Mounting, Thrusting (Humping) and Masturbation Behaviors in Dogs :How To Stop Dogs From Humping?

Mounting, thrusting (humping) and masturbation are normal behaviors exhibited by most dogs. Dogs masturbate in various ways. They mount and thrust against other animals, people and objects, such as wadded-up blankets, dog beds and toys. Sometimes, dogs just rub against people or objects (without mounting them), or they lick themselves.

Mounting behavior (also referred to as “humping”) is a common behavioral problem owners encounter with their dogs. This behavior can manifest in the inappropriate mounting of legs, arms, inanimate objects (plush dolls, pillows, etc.) and other animals. Commonly, mounting is thought of as being sexually driven; however there are other differentiating causes depending on whether the dog mounts a human versus another animal. When a dog mounts a human, the impetus is typically stress, anxiety, or attention-seeking behavior. When a dog mounts another animal, it typically is caused by either arousal, anxiety, or play.

Puppies often mount and hump their littermates, other playmates, people and toys. Some experts believe that this behavior functions as practice for future sexual encounters. As puppies reach sexual maturity, they start to mount other dogs in sexual contexts. After they’re neutered or spayed, many male and female dogs continue to mount and even masturbate because they have learned that the behavior feels good.

Intact (not neutered) males will often masturbate if prevented from approaching a female in heat. Often, during courtship, females in heat mount and hump their male “suitors.” Female dogs also commonly mount and hump other females when one or both are in heat.

Humping is a natural and normal dog behavior that happens for a variety of reasons. Dogs of any age may initiate humping behavior, whether with their littermates, other pets in their home, or unknown dogs they meet at the park or at daycare.

Humping can be a self-soothing behavior for dogs who are stressed, whether it’s “good” stress or bad stress. Or a dog may become anxious in certain environments or when uncomfortable with what’s going on around them, such as with other dogs or when new people visit your home.

When there’s a lot going on in the environment, a dog may become overstimulated and not know how to deal. A dog can start humping when they get really excited, such as when you arrive home after they’ve been alone all day or when guests come over to visit. This could happen when they are at a dog park or dog daycare, and there are a lot of different dogs and play styles that your dog can’t control.

Why does my dog hump?

Humping behaviours are generally triggered by a heightened state of arousal such as a hormonal trigger, stress, anxiety or excitement. Most people assume (including myself previously) that when their dog is humping that it is always sexually motivated. But this is not always the case and this is where it is often misunderstood. And, did you know that both male and female dogs (neutered and unneutered) can display humping behaviours!

The underlying cause of humping behaviour can vary between individuals. The following points will highlight some of these most likely causes (this list is not exhaustive):

Hormonal drives

Male entire dogs are usually interested in mating (pretty much all the time!). Whereas entire female dogs are usually only aroused when they are ‘in heat/season. We know that sexual maturation in dogs can be as early as around 6 months (although there is breed and individual variability). This timing can often coincide with the start of mounting behaviour.

Excitement 

Sometimes when your dog becomes over excited, hyperactive or energetic, humping can be carried out as a way of burning off their excess energy!

Natural play 

Mounting and humping behaviour can be a normal behaviour exhibited by dogs. Dogs can naturally show these behaviours from a very young age; often when they start learning to play with other dogs or siblings.

Habit or boredom: behavioural issues 

Sometimes boredom can trigger obsessive compulsive disorders in canines which can result in humping behaviour. Additionally, stress can also be a contributing factor. Stress and anxiety can create a very aroused emotional state which can trigger mounting behaviour in dogs.

Underlying medical issues or health concerns

There are a few medical conditions that can lead to your dog demonstrating humping behaviour and some are more obvious than others. For example, if your dog is itchy (“pruritic”) they can appear to be humping when they are in fact trying to scratch their tummies or genital regions.

 Why Does Your Dog Do It?

Sexual Behavior
Masturbation is part of normal sexual behavior for both altered (spayed or neutered) and intact dogs. Both male and female dogs mount other dogs, people and objects. Most people don’t realize that this behavior isn’t limited to intact male dogs, nor do they know that neutered males can display erections and ejaculate just like intact males. Sexually motivated mounting and masturbation are often accompanied by “flirtatious” body language and courtship behavior (tail up, ears rotated backward, licking, pawing, play bows, etc.).

Play Behavior
Sexual behaviors, including mounting and thrusting, are part of normal play behavior. Dogs don’t usually display erections or ejaculate in the context of play. Some poorly socialized or undersocialized dogs excessively mount other dogs in response to play solicitation. They don’t seem to know how to play well and get overaroused during play.

