Imagine you’re finally asking your boyfriend over, can’t wait for your furry friend and your BF to meet each other, and BOOM, your beloved pup suddenly starts humping his leg! So shameful, right? It’s okay, most of us have experienced the same thing, but you’re probably still wondering: “why does my dog hump my boyfriend?”
Humping is a common dog behavior caused by various reasons, so let’s discuss the idea of this behavior and ways to fix it.
Why Does My Dog Hump My Boyfriend?
There are several reasons why your dog may humps :
- Expressing excitement
- Releasing strong emotions
- Seeking attention
- Showing dominance
- Inviting to play
- Expressing jealousy
- Masturbating
- Health problems
Now, let’s talk about each of the reasons more specifically.
Expressing excitement
In my case, my boyfriend is my dog’s favorite person. I adopted him, bought him toys, treats, but still, my boyfriend ishis best “Hooman.”
If it’s the same for you, then here you go, your dog is most likely humping your boyfriend to express the excitement of seeing him.
However, note that this kind of excitement isn’t usually sexual, even though the behavior looks like it. Sexual arousal is only the main driver for unneutered dogs.
If your dog has gone through this process, the hump is likely due to another kind of excitement. Your dog may just really love your boyfriend and try to express himself.
Releasing strong emotions
This behavior is often just another way for dogs to relieve stress or other strong emotions. Some dogs will hump on people when they arrive at your home, while others may just jump on them.[1]
These are familiar and perfectly normal expressive behaviors, so no need to get alarmed.
Seeking attention
Dogs are little attention seekers. They should be in everyone’s eye, whenever they choose to. Every family visitor should be introduced to them and approved by them.
So, while your boyfriend is looking forward to spending time with you, your dog is seeking his portion of attention.
So, once your boyfriend visits you, your dog might start humping him due to attention cravings.
If attention-seeking is the reason for your dog’s mounting behavior to your boyfriend, then you can fix it quickly. You can simply ignore your pup or separate him from your boyfriend. [2]
Gradually, your dog will realize that his humping actions are not bringing any attention and will drop it eventually.
Showing dominance
Is dog mounting a sign of dominance? Yes, it so much is! One of the main motivations behind a dog’s humping is expressing his dominance.
We already agreed that humping is typical behavior of animals in the wild. This behavior indicates that the dog at the top is in control and, therefore, the dominant force in the interaction.
Your dog may feel compelled to show his dominance in his own house and in his group, which is why when your boyfriend comes over, he humps him to show his place in your dog’s hierarchy. [3]
Inviting to play
You may have noticed that dogs often hump each other while playing. Just like any other game that dogs play, such as tug of war or fighting, humping could be another source of fun for dogs.
Again, this fun is not sexual in nature but just a way of expressing playfulness.
If your dog is not trained to avoid mounting, it may exhibit this behavior toward humans and your boyfriend.
So, whenyour dog starts mounting your boyfriend, it could simply mean an invitation to go and play with him.
Expressing Jealousy: Why Does My Dog Hump My Boyfriend And Not Me?
Some dogs tend to choose one person to hump. And unfortunately, it might be your boyfriend.
Just like the attention-seeking, your dog might hump your boyfriend out of jealousy.
As mentioned earlier, the motivation to seek attention often stems from the dog wanting your boyfriend to pay attention to it.
Jealousy is slightly different, however, as it means your dog is trying to get your attention, not his.
Your dog may be jealous of the excitement and love you show your boyfriend. So, in this case, the dog will hump your boyfriend because he knows you’ll be paying attention to him and not your boyfriend. [4]
Masturbating: Do dogs masturbate when humping us?
It may sound strange, but yes. Dogs masturbate in various ways, and humping is one of them. Masturbation is part of normal sexual behavior for even neutered or spayed dogs.
Both male and female dogs tend to “ride on” other dogs, people, and objects.
You might do not know, but humping is a characteristic behavior not only for unneutered male dogs but neutered ones as well.
Neutered male dogs can also experience erections and ejaculate just like unneutered ones. So, as gross and awkward it might sound, your dog is probably masturbating while humping your boyfriend.
Humpback is an instinctive behavior, partly learned. Whether it’s practicing mating or exploring the body’s responses, both male and female puppies do this.
They find sexual stimulation pleasing and may masturbate by humping. It can become a high-reward activity like barking, chasing, or jumping. This is normal behavior for all dogs.
Sex hormone levels increase as puppies grow, and unneutered dogs hump or attempt to mate. Male dogs will usually ride dogs of any gender, whether they are spayed or not.
Female dogs will ride on other dogs as well, which happens more often during their peak season.
Health problems: Can it cause humping behavior?
Besides all the above-discussed causes, dog humping behavior could be related to a health problem.
A variety of medical issues, including urinary tract infections, incontinence, priapism, and skin allergies, can affect offside behavior in dogs.
Dogs with one or other medical problems often spend a lot of time licking and chewing on the genital area.
If you notice your dog’s balls have gotten red, then he’s probably mounting out of the itchiness or discomfort. So, take him to the veterinarian to rule out a medical problem.
However, if your dog chooses your boyfriend explicitly to hump, health issues won’t be entirely accurate.
How To Calm A Sexually Excited Dog
Seeing your dog humping your boyfriend or anyone else sounds annoying. However, you can work on it and train your dog to drop it.
For instance, you can calm your sexually excited dog by providing them with stimulation, exercise, attention, emotional support.
Also, if your dog has gotten into the habit of mounting people, you can stop him by pushing him away, turning around, sitting down, or somehow taking a position that prevents him from getting “on the ride.”
Putting him in a dog crate for a while may seems cruel, but it works in some cases. In that way, he would know that he did something bad.
If your dog still doesn’t stop, train him for the “NO” command and immediately take him to a quiet, safe room for a short time-out. [5]
How To Stop My Dog From Mounting Other Dogs
When you own an unneutered dog, taking them to a dog park is worrying every time. What if they hump other dogs or get humped?
It truly is troublesome as no one wants to impregnate a random dog in the park. So, you’re probably wondering how to stop this behavior in your dog.
First, if you are a male dog owner who is in heat, they’ll be challenging to control as soon as they smell a female scent.
So, first rule, owners: always keep your male dogs away from the female ones if you don’t want to spay them.
However, the thing is, dogs don’t hump only in heat and not only male to female. Seeing a dog mounting at park, stuck with the other dog for minutes, is actually a common thing.
A lot of us have probably experienced our female dog mounting male dog. Yeah, it is just embarrassing. But it’s okay, you can gradually teach your pup to stop it.
First of all, try to supervise your pup all the time. While teaching dogs something, you really need to catch them on the fact. Otherwise, they just won’t understand what you are saying or why.
Also, you can order your dog some alternative behavior once you notice he intends to hump other dogs. For instance, you can tell him to sit, jump, run, or anything else.
For this, however, you will need to have your dog trained for basic commands.
Fetching and switching their attention on their favorite thing is also a helpful trick. For example, play fetch or Frisbee with your pup. They are little dummies, they’ll automatically focus on the game.
Meanwhile, don’t forget to give treats once they stop humping. Award and praise them for being a good doggo.
Read Also: Can Dogs Die From Sadness
Conclusion
Mounting or hunting legs, toys, or other animals is a common canine behavior that usually begins in a dog’s first year of life.
They use mounting, growling, and biting to express lots of positive or negative emotions or just to get attention.
Sometimes, it might be inappropriate, but this is part of their nature; you cannot punish your dog for it.
Train your dog positively, the award once they obey your commands, and your dog will gradually reduce his humping habits.
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