Inna-PAW-priate Behavior?
This certain type of behavior with dogs are so common that we as owners kind of just brush it off… Until they start going after your visitors. If you haven’t already caught up with the action I’m initiating, I’m jumping into the topic of Dogs humping (also known as “mounting”) inanimate objects (stuffed animals, furnatures, etc..) and/or people. Before Before we continue on, it’s important to understand that humping is a completely normal behavior, even with females. Now, why do they do it and how do we control them? Listed below are possible reasons as to why:
1.) Excitement: Dogs have various ways to expel all their energy. Some do it by jumping, other do it by barking, and most tend to run around a lot. In some cases, humping would be a part of this list.
2.) Sex Drive: If your pup has not been spayed or neutered, it is highly likely that they are mounting due to hormones or for sexual attraction. If it’s not another dog that they’re mating with and would settle for furnitures or some sort of stuffed animal, it could possibly be a form of masturbation. Getting your dog neutered/spayed at an early age can help prevent or decrease the problem, other than training them to not do it at all.
3.) Play: People tend to misinterpret humping as a way of showing dominance, when it’s clearly not the case. If it does not upset the other dog, play humping is basically equivalent to play-fighting. There’s simply no other reasons why other than the actual enjoyment of of the activity. Strange, yes, but don’t worry! It’s 100% normal.
Photo Credit: http://www.petguide.