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I’m sure you’ve experienced your puppy humping pillows, toys, random people, and even other dogs. It can be quite embarrassing at times, especially when we are not certain why it happens.
Why do puppies hump toys? And is this concerning behavior?
Read on to discover:
- 6 reasons why puppies hump toys.
- When humping becomes problematic.
- 5 tips on how to stop dogs from humping everything. (#2 Works the best!)
- And more…
Lets jump in.
Table of Contents
Quick Summary: Why Do Puppies Hump Their Toys?
Dogs humping (also referred to as “mounting”) toys is a normal behavior in male and female puppies. While it is a natural part of sexual behavior, there are other reasons for a puppy humping toys like, establishing dominance, as a stress response when over-stimulated, for attention-seeking, or possibly due to medical issues.
If this is a new behavior for your puppy, ask your veterinarian to check that no underlying medical conditions could be causing problems.
Also, be advised that a neutered or spayed pup is less likely to display mounting behavior than intact pups.
For more detailed information on determining if your dog’s humping has become a problem I’ve dedicated a full section of this post on what to look for along with more specific details around this behavior and how to stop it.
Why Does My Puppy Hump His Toy? (6 Detailed Reasons)
Why a puppy will hump a toy comes down to a few main reasons. Regardless of if you have a female dog humping toys or a male dog, these reasons apply to both male and female dogs humping.
1.) Sexual Behavior
The first and most obvious reason for dog humping is due to sexual urges. Veterinary Dr David S. Spiegel explains this as an occurrence most apparent in puppies that have not been neutered or spayed.
Humping will continue happening frequently until they are spayed or neutered so keep this in mind if you are in a similar situation.
In addition, it’s important to understand that there are certain times when dogs will be more sexual.
In girl dogs this is when they are in “heat” which occurs when they reach puberty (6 months old).
So if you are noticing a sudden increase in the frequency of humping this is something to note before getting concerned with the sudden change to their behavior.
2.) Dominance
The second reason dogs hump is due to dominance. As explained by animal behaviorist Dr. Mary Burch, “Often, humping has nothing to do with sex”.
Very often, Dr. Burch says, humping is an attempt at dominance. This can apply whether it’s a human, toy or another dog on the receiving end.
We had a friend come over the other day and part of Enzo’s greeting was to hump this person’s leg.
This will be more prominent depending on your dog as some tend to be more dominant then others.
This behavior tends to be more about territory than anything. You might see this with other household animals, or people coming into your dog’s territory.
3.) Over-Stimulation
The third reason for dogs humping is due to general excitement. This can be from playing and socializing with new friends or just from being really happy you are home.
When dogs are over stimulated it can lead to friendly biting, barking, humping, and a number of responses.
So if your dog only tends to hump during moments like, you coming home from work or during playtime, they might be over stimulated!
4.) Stress Response
The ASPCA says If a dog is overly stressed or anxious, humping might be their way of coping with their feelings. It might seem like a strange thing to do when stressed but seeking pleasure can be a way to relieve stress.
It’s like when you come home from work after a stressful day and all you want to do is eat food and watch TV.
These things give us pleasure and it can distract us from the stress that we are experiencing.
Everyone and every dog has a different way of dealing with stress and some dogs use humping as an outlet.
5.) Attention Seeking
When your dog starts humping their toys do you immediately respond to this behavior?
Perhaps you tell them to stop or you take the toy away. If this sounds like you then your dog could be doing it to get your attention.
Boredom in dogs is not a new phenomena and can lead them to do anything and everything to get your attention.
If you ignore this behavior you may find it goes away, however, if the boredom has not been resolved they will find something else to do to get your attention.
So make sure to find time in your day to stimulate your dog and keep them entertained.
6.) Medical Condition
Last on the list of reasons why dogs hump is one that we do not wish onto any of our beloved furry friends. While this is usually not the case, there are a few things we should consider.
Some dogs get skin allergies, urinary tract infections, priapism (persistent erection) and other medical conditions that may be the reason for humping.
When Does Humping Become A Problem?
As seen above in the reasons why dogs hump, 99% of the time it’s a completely normal part of play.
However, this can become problematic if your dog starts mounting other animals that do not like being mounted or when done excessively.
Experts at the American Kennel Club say when it becomes a compulsive habit for them this can become problematic.
The best thing to do is to curb the behavior early on if it’s excessive to avoid any future issues with your pup and also with other animals.
Lastly, look for signs of irritation if this is a new habit and there does not seem to be a natural reason for the humping.
