Humping

[sarahj]

I have a weird issue with my two dogs.

Sally and Merlin hump each other. Merlin will chase Sally round the garden then try to hump her. She will turn around chase him and try and hump him. They dont fight and dont actually fully hump each other.

I always thought that it was a dominance thing, but I cant get my head round the fact that they will change from 'humper' to 'humpee' in a second as if it were a game.

Is this normal? Should I stop it?

x

[T'sAndC's]

They're just trying to assert their dominance over one another. It's instinctive behaviour. Our two are going through this just now.
Fairly common with dogs aged between 6months and 2 years old. I'd discourage it because the next target could be children or other people.

Colin.

[Bonnie Patricia]

I think its a sign of friendship my jake and roxy do it. The only thing is roxy tries to hump men when we are out walking lol I do hope these men dont think she takes after me lol.

[kita]

It is not dominance, just over excited play.

Dogs will often do this when they play together - just mimicking things that any adult dog would do, whether its hunting/fighting/mating. Remember that we keep pet dogs as puppies - they never really mature. We supply them with food so they never have to hunt, we neuter them so they never get to be parents - in effect they remain pups in the 'den' and we are their substitute 'parents'.

Sue

[sarahj]

Originally Posted by kita

It is not dominance, just over excited play.

Dogs will often do this when they play together - just mimicking things that any adult dog would do, whether its hunting/fighting/mating. Remember that we keep pet dogs as puppies - they never really mature. We supply them with food so they never have to hunt, we neuter them so they never get to be parents - in effect they remain pups in the 'den' and we are their substitute 'parents'.

Sue

I thought it was play.

They play all the time. Even getting in their beds is a game.
Its usually after running around the garden (I have a 6ft wide raised flower in the middle of the garden and they chase round it for ages). They run around the planter for ages and thats usually when 'play hump' starts!

Should i just leave them to it then?

x

[kita]

Originally Posted by sarahj

Should i just leave them to it then?

x

I would - unless it gets too out of hand and they are getting too OTT. Then I would just call them away and distract them, let them calm down a bit.


Sue

[Caryll]

I'd discourage it. It can become a habit which could spread to other things - cushions, legs, children.

It isn't in itself a problem, but it can lead to other undesirable circumstances.

[T'sAndC's]

It's also harder to get them to break their "habit" when they get older. lol.

Colin.

[LOVEGSD]

Do they do it to any other dogs or is it just their thing? lol

[sarahj]

Originally Posted by LOVEGSD

Do they do it to any other dogs or is it just their thing? lol

It is 'just their thing'. Neither of them have ever attempted to hump anything, or anyone else.

Merlin and Sally meet up with some other dogs at the weekend-2 staffies, a boxer, 2 JRTs, a springer spaniel, a collie, GSD cross, a few labradors and anything else that feels like joining in.

We have never had any problems. They all off lead running around being crazy, chasing birds, dragging branches around the fields.

Neither of them ever attempt to hump other dogs, Merlin has been humped (the springer humps everything) but Merlin never gets nasty or tries to return the favour.

x