Response to Stress or Excitement
Some dogs respond to stressful or exciting situations by mounting or masturbating. For instance, after meeting a new dog or person, an aroused and excited dog may mount another dog, his owner or a nearby object, like a dog bed or a toy.

Compulsive Disorders
Masturbating can become a compulsive habit, especially if a dog does it in response to stress. Compulsions like mounting and masturbating can interfere with a dog’s normal functioning.

Social Behavior
Dogs sometimes mount other animals and people to display social status or control. A dog mounting for this reason may or may not display an erection, but he’s unlikely to ejaculate.

Medical Problems to Rule Out

Various medical problems, including urinary tract infections, urinary incontinence, priapism (persistent, often painful erections) and skin allergies, can influence a dog’s mounting behavior. These issues can be serious if not properly treated and require medical attention rather than behavioral treatment. Dogs suffering from one of these or other medical issues often spend a lot of time licking and chewing the genital area. If you notice your dog excessively mounting, licking or chewing himself, or rubbing his body against things, take him to a veterinarian to rule out medical concerns.

Mounting During Play, in Response to Stress or for Sexual Reasons

• If your dog mounts infrequently (once or twice a day at most) and it isn’t bothersome to you, other people or other dogs, it’s not necessary to stop his behavior.
• If your dog’s mounting or masturbation does bother you, other people or other dogs, try to distract your dog. If you can, get his attention before he starts mounting or masturbating. Some dogs display amorous-looking behavior before mounting, so if your dog sidles up to something or someone and starts to pant, lick, whine, paw or rub against the person, dog or object, he may soon start to mount or hump. If you see your dog performing any of the behaviors above, or if you see him start to mount someone or something, toss a toy, play a game, give your dog a chewie, or ask him to perform some previously learned basic obedience skills or tricks that he enjoys (sit, down, shake, etc.).
• If you have an intact male dog, consider neutering him. Although neutering doesn’t always stop a dog from mounting or masturbating, it does reduce his sexual motivation—especially if the behavior is triggered by the presence of a female dog who’s in heat. Likewise, if you have an intact female dog, consider spaying her. It might reduce her motivation to hump other dogs, especially if she only mounts when she’s in heat or when she’s around other female dogs in heat. Spaying or neutering your dog has other benefits, too. It prevents the birth of unwanted puppies, and it helps prevent serious medical problems like mammary and testicular cancers.
• Be warned: If your dog mounts other dogs, he may get himself into trouble. Many dogs don’t like to be humped. They might take offense and start a fight with your “amorous” dog. If you have a hump-happy dog, you might want to teach him to leave other dogs alone when you ask him to. Once you’ve taught your dog what “leave it” means, you can start using it during his interaction with other dogs. Watch your dog carefully when he plays with his pals. As soon as you see him preparing to mount another dog tell him to “Leave it.” Remember to reward him if he does. If he doesn’t, end his play session and work on leave it without other dogs present for a while longer. If your dog habitually humps other dogs, you can also try teaching him to play games with you so that he’s less interested in other dogs. Tug and fetch are great!
• If your dog has developed a habit of mounting you or other people, discourage him from humping by pushing him off, turning away, sitting down or somehow adopting a position that prevents him from mounting. If your dog won’t stop, say “Nope!” and immediately take him to a quiet, safe room for a short time-out. (Make sure that there aren’t any fun toys for him to play with in the time-out area.) Leave your dog alone for one to three minutes. When the time-out is over, let your dog out and behave as if nothing happened. There’s no need to act like you’re angry. If your dog tries to mount again, repeat the sequence above and give your dog another time-out. If you have to give your dog a time-out more than a couple of times, you may start to have trouble catching your dog when you say “Nope!” If that’s the case, it will help to clip a lightweight two- to four-foot leash onto your dog’s collar and let him drag it around at home when you’re there to supervise him. Then you can pick up the leash when you need to take your dog to his time-out area. Be sure to remove the leash when you can’t supervise your dog so that it doesn’t accidentally get caught on furniture or get wrapped around your dog’s legs.
• Discouragement by itself won’t prevent mounting from reoccurring. You must also do some preventative training. You’ll need to teach your dog a behavior that he can perform instead of mounting when he’s around people—something that he can’t do while humping. Train him to sit on cue, for example. After your dog readily sits for a treat when you ask him to, you can start using that skill to discourage humping. As soon as you see your dog start to mount, say “Sit.” If he sits, praise him happily and reward him with a tasty treat. Then you can ask him to sit a few more times or perform other tricks he already knows. When your dog has performed some polite behaviors and calmed down a little, you can offer him few minutes of play with a favorite toy. This may alter your dog’s motivational state so that he’s no longer interested in humping. If the humping occurs in specific contexts, such as in response to exciting or chaotic interactions between people (hugging, greeting, arguing, etc.), ask your dog to sit and stay whenever you do the things that trigger his mounting behavior. Remember to reward your dog frequently if he behaves politely instead of mounting.
• If your dog only mounts when dealing with stressful situations (greeting new people, for example), avoid those situations whenever possible. If you can’t avoid a situation or thing that makes your dog anxious, try to reduce his stress as much as you can. For instance, if your dog finds visiting the veterinary clinic stressful, take him to the clinic for frequent social visits. During these trips to the vet’s office, give your dog plenty of tasty treats and make sure that nothing unpleasant happens. After a few weeks or months of occasional “cookie trips” to the vet’s office, your dog will start to enjoy going there. That change in his feelings will make future visits to the veterinary clinic much less stressful for him. If your dog becomes anxious when he greets new people, distract him when he encounters strangers so that the experience is less overwhelming for him. Try teaching your dog to sit for delicious goodies or fetch his favorite toy when new people visit your home.

