Humping
What could be more embarrassing than your precious Pug mounting your dinner guests' legs? Or mounting other dogs when he's playing at the dog park? While this behavior is blush-worthy for humans, it's totally normal behavior for dogs.
Here are some reasons dogs (male and female alike) do it:
Here are some reasons dogs (male and female alike) do it:
Play
As we discuss on the Play Behavior page, when dogs play, they are rehearsing behaviors their ancestors needed to survive in the wild: fighting, fleeing, feeding, and courting. This is why you see them play-biting, play-chasing, play-fleeing, play-tugging, -shaking, and -fetching, and yes, play-humping. Not all dogs do all of these things, but when they do, and they are playing, it's perfectly normal behavior.
Right Move, Wrong Target
Back to dogs' ancestors. In order to survive as a species, wolves need to get enough food to eat, not get eaten by someone else, avoid injury and disease, and reproduce. Modern day pet dogs -- who are here because man has selectively bred them to look and behave certain ways -- do not need to do all of those things to survive. We feed them, we take them to the vet to keep them healthy, we give them the safety of our homes so that they do not become prey to some other creature, and, in most cases, we don't allow them to reproduce.
But, just as we've seen when they play, dogs still retain many of these behaviors. Sometimes when they do them, it's like the software has gotten all buggy. For example, a wolf needs to dissect an animal for food. A pet dog might dissect a stuffed animal because it's fun. Right behavior, wrong target.
In the case of humping, if it's a person's leg, for example, this is a definite case of "right behavior, wrong target."
But, just as we've seen when they play, dogs still retain many of these behaviors. Sometimes when they do them, it's like the software has gotten all buggy. For example, a wolf needs to dissect an animal for food. A pet dog might dissect a stuffed animal because it's fun. Right behavior, wrong target.
In the case of humping, if it's a person's leg, for example, this is a definite case of "right behavior, wrong target."
Like Biting Nails
Do you bite your nails? Scratch your head when you're thinking? Touch your face when you're nervous? Well, these are called Displacement Behaviors and dogs do them too. When dogs become conflicted or start to become distressed they might yawn or lick their lips, and sometimes, they might hump. It's a natural behavior, but it's the wrong target and/or the wrong time.
So What Can You Do About It?
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Well, if it's happening during play, and the other dogs all keep playing along and seem happy, there's nothing to do. The dogs are playing. If you're not sure if the dogs are all comfortable with it, visit our Play Behavior page to learn what healthy play looks like.
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If your dog is humping people or other dogs, and you would prefer that he or she stop doing it, you can ask your dog to do something else instead. For instance, your dog literally cannot be mounting someone's leg and doing a "sit-stay" at the same time.
If your dog is mounting because he's stressed, you'll need to address the underlying issue. Commonly the stress could be due to a lack of mental or physical enrichment. Try giving your dog more opportunities to be a dog. For instance:
If your dog is mounting because he's stressed, you'll need to address the underlying issue. Commonly the stress could be due to a lack of mental or physical enrichment. Try giving your dog more opportunities to be a dog. For instance:
- Rather than feed him from a bowl, scatter his food in the yard to give his nose some exercise, or feed him in food toys.
- Take him out on "sniffari's," where his nose gets to lead the walk. (Don't be surprised if you walk in circles and zig-zagged lines.)
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