Many people have a strong negative reaction to seeing dogs humping. They interpret it as a sign of sexual aggression. And if it’s their own dog doing the humping, they feel embarrassed by it, as if it’s somehow a reflection on them. They start yelling at their pet and trying to pull it off the other dog, which backfires because dogs like attention — even negative attention — and your strong reaction could only prove positive reinforcement for the behavior. So what should you do?
First, ascertain whether the other dog feels upset about it, and whether the other dog’s owner does. If not, it might be best to allow nature to take its course and just let the dogs be dogs. If there’s no chance of an unintended pregnancy, who is the behavior hurting?
Keep in mind that dogs’ sense of decorum is very different from ours, and their actions have different meanings. In fact, most humping isn’t about sex at all. Mounting and thrusting are part of normal play behavior; dogs use it to interact in a fun manner. Even some female dogs do it, as do many neutered males dogs who no longer have their testicles. Think of it as akin to human children roughhousing. It simply feels good. Some dogs mount in response to just an invitation to play — they become over-aroused, perhaps because of lack of practice in interacting with other dogs. Dogs also relieve tension through humping in moments of stress or emotional arousal, as opposed to sexual urges.
Granted, some neutered and spayed dogs do mount others to display social status or exert control, but it’s not about sexual dominance.
Redirecting your dog’s behavior
Sometimes, humping does not have behavioral roots but medical ones. Urinary tract infections, urinary incontinence, priapism (persistent, often painful erections) and skin allergies can all influence a dog’s mounting behavior. That’s why before you try to change your dog’s actions with behavioral tactics, you should take him or her to the veterinarian to rule out a medical condition that could lead to humping.
Once you determine that your dog’s humping is not a sign of a medical issue and is socially unacceptable (it happens too often, or too many other owners are not sanguine about it), you want to train your pet with the “Off” or “Stop it” cue and reward him with a treat as soon as he complies. Since dogs tend to go on automatic while humping, it has to be a really fantastic treat that will snap him out of a humping trance. A morsel of beef or some other food that isn’t given under other circumstances should do the trick, and your pet will have it down after a bit that not humping leads to a delectable reward.
Sometimes a dog will give a sign ahead of time that he’s about to engage in humping behavior. He’ll sidle up to another dog and start to pant or lick or rub before mounting. It’s great if your pet gives any of these warning signs because then you can distract him ahead of time, which makes it easier to curb the behavior. You can give the desired treat or even toss a terrific toy or ask your dog to perform a tried-and-true trick that he knows is rewarded with warm praise and an amazing treat for its own sake. In addition, “casually” get between him and his intended target.
A less direct, but still effective, way of getting your dog not to hump is by making sure he gets lots of physical activity and lots of attention from you in general. A dog who has plenty of fun frolicking and interacting with his owner is much less likely to feel stressed or anxious to the point that he needs to act on impulses for relieving tension in a way that other people — and some dogs — find socially unacceptable.
Finally, if your dog is not neutered (or spayed), removing the testicles or ovaries often goes a long way to decrease the behavior — and can sometimes do away with it completely.