For example, dogs that have allergies or skin irritation may hump in order to help relieve their symptoms.
In addition, there are also other forms of hormonal medical conditions that can lead to excessive humping. So make sure if you have any concerns about your dogs behaviour to seek medical help right away.
5 Tips to Stop Your Dog From Excessive Humping
1) Desexing
It comes as no surprise that desexing your dog can curb sexually motivated humping.
However, it’s important to know that recent research has determined spaying/neutering specific breeds at a young age can have negative impacts on long-term health.
So make sure if your pup is still young to ask a professional when the best time would be for your specific dog.
2) Catch Your Dog in the Act
Another great way to stop dogs from humping is to catch them in the act! It’s important to address this behavior while it is happening! Use a keyword they can begin to understand such as “stop” or “off”.
Avoid using common words used in everyday conversation or any keywords that might be mistaken for another command. For example, if you say “down” but your dog knows how to lay down when you say “lay down” it might be confusing for them.
If you catch them in the act enough times and respond with your keyword then proceed to stop the behavior they will eventually get the hint.
3) Offer a Reward / Redirect Behavior
Another great way to stop your dog from humping is to redirect their behavior. If you catch them humping and they stop when you tell them too, offer a reward and redirect them with something else.
Offering a treat for good behavior is a distraction in itself and will help redirect them.
In addition, if your dog does not respond to your command you can try to lure them away with a toy, treat, etc.
You know your dog best so whatever you can use to excite them enough to distract them from the behavior is going to help.
With my pup Enzo he loves going on walks so whenever I say “wanna go for a walk” he’ll stop almost anything and come running to me.
This is one of the ways I will redirect his attention, along with using his favorite toys (while avoiding ones he humps).
4) Minimize Mounting Opportunities
When your dog builds a habit of mounting visitors and other family pets, the best thing to do is redirect the behavior. Do not make a fuss and big deal of it or you could risk encouraging the behavior.
If redirecting their attention does not work, take your dog to a calm and quiet area.
Reducing the behavior is as simple as minimizing the opportunities for them to mount.
If you move them to a calm and quiet location this will remove the humping opportunity.
Manage your dog’s environment and make sure to have plenty of distractions like chew toys and other activities to burn their energy.
If your dog has a certain toy that he loves to hump, take it away until the behavior has calmed down.
The best thing you can do is just remove what causes your dog to hump, or move your dog somewhere else to minimize opportunities.
5) Seek Professional Help
Lastly, if nothing seems to work and the behavior is causing issues it’s best to go seek professional help. I’m pretty lucky to have vets in my family so I typically reach out to them or my dogs professional trainer.
The worst thing you can do is let the habit solidify to a point that stopping it becomes much more difficult then if you were to curb it early.
Is It Normal For Dogs To Hump Stuffed Animals?
It is completely normal for dogs to hump stuffed animals, pillows, and other seemingly random items. It is a natural thing that they do to show dominance or affection in dog language.
However, if your dog begins humping too excessively this could be a sign of an underlying behavioral or health problem.
Should I Let My Dog Hump Stuffed Animals?
Allowing your dog to hump stuffed animals is acceptable to do but with a strict schedule. Mounting, humping and masturbation are healthy behaviors so long as the habit does not get out of control.
You can control this behavior with a strict schedule. The best way to allow this is by selecting a specific toy and then giving them some “private time” for a period of time.
You do not want to encourage humping outside of their “private time” and with anything other than their special toy.
In some cases you will need to swap out the toy since their taste in toys may change. Just remember, dogs respond best when they have a routine.
Why Does My Dog Hump Me When I Dance?
Your dog humps you when dancing because they’re overstimulated/excited or seeking your attention. When dancing your dog perceives this as “playtime” which gets them excited and if you are not playing with them they might hump to get your attention.
Why Does My Dog Only Hump Me?
Some experts theorize that if your dog only humps you (as the dog’s main owner), one possibility is that no one else gets them as excited as you so they respond by humping.
Another possibility is that they believe humping anyone else might put them at high risk for an unpleasant reaction.
Why Does My Dog Hump His Bed?
Dogs humping their beds is a normal behavior in male and female dogs.
While it is a natural part of sexual behavior, there are other reasons for dogs humping their beds like, establishing dominance, as a stress response when over-stimulated, for attention-seeking, or possibly due to medical issues.
Other posts you might find interesting:
Brown Pigment In White Of Dog’s Eye: Is It Pigmentary Keratitis?
Can Dogs Be Retarded? (Identifying Mentally Challenged Dogs)
