“Sometimes my dog starts humping her toy or even my houseguest! It’s soooooo embarrassing!”
Sound familiar? Did you know that mounting behavior in dogs, although seemingly sexual in nature – oftentimes is NOT sexual at all?
5 Reasons for Dog Humping Behavior:
- Release stress or anxiety
- Reproduction
- Play
- Dominance
- Medical or physical condition
The most likely reason dogs hump is simply a way to burn off energy, the dog is over-stimulated or needs to relieve stress. It doesn’t matter if the dog is male or female. It is all normal.
How to Stop Dogs From Humping:
Yelling and getting excited will likely backfire! Simply try to redirect your dog to a treat, or something else is your best bet to stop the behavior. Reduce access to items that causes the mounting behavior. If it occurs mostly with guests, alter your plan when guests arrive to cut down on the opportunity for your dog to start the behavior.
Contact us if you feel your dog may have a larger problem.