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Dog Humping Behavior Article

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Why Do Some Dogs Hump Everything

from: Kyle Besser

No one would mind if their dogs only humped other dogs at the appropriate mating times. It's how dogs reproduce. Some dogs aren't very selective about the objects of their affections. Some dogs try to hump people, stuffed animals, sometimes even cats. This type of indiscriminate dog humping behavior isn't about mating.

Even a dog who is frenzied by hormones knows the difference between a receptive partner and someone's leg. It's not even about pleasure, although that may play a role. Dogs mainly hump because they're trying to assert themselves. The longer they get away with it, the more powerful they feel.

Dog humping behavior usually starts during a dog's adolescence, between 6 months old and 2 years old, depending on the breed. This is the time when reproductive hormones are starting to reach adult levels. Some dogs go a little bit crazy. Dogs reach sexual maturity before they reach emotional maturity.

Some dogs are always trying to prove that they're tougher than the next dog. Some try to prove that they're tougher by humping. Other dogs try to prove that they're tougher by putting their feet on another dog's back.

Dog humping behavior is not strictly male dog behavior, although males are the worst offenders. Unlike female dogs, whose hormones ebb and flow with their reproductive cycles, male dogs maintain fairly steady hormone levels all the time. The hormones themselves don't cause dog humping behavior, but the hormones make dogs more likely to do it. That's why neutering or spaying is the best way to reduce or eliminate the unpleasant dog humping behavior.

There's another reason that male dogs are more likely than female dogs to hump human legs, and it has nothing to do with reproductive urges. Male dogs are just more competitive. Male dogs are always trying to prove to people as well as to other dogs how big and tough and independent they are. Humping is just one way in which they push the boundaries and assert their dominance within a family.

Watch a litter of puppies at play, and you will see that they spend quite a bit of time climbing on top of each other. The more assertive dogs may take advantage of their position and throw in a little humping. It's their way of saying that they are, quite literally, top dogs. They hump to show their dominance more than for any other reason.

Once dogs are out of the litter and living with people, the same instinct remains. Human legs don't have special appeal, but they're accessible and easy to wrap their paws around. In the wild, dogs never mount dogs who are higher in rank than they are. The only time that a dog usually tries this with people is when there's some confusion in his mind about who's in charge.