happy, I really don’t want to get them castrated, having read a lot of studies on the benefits/disadvantages of neutering.

 

[Red-1]

Cracker dog humps Hector whenever he is excited. He was castrated at an early age and is now 8. Only does it when excited, such as someone coming to the door, Heck barks, Cracker jumps him.

No amount of telling him to quit stops him.

 

[Clodagh]

I can’t be doing with it at all. The roar of doom is immediately put to use.

 

[babymare]

Our 6 year springer bitch humps her bed all time. Why? is all I can say

 

[SAujla]

Clover tried it a bit around the time of her first season, I told her to stop and she's never done it since her first season finished.

 

[blackcob]

They get told to pack it in, it may be natural but it's a bit grim and antisocial.

Small dog attempted to make sweet love to an airbed a couple of weeks ago - he was fascinated by the big 'whoosh' as I let the air out, got all silly and excited and it somehow spilled over into humping - hilarious but still told to quit.

 

[P3LH]

To me it’s the same as intact dogs which constantly sniff and leg cock every twenty CM when on a walk - a firm no no. My boys have all learned very early on no humping, no constant leg cocking and no boyish aggro over stuff. People were/are always surprised with my two rough collie dogs (one remaining) that both were intact. I’m not sure why.

 

[skinnydipper]

Scent marking and sniffing the messages left by others is normal canine communication. Unless the dog or bitch is doing it indoors then why would it be a problem?

 

[CorvusCorax]

I think there's a balance, I see a woman that takes ages to walk a schnauzer as he stops at every blade of grass.

 

[skinnydipper]

I think there's a balance, I see a woman that takes ages to walk a schnauzer as he stops at every blade of grass.

Excessive marking could be due to anxiety.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Excessive marking could be due to anxiety.

I was wondering if I should mention a UTI!!

 

[FestiveG]

Our intact 3 year old has taken to humping her spayed sister, we stop it as soon as we see it, but I think it's a confidence thing with the new youngster and the dog sat girl having just been spayed and having to be kept separate. Hoping that she'll calm down as everything gets back to normal.

 

[Clodagh]

Scent marking and sniffing the messages left by others is normal canine communication. Unless the dog or bitch is doing it indoors then why would it be a problem?

If you are out training it doesn’t hurt them to hold it. Off lead mine can sniff and do their ‘peemails’ but on slip leads they are expected to walk to heel. I have a collar and lead combo for relaxed non training walks that they are allowed to faff about.

 

[PapaverFollis]

The Sprollie humps cushions when he's a bit stressed, he does it in secret though... I just come back to a dishevelled sofa and a slightly spaced/slightly guilty looking dog. So norty! ? But he's such a good boy who tries so hard all the time I just can't be that mad at him even though he's a grim little humper. The other two just don't hump as a rule... except when Henry first arrived everyone was just humping everyone else for a while. Jeez. They've all stopped now thank god. I would just distract them and break it up.

Humping inanimate objects definitely seems to be more of an emotional spill over rather than any kind of sexual thing, so I tend to respond with calming down things like a time out with a chew or similar. The humping each other nonsense was more about establishing social dynamics I think so although I did interfere I mostly distracted everyone to break it up rather than telling anyone off as such. And we all just had crate time if things were getting very silly.

I discourage scent marking on lead but give a "go sniff" release cue when they are allowed. Three entire boys wouldn't get anywhere very fast otherwise!

 

[Widgeon]

Our neutered boy terrier humps his bed. Nothing else, only his bed. I don't know what motivates him but he'll go off into the dining room (where his bed is) and then I walk in to find him standing there with his willy out and a glazed and slightly guilty expression on his face. It sometimes takes him absolutely ages (up to ten minutes, eww) to put it away. It's fairly irregular behaviour, he doesn't do it to anything else, and I have NO idea what motivates it. However it is revolting and because he's so quiet about it I don't know how to stop it! I can't watch him all the time....and 99% of the time he's so good.

I just come back to a dishevelled sofa and a slightly spaced/slightly guilty looking dog. So norty! ? But he's such a good boy who tries so hard all the time I just can't be that mad at him even though he's a grim little humper.

So grim. Ours is exactly the same

 

[misst]

My terrier boy has a "secret" post dinner session with his bed in OH study. He eats with his sister and then she goes in the garden and he goes in the study. He then has a quick session with his bed (no other beds just that one). If anyone walks in he stops and slopes out of the room. He is a nervous nellie and never does any other humping so I pretend I don't know. I probably should stop him but he is such a good boy in everything else I leave him to it. Am I way wrong? He is not entire and I have always had bitches before him. They have tried a bit of dominance humping with each other in the past but I put a stop to that.

 

[Widgeon]

My terrier boy has a "secret" post dinner session with his bed in OH study.

This is very funny, but also very interesting that all our dogs seem to have such incredibly similar behaviour patterns.

 

[Fjord]

I've got a cat that's developed a humping habit, he does it to soft blankets. It's very odd, he's been neutered years!