Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Humpity humpity






  1. It is a way of playing. When dogs play, they typically engage in behaviors that simulate hunting, combat or copulation. Think about this... when a dog is having sex with a female dog, is he trying to dominate her? Is that what the behavior is for? So, why do we think that humping is dominance? It isn't. So, just give the dog a substitute thing to do, a fun toy, and redirect the play to another activity.

  2. I guess I should also say that it could also be a displacement behavior or a vacuum behavior for some dogs. Even so, the best solution is to redirect the behavior. And then try to find the root cause, if any, that would trigger a displacement or vacuum behavior.

  3. It's an attention getter-playing behavior. Some dogs like it (labs looove it).
    So play with him, just not with your body or hands... they can get kind of pushy, emotional and out of control with people, so use a ball or another toy, or throw some kibble on the floor (this is miracle)

  4. You went to vet school, but not behavioral school (at least, I don't think so?). Think of it as extra credit!

  5. Hmm -- humping as attention-getting, not dominance. I'll have to read up on that!