Dog's Help

To see your dog hump in a social setting is the last thing that any pet owner would want. Dog humping is usually accompanied by a great deal of embarrassment for the pet owner and some remarks from the others present. To avoid the embarrassment, it is in your best interest to know more about the problem to deal with it better.

If you want to know the reason for dog humping, it is important that you take the environment in which the event happened into consideration. There can be several reasons that may be responsible for your dog's behavior.

Quite contrary to what many people believe, dogs do not hump for sexual gratification. Many dog owners attribute 'homosexuality' as the reason for humping. However, this is nothing but a misconception. Unlike humans, the concept of being 'straight' or 'gay' does not exist in the world of dogs.

More than often, it is the urge to show dominance that is responsible for humping. Dogs test their limits when they hump. The dog that mounts during humping is usually considered as being dominant or of higher social order. It is for this reason that the dog being mounted tries his best to fight off the mounting dog. This often results in scuffles, posturing and stare downs. These slight tiffs are rarely violent.

The urge to hump can be primarily attributed to hormones. There are some male dogs who hump more as compared to others. The reason for this is the male hormone testosterone. Female dogs too hump as a result of hormonal drive. Female dogs who have a higher level of androgenic hormones are usually more involved in the act of humping as compared to others.

Though, it is usually two dogs who are involved in the act of humping, at times, dogs may try to hump their masters as well. dogs hump their masters in a bid to gain the leadership that is otherwise enjoyed by the master. It is primarily some kind of imbalance in the master-pet relationship that urges dogs to hump their masters.

While the urge to gain dominance is the prime cause of humping in dogs, some times there can be underlying conditions responsible for the problem. If your dog is dealing with stress or anxiety, you may find your dog humping the air, toys or other random things. Dogs dealing with obsessive compulsive disorder are also more involved in humping as compared to others.

Humping is not as serious a problem as it may seem to be. Interrupting the act every time alone can help you wean your pet from humping. Make it clear to your dog that such behavior will not be tolerated. Do not try distracting your dog with a treat or a toy as your dog will hump more to procure the given treat or toy.

A little persistence can help you cope with the problem.