How to stop my dog from mounting other dogs

You knew that your dog was excited about his new toy, but you didn’t know he was that excited.

The first time you walk in on your pooch masturbating can be a bit of a shock, especially if he’s your first dog and you’re not used to the behavior. You might feel grossed out, confused about what’s going on, worried that something is wrong, and perhaps even a little bit amused.

Whatever your reaction, there are some things that you should know about dog mounting and masturbation so that you don’t overreact (or underreact) to your humping dog.

Why it Happens

First off, humping, mounting, and masturbation are completely normal behaviors in both male and female dogs. It’s something that’s in their DNA, and they do it for all kinds of reasons.

This is the obvious one, right? Dogs masturbate and hump as a sexual behavior. But what most people don’t realize is that this is true of all dogs. It doesn’t matter if your dog is male or female, or even if they’ve been spayed or neutered. The part that usually tends to surprise dog parents is that neutered male dogs can still get erections and even ejaculate.

Social

Another way to put this is that mounting and humping are a way of exerting power and control. It’s your dog’s way of saying that she’s higher in the social hierarchy than whomever she’s humping.

Play

Sometimes dogs that become overexcited during play will mount and thrust as a response to this feeling. If this happens every once in a while, it’s perfectly normal, but dogs that do it every time they’re playing with other pups may be displaying a sign of under-socialization. In other words, plan some more doggy playdates so they can get used to the way they’re supposed to play.

Over-emotional

Dogs that are prone to excitement or stress may attempt to mount or masturbate when their feelings get out of control. When this happens, the focus of their attentions could be you, another dog, a toy, or even a dog bed.

Compulsion

If your dog becomes too used to humping as a way to relieve stress or excitement, the action can become a compulsive habit. When this goes too far, it can even start to harm their ability to function normally.

Potential Medical Implications

As mentioned above, most of the time dog humping is a perfectly normal behavior. However, there are medical issues to watch out for. If your pooch seems to be masturbating excessively, constantly rubbing against other objects, or licking and chewing parts of his body more frequently than normal, your best bet is to take him to the vet. Possible medical problems associated with this kind of behavior include:

• Urinary tract infections
• Urinary incontinence
• Priapism (persistent, painful erections)
• Skin allergies

When and How to Correct the Behavior

We’ve talked about how “normal” this behavior is, but what does that really mean? In specific terms, a dog that humps once or twice a day is displaying normal behavior that you don’t need to worry about correcting – at least not for her sake.

But if the action bothers or embarrasses you, or if you just want to know how to stop your dog from engaging in it during certain situations to avoid getting themselves into trouble, there are several things you should know.

Dogs display specific behaviors before mounting (pawing, rubbing, licking, panting). If you notice your dog doing this and anticipate humping, ask him to perform a trick or toss a toy for him to play with.

Spay and Neuter

While it’s true that all dogs masturbate – regardless of whether or not they’re intact – spaying and neutering can reduce sexual motivation and minimize humping.

Give her a Time Out

If your pup humps people (potentially including you), start by pushing her off and saying no. Still not working? Close her off in a room all by herself (and without any fun toys). Leave her there for a minute or two, then release her and act like nothing happened. If the humping begins again, repeat the process.

Use His Training

Chances are good that you’ve taught your dog a few minor tricks such as “Leave it” or “Sit.” If you worry that he may try to mount someone or something, ask him to do a trick that will make this difficult. “Sit” is a great one because it’s very simple, but incredibly effective.

If you try these methods and still have trouble getting your dog’s humping under control, talk to your vet about other things that you can do to help.

Were you ever embarrassed by your dog’s humping? Tell us what happened in the comments.

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Your dog's humping behavior may lead to an embarrassed chuckle at the dog park, but the dog being humped may not be enjoying it at all. If your dog humps anything that moves, you may be looking for a solution before your dogs messes with the wrong type of dog.

Determine the exact cause of the mounting behavior. If Scruffy is an intact male and is trying to mount a female dog in heat, you very likely know it's sexual behavior and you must intervene because that's how puppies are made. However, mounting in many cases is not strictly sexual, so don't assume your neutered and spayed dogs are halo-wearing saints immune to this behavior. Dogs may hump dogs and other animals also out of arousal, anxiety or pure play, according to the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.

Address the underlying issue. To reduce dog mounting you obviously don't stop it by telling the dogs to "get a room" for doing their dirty things. Therefore, if your dog is mounting because of being overexcited and aroused, you may consider implementing a better exercise regimen so to calm him down. If your dog is humping due to anxiety, you may want to find out what is triggering it and address it accordingly. If your intact dog is humping due to sexual behavior, consider having him neutering if you have no plans on making him a stud dog.

Train your dog alternate behaviors to the humping behavior. In order to work well, alternate behaviors need to be incompatible with the mounting behavior. For instance, if your dog is thinking about mounting and you ask him a sit, he obviously cannot mount and sit at the same time. Good alternate behaviors for mounting behaviors are the sit, down and come command.

Manage your dog. The more he rehearses the mounting behavior, the more it will reinforce and risks becoming a bad habit. This means that you must actively supervise your dog during his interactions with other dogs and stop him from engaging in the mounting behavior before it happens. Watch your dog's body language closely and recognize the early warning signs that the behavior is about to occur. The moment he is about to mount, immediately ask for the alternate behavior and reward lavishly with high-value treats.

Supervise your dog's interactions at all times. While some dogs may not mind being mounted, others may clearly object to it. This means, your dog can get bit as not all dogs are willing to accept mounting. If your dog tends to mount, it is best to limit his exposure to dogs he knows well and that you know how they react in the eventuality he may mount. However, by addressing the underlying cause for the mounting behavior, training an alternate behavior and closely monitoring your dog, the chances for mounting should reduce and the behavior may eventually extinguish overtime.

References

Tips

• As with other behavioral problems, it is best to seek a veterinarian to rule out a medical cause.
• Often, it is best to have a dog behavior professional assess your dog's mounting behavior to determine exactly what triggers this behavior.
• Nip the mounting behavior in the bud to prevent it from putting roots and becoming more difficult to eradicate.
• Inappropriate mounting is eliminated in 70 percent of neutered dogs, according to veterinarian Wendy Brooks.
• Keeping a journal to document when the behavior occurs and recording the behavior on tape may be helpful.

Warnings

• Don't leave your dog unsupervised with other dogs at any time.
• Avoid punishing your dog for mounting as this can cause more serious problems.
• Avoid reinforcing the mounting behavior by giving any type of positive feedback such as laughing, praising or rewarding.
• Mounting behaviors can persist several months after a dog is neutered.
• Mounting is often considered a dominance issue but in reality this is rarely the cause, according to the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.

Writer Bio

Adrienne Farricelli has been writing for magazines, books and online publications since 2005. She specializes in canine topics, previously working for the American Animal Hospital Association and receiving certification from the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers. Her articles have appeared in "USA Today," "The APDT Chronicle of the Dog" and "Every Dog Magazine." She also contributed a chapter in the book " Puppy Socialization - An Insider's Guide to Dog Behavioral Fitness" by Caryl Wolff.