Licking

• If your dog licks to stimulate himself infrequently (once or twice a day at most) and it isn’t bothersome to you, it’s not necessary to stop his behavior.
• If your dog’s licking behavior does bother you or causes irritation to his skin, try to distract him, preferably as soon as he starts to lick himself. Toss a toy, play a game, give your dog a chewie or ask him to perform some previously learned basic obedience skills or tricks that he enjoys (sit, down, shake, etc.). You can also try moving your dog to a different location.

Compulsive Mounting or Masturbation

• As soon as your dog starts to mount or masturbate, try to distract him. Toss a toy, play a game, give your dog a chewie or ask him to perform some previously learned basic obedience skills or tricks that he enjoys (for example, sit, down and paw).
• If your dog’s behavior has become compulsive and interferes with his normal daily life, you may need to get help from a qualified professional.

How to stop your dog from humping

A humping dog can be awkward and embarrassing in certain company, especially if your grandma’s around for tea. So we don’t blame you for wanting to curb your dog’s urges. Here are a few effective methods for easing your dog’s humping:

1. Use redirection

If you’re taking your dog to the park and you know they’re likely to hump, come prepared. Bring a toy, a ball, or something that makes a loud noise. Like an empty water bottle half-full of pennies or a squeaky toy. If you throw a toy in front of your dog as they’re humping, this will serve as a distraction to draw their attention away from the other dog. An empty water bottle when shaken will make a loud, startling noise and should break their focus.

Keep a close eye on your dog while they’re playing with others. As they start to mount another dog, rattle the bottle or throw their favourite toy in front of them. This redirection technique will draw their focus away from the unwanted behaviour and onto acceptable interaction.

2. Enforce timeout

Another technique is simply pulling your dog away to cool off. As soon as they begin mounting, pull your dog off and hold them near you for two minutes to regain composure. You could also keep your dog on a long lead so they’re easier to control.

3. Give a command

Getting your dog to listen to you all starts at home. Conduct regular obedience sessions and focus specifically on the “off” and “leave it” commands. Practice this training regularly in different environments to reinforce the behaviour. This will ensure your dog has a reliable response to the command every time.

The next time your dog starts to hump, you can simply say “off” and your dog will begin to understand the behaviour is unacceptable. Regular training also reinforces the bond between you and your dog. If they get into the habit of listening to you through positive training, they’re more likely to follow the command in normal situations when you need it most.

4. Body block

Perhaps the easiest technique to use is the body block method. Your dog may have very distinct behavioural cues before they mount a person or dog. Maybe they wag their tail frantically, they bound up to the other dog, or sniff the other dog’s private parts. Your dog’s intentions may also be obvious if you’ve already disabled the mounting once and they’re making a beeline for more. So before your dog can perform the behaviour, stand directly in front of the target. If they persist, gently use your leg to shoo them back. Never use force to the point you hurt your dog. You’re simply breaking their momentary desire and showing them that behaviour is not tolerated.

