4 Reasons Why Dogs Hump

Behaviour

How many times have you been in the awkward position of seeing your favorite buddy mounting another dog, a toy, or even your leg? Probably enough! Nevertheless, humping is considered normal behaviour in the dog world and is observed both in males and females.

But what is it that pushes the dog to carry out this act?

  • Health problem When we observe a strange behaviour in our dog, it would be good, before addressing a positive trainer, to exclude any health problems. An infection of the urinary system, skin allergy or something else, could be the cause of this behaviour. If you find your dog licking, scratching or chewing on the genital area, it’d be good to visit your veterinarian as soon as possible.
  • Excitement/Hyperstimulation Let’s take an example that your dog loves the walks out. Once you tell them that is time for a walk, they may start mounting your foot, another dog that may be next to them or an object. The most probable reason that happened is because the dog reached a high level of excitement/stimulation which brought excessive energy that had to be transported somewhere.
  • Boredom A dog who does not receive the necessary physical exercise, mental alertness and social life, is very likely to feel lonely and dull. Many dogs tend to bark, weep, destroy objects when they feel neglected, while others tend to hump to channel their boredom somewhere. Also, keep in mind that your favorite friend can be humping in order to make you pay attention to them.
  • Game Humping is a behaviour that we can often see in a team game. It’s a normal thing in this case as our dogs apply many behaviours and this act is part of them. We should not be concerned if, of course, it is not done too far and ceaselessly.

Whatever the reason why your dog is humping your foot, another animal, object or toy, the best thing to do is to distract them in a positive way, because if it becomes a habit, the chances of being stopped are reduced. Yelling at him and punishing him can only cause harm.

In conclusion, humping is considered a common behaviour for dogs (either neutered or not) that has nothing to do with dominance and is something that we should understand without feeling embarrassed.

About Artemis Gourgouli

My passion for dogs started since I was a little girl. My decision to get involved in dog training was first taken when I met a naughty boxer puppy that was not properly socialized and she was struggling to control her impulses. Now, with over 5 years of experience, I mainly train dogs in basic obedience but I've also worked with behavior issues such as reactivity, fearfulness and aggression towards people and animals.