By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT
With the Christmas holiday just around the corner, you might fear the potential public embarrassment from your misbehaving dog. For most people, this doesn't pose much of an emotional problem, after all, dogs are dogs. What if the behaviour was mounting? Would you still assume that dogs misbehave or would you likely think If my dog mounted the other dog, or worse yet, he humped a family member, I would die or would you just take one for the team and laugh it off? Sexual drive is present in each animal, and yes, even in sterilized animals.
The Taboo of Taboos
The mounting behaviour, also known as humping, is rarely discussed openly. Professionals hardly ever talk about dog sexuality and when the topic does come up, some people feel uncomfortable and reserved. I'm tempted to say I'm uncertain as to why people rarely discuss canine reproductive behaviours, but I'd be lying. Some humans subconsciously perceive dog sexuality as an extension of their own; therefore, the number one reason people don't talk about sexuality is that human sexuality is still considered private, secret, hidden, and viewed as a forbidden topic. Strangely enough, we live in a hyper-sexualized culture in which sexuality is rarely discussed, so today I'm going to break down cultural barriers and address dog reproductive behaviours, AKA humping.
Why Dogs Hump
The answer is nobody really knows why, outside of reproduction. If you Scholar Google dog mounting, humping, or copulatory behaviour, you'll find that most research papers were written in the late 60s and 70s. Thus, we understand the biological function of dog sexuality, but the psychological view hasn't been discussed much in recent time. What is known is that mounting behaviour is observed in almost every section of the canine ethogram. Humping can be examined in the reproduction, play, greeting, and social behaviour sections of the dog dictionary, thus, one can only conclude that mounting is a normal dog behaviour, or as one of my university professors summarised "... In essence, dogs hump because it's fun!"
Humping, The Behaviour Problem
Like many other behaviours, humping becomes a problem when the normal function of the dog is impaired or compromised. In other words, if dogs cannot stop themselves from mounting and behaviours such as eat, drink, sleep, urinate, or defecate are affected, then yes, there is a behaviour problem. As with anything in life, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. Hump also becomes a behaviour problem if dogs cannot control themselves and are constantly attacked by other canines. If the dog doesn't understand social cues, he will unlikely be persecuted.
Obviously, dogs don't revert to closed doors to hump, thus, if pet owners and professionals give the behaviour too much attention, good or bad, they might actually reward the inappropriate behaviour. Sometimes the best defence is a good offence. Make sure to offer fun, exciting, and challenging activities your dog can release his energy into.
Does & Don'ts
If the behaviour is harmless, one can conclude Fido simply has a high sex drive. It's not uncommon for dogs to actually have humping buddies. Your dog will have a preferred animal or toy with whom he likes to express himself. That being said, if the behaviour makes you uncomfortable you have options:
1. Ignore and avoid undesirable behaviour; however, these options might not always be possible. Train behaviours dogs can easily exhibit like touch hands, sit, high five, or spin, and give them giant food, love, and/or play rewards.
2. Let the dog experience his normal bodily functions. If you have a puppy or teenaged dog, the behaviour will normally come to pass. Plus, adult dogs are very well equipped to tell puppies and teens how to socially behave.
3. Explore why the behaviour makes you feel uncomfortable. Sometimes people project their emotions onto other objects or living entities and are troubled by the reflection they see, AKA anthropomorphism. Sexuality is normal behaviour, and dogs aren't aware there's such a big taboo surrounding the topic.
4. If you're uncertain about what is considered normal vs. abnormal behaviour, call your professional. Trainers and behaviour consultants will explain and reassure you about what is considered acceptable mounting behaviours.
5. If your dog likes to hump people, train leave it and redirect the dog on something acceptable. Refer to step one.
6. Sometimes dogs get overly excited and will start to thrust. The reason is relatively simple. Reproduction doesn't only involve sexual organs. A big part of dog sexuality, or reproductive behaviour if you will, is based in the brain, and like all living organisms, gene transference is a vital part of one's existence, and it happens to be fun to accomplish.
Dog Love
When I teach dogs how to problem solve, it's not uncommon for my canine clients to want to hump me after a session. Some human clients find the behaviour amusing, some are in shock, others are outright appalled. I explain to my clients why dogs exhibit the behaviour and reassure them this will subside. I personally find it rewarding when dogs want to hump me because that means I did my job well; I managed to create a feeling of joy, love, or pleasure in their brain they never experienced before. I know that sounds strange, but I can assure you I don't encourage the behaviour, on the contrary, I redirect hump on an acceptable behaviour like sit and jackpot reward. For some dogs, the first experience of mental stimulation is so pleasurable that they need to express themselves physically.
Sentience
People accept dogs as sentient beings with various emotions; therefore, the time has come for people to accept dog reproductive behaviour as normal. Pet caregivers and certain pet professionals need to realize dogs don't intentionally seek to embarrass or offend people, they're simply being themselves. When dogs mount Albear, I let them do it. Albear is very well equipped to communicate his dissatisfaction with other canines. My dog certainly doesn't need me to break down lines of communication and make things out of things that weren't things but now are something because I made it a thing... You get my point!
Sex drive is found in every living organism. Without the desire to reproduce, a species would become extinct within one generation. Sex is normal. Don't be embarrassed because your dog humps, simply accept it as a natural function and manage it very positively. When dogs mount each other, I see it as an educational opportunity, you should too.
References:
- Landsberg, G., Hunthausen, L., and Ackerman, J. (2013). Behavior Problems of the Dog and Cat3: Behavior Problems of the Dog and Cat. Third Edition. Toronto, Canada: Saunders Elsevier.
- Overall, K. (1997). Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Small Animals. Maryland, MS: Mosby.
- Scott, JP and Fuller, J. (1965). Genetics and the Social Behavior of the Dog. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.