5. Neutering or spaying your dog

As we mentioned earlier, neutering may not fix the problem altogether but it can drastically reduce the urge. Since humping is partly a learned behaviour as well as hormonal related, the after-effects of neutering will be part down to how long they’ve been practicing the behaviour. The question is, has it become an ingrained habit?

A 1997 study conducted by researchers at the University of California, Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital found some encouraging results:

• In 57 dogs between 2 to 7 years of age, 40% saw a 90% decrease in mounting behaviour after neutering.
• In the other 60% of dogs, they saw a 50% decrease in humping behaviour.

Therefore, according to these results, neutering will reduce humping behaviour by at least 50%.

Whatever takes your dogs fancy, there’s no question humping is a common problem behaviour. No matter how amusing it may sometimes seem. The most crucial thing you can do is understand the reasoning and take appropriate steps to prevent it. And if your young puppy is showing signs of humping now, your best chance of success is to use correction methods immediately. If you redirect the action now you’ll ensure it doesn’t turn into a lifelong habit.

The 8 Tips & Tricks to Stop Your Dog from Humping:

1.Remove Any Environmental Triggers

If you recognize certain environmental stimuli that trigger your dog to start humping, you should remove these before the behavior becomes a habit and is transmitted to other objects or people.

2.Use Distraction Techniques

If the removal of triggers doesn’t seem to work, it’s time to whip out your bag of doggy games. Many owners find this step confusing because it’s almost as if you’re rewarding your dog for getting humpy, but this step is all about distraction and good timing. Just make sure to choose a game or toy that the dog cannot simultaneously play with and hump, such as going for a run, swimming, or fetching a small ball.

The second you notice that he has got the frisky fidgets, find a way to distract him and engage him in a physically incompatible behavior, like gasping as loud as you can, as if you’ve seen a giant squirrel, and running toward the yard. You might feel silly, but there’s a good chance that he’ll follow you and leave his feelings behind.

Discourage the Behavior

This is often the most successful step, and the easiest. Just like most things in life, the simplest things are often the most overlooked.

Whatever training command you have taught him, such as ‘no’, ‘leave it’ or ‘away,’ you should use it here. The second he latches onto his victim, tell him no. If he ignores you, shout it again and pull him off. Or if you can’t pull him off, remove the thing he is getting worked up about.

With a loud, sharp, and firm command, he will know instantly that his behavior isn’t acceptable.

4.Spay or Neuter

Sometimes, the only way to stop the horny hormones from rushing is to put a stop to them. So, if your boy or gal hasn’t been neutered or spayed yet, it’s time to discuss it with your vet. Research has shown that neutering and spaying can reduce sexual behaviors, sometimes up to 70%. So, unless you are planning to breed your pooch, there is no real reason to keep them intact.

Thankfully, spaying and neutering have a multitude of other benefits too, such as a reduction in the risk of serious health concerns and preventing the birth of unwanted pups, to name a couple.

5.Time-Out Time

No, this step is not about allowing him and his favorite pillow to get a room. Instead, you need to take him to a place where he hasn’t got access to anything that he can hump.

Time-out works on many dogs not only because they are removed from the situation, but because it distracts them. It makes them think about what they have done to deserve such treatment.

Choose a room where there are no people and no toys to play with. Shut the door, and wait for a minute or two. Then, once their time is up, let them out and pretend as though nothing ever happened. If he starts to get humpy again, repeat the step a few times and he should get the message.

6.Practice More Training

Mounting is a sign of dominance in dogs. This doesn’t mean that he is the dominant dog. Instead, he is likely to be testing the waters to see if the other dogs will accept it and to work out his place in the pack.

A great way to suppress any dominant behaviors in a dog is to practice training and encourage obedience. By getting him to learn different commands, not only can you distract him with a trick to stop him from humping, but you are also stimulating his brain and encouraging him to listen to the boss (you!).

7.Avoid the Situation

If you know that your dog humps in certain situations and the above tricks aren’t having any effect on him, try to avoid those situations.

This isn’t always possible, but if certain toys push his buttons or there are individual dogs at the local doggy park that always tickles his fancy, don’t enter the park if you can see that dog strutting their stuff.

8.Call in a Professional

Sometimes, there are reasons for excessive humping behavior that cannot be understood. If your dog finds himself in this category, fear not.

Professional canine behaviorists will more than likely be able to help you.

Compiled  & Shared by- This paper is a compilation of groupwork provided by the

Team, LITD (Livestock Institute of Training & Development)

 Image-Courtesy-Google

 Reference-On Request.