Your Dog Sex Behavior What You Need to Know : Sexual behavior is a natural part of life for all animals, including dog sex. Both male and female dogs experience it, though their responses can vary due to their individual breeds and traits. It’s important to monitor whether your dog has reached sexual maturity to prevent unwanted breeding. As a responsible pet owner, educating yourself about these behaviors can help you support your dog effectively during this phase.
Understand the sexual behavior in dogs involves dispelling myths and recognizing early signs that indicate their struggles. Dogs, like all animals, are guided by instinctual drives, and their sexual behaviors are a result of these natural impulses. Despite the domestication process, dogs still exhibit these fundamental instincts.
Humping and mounting are common behaviors linked to sexual drives. While these actions can sometimes be attributed to excitement or hormonal urges, they can also cause distress or harm, especially when directed at puppies. It’s essential to address these behaviors with a clear understanding of their causes and to find appropriate solutions to ensure your dog sex well-being.
MOUNTING !!
Dr. Wailani Sung of All Creatures Behaviour Counselling in Kirkland, Washington, notes in an article on Vetstreet that “mounting is a normal behavior.” This behavior isn’t always sexual; it can also be an expression of excitement or happiness. Pet owners often misinterpret mounting in male dogs as purely sexual due to a lack of understanding. Puppies may mount other dogs or even humans as a physiological response. For male dogs, mounting can be a way to assert control, though it can evolve into a sexual behavior once they reach maturity. Neutering or castrating is a common biological approach to managing these behaviors. We’ll explore more about this and other strategies to ensure your pet’s well-being.
HUMPING !!
Humping, thrusting, and mounting are common behaviors in dogs, regardless of their dog sex. These actions can stem from various reasons. As previously discussed, mounting can be a reaction to excitement, such as seeing their owner or discovering a new toy. While these behaviors can sometimes be linked to sexual responses, they are generally considered normal. Mark Bekoff, in his article for Psychology Today, delves into these behaviors and offers insights for pet owners.
To better understand these behaviors, it’s important to recognize that dogs reach sexual maturity between 8 to 12 months of age, though this varies with breed and size. Female dogs, in particular, experience heat cycles twice a year on average, which can influence their behavior.
Humping and mounting can be seen as problematic or disobedient by pet owners, especially when dogs display these behaviors with items like cushions or even their owners’ legs. It’s essential for pet parents to approach these situations with understanding rather than aggression. While humping is not always linked with aggression, when it is, it can indicate sexual frustration.
Indoor restlessness or irritability !!
If your dog has started digging and scratching aggressively around the house, it might be a sign of excess sexual energy causing irritation or distress.
Escape Behaviour
If your male dog encounters a female dog in heat while walking in the garden, you can expect him to become quite agitated. His excitement and desire to meet her may lead him to act out, potentially including increased housebreaking behaviors. This reaction is a significant indicator to consider when addressing his behavior.
Licking female urine and marking their territory
Urine plays a crucial role in territorial behavior for dogs, as they use it to gather information about their surroundings. During puberty, dogs may lick female urine as a way to stimulate themselves. Monitoring these behaviors and discussing them with your vet can provide valuable insights and assistance.
Should I intervene when my dog starts humping?
Dogs don’t feel shame about humping, so scolding is usually not effective. If your dog humps at inconvenient times, try redirecting them to another activity. For dogs that hump excessively, consulting a trainer about counter-conditioning techniques can be helpful. If your dog is in a persistent humping frenzy and hasn’t been spayed or neutered, scheduling an appointment to address this can help prevent unwanted litters and reduce humping behaviors.
If your dog humps occasionally and it’s not causing harm, there’s typically no need for intervention. As George Michael might say, humping is natural and normal. Not every dog does it, but any dog could.
Why Do Dogs Hump?
Dogs engage in humping for various reasons, including excitement, dominance, play, and sexual behavior. You’ve probably encountered a dog that’s quite enthusiastic about humping—whether it’s a dog at the park mounting your pet or your own dog humping your leg when you come home. But why is this behavior so prevalent?
Does dog humping = sex?
Humping isn’t exclusively a sexual behavior, but it is a primary reproductive action for dogs. Typically, when a female dog is in heat, she positions herself for a male to mount her, leading to the conception of puppies, which will be born in 56-66 days. If you’ve observed humping, you’re familiar with the basics: the male mounts the female when she is in heat, leading to the typical reproductive process.
what does “in heat” mean?
When a female dog is “in heat,” she is ready for mating. An intact female generally experiences two heat cycles annually, during which her ovaries release eggs for fertilization, and she becomes open to mating with a male. For additional details, the ASPCA offers more information on this topic.
So is humping always sexual?
Actually, humping is often a way for dogs to manage general excitement or stress. Some dogs get the “zoomies” and zoom around the house, while others get the “humpies” and channel their excitement into a pillow a favorite target for my own dog.
Humping can also be a form of play. Puppies often engage in play-humping as a sort of rehearsal for future reproductive behaviors. Adult dogs incorporate humping into their play, as it’s a behavior rooted in reproduction but also used for sport. This explains why dogs might “play chase” with others at the park, mimicking hunting behaviors.
Michel Harm
