If your dog occasionally displays humping or mounting behaviour it may seem quite amusing. However, if your dog regularly humps things including furniture, toys, other dogs and even people it can be annoying, frustrating and embarrassing at times! If this sounds like your situation, you are probably desperate to seek help and advice on this matter. There can actually be many reasons for your dog’s humping. This article will reflect on these and discuss ways to combat this common problem.

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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. 

How do I stop my dog from humping?

Humping behaviour in dogs is often very undesirable and Owners’ naturally want to put a quick stop to this behaviour. Furthermore, stopping this behaviour can pose many challenges. The ease of controlling their humping is often dependent on the underlying cause.

Firstly, if you are observing excessive humping or mounting behaviour in your dog, speak to your local Vet to seek their advice. It may not always be immediately possible to identify the main issue. But your Vet will take a thorough clinical history and perform a hands-on clinical examination on your dog. As mentioned above, it is important to rule in or out medical causes as your dog may require further investigations and treatment.

It then depends on what the cause is

If it has been concluded that your dog is humping due to sexual tendencies, neutering may be appropriate for your pet to eliminate hormonal related issues. Sex-related mounting behaviours may improve following post-neutering (Irving, 2021). But on the flip side, behavioural intervention may also be required in these cases (Warnes, 2018). In most cases, neutering encourages your dog to “settle down” if they were humping due to hormonal influences. Plus, of course, neutering them eliminates the risk of pregnancy or insemination in case the humping goes too far. 

A study performed in 2004 revealed that 27.3% of male and female dogs displayed humping/mounting behaviours following neutering (Spain, 2004). One can only assume that in these cases the underlying cause of their behaviour was not truly hormonal. While desexing inexperienced male dogs generally eliminates libido, attraction to female dogs (including copulatory behaviour) may persist in sexually experienced dogs even after neutering (Urfer and Kaeberlein, 2019). 

Behavioural causes of humping can be more challenging to resolve 

Managing these situations often brings frustration to their Owners. Managing these cases is likely to involve lengthy commitment, long-term management plans and environmental or routine alterations. In order to be successful in managing these cases, the trigger needs to be correctly identified such as stress, anxiety, lack of environmental enrichment etc. Your Vet may advise referral to an accredited Veterinary behaviourist to explore their behaviour in more depth to have the best possible outcome.

If your dog is humping when they are playing with other dogs or during play exercises, it is important to give your dog ‘time-out’ if they are getting a little over excited in the situation! Also, distraction is a good technique to bring your dog’s focus away from humping. 

If your dog is experiencing an underlying medical condition, your Vet will work closely with you to treat or investigate this issue. As noted above, if your dog is humping/mounting due to a skin allergy or irritation then eliminating the itch cycle is paramount in managing their condition.

Conclusion

To conclude, the primary cause of your dog’s humping behaviour is not always clear cut. There can be other influences involved that are not caused by their hormones. Neutering is not always the answer in every patient. I advise you to seek help from your Vet before considering going down this route as it is vital to make sure it is right for your canine friend. 

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