Understanding Canine Behavior: The Mystery Behind Female Dogs Humping
Humping isn't just a male canine thing – female dogs can jump aboard the hump train too. Yes, you heard it right! This behavior might seem peculiar, but it's quite normal, especially in younger, unspayed females, according to Dr. Mary R. Burch, the director of AKC Family Dog and a certified applied animal behaviorist.
So, what's with the humping? Let's dive into it when we discuss the main reasons behind this peculiar behavior.
Smaller breeds are more prone to compulsive behaviors, including humping, as per some research. But why does that happen? Some theories suggest that these pets are usually more reactive and excitable than their larger counterparts, and they often come from overprotective owners. Also, we tend to overlook or tolerate similar behaviors in smaller dogs due to their size. Dr. Valli Parthasarathy, a board-certified veterinary behaviorist with Synergy Behavior Solutions in Portland, Oregon, sheds light on the matter.
There's no one-size-fits-all reason for humping, but here are a few possibilities:
- Frustration or emotional arousal: Your female pooch might hump another dog or even a person when she's feeling riled up or frustrated.
- Playtime: Humping can be a fun way for dogs (puppies included) to interact and play with each other. Remember, playtime is a crucial part of building relationships between dogs.
- Seeking attention: Oh, my! Humping can prove to be an effective attention-grabber for some dogs. They might hump inanimate objects like pillows just because they want some attention.
- Soothing sensation: Some dogs hump objects before settling in for a snooze – it's like their canine equivalents of thumb sucking babies.
- Dominance show: In some cases, humping can be a dog's way of asserting dominance over other dogs. However, this won't apply to situations where they're humping objects or favorite toys.
- Compulsive behavior: Although it's not a common reason for humping, a dog with canine compulsive disorder might engage in excessive humping due to their disorder.
- Lack of stimulation: While it's not a typical cause, a lack of mental or physical stimulation might contribute to humping behavior. Mental enrichment can provide dogs with a wholesome outlet if that's the case.
- Medical issues: Medical problems like skin allergies, vaginitis, or urinary tract infections might cause humping behavior.
When humping suddenly appears, it might signal something more serious. If this happens, reaching out to your vet is a good idea. Usually, such a change indicates a medical condition.
So, when does your female dog hump? That could be a sign of stress, excitement, dominance, or even a medical condition like allergies, infections, or skin irritation. If your pup starts humping suddenly, get in touch with your vet for further examination.
Once your vet clears your dog's health, behavior training can help manage or even eradicate humping. By figuring out the situations that trigger the humping, you can take steps to avoid or prevent those situations. If possible, remove dogs or objects that often trigger humping behavior. Behavior therapy can teach your dog alternative behaviors for the situations that might prompt humping. And remember, never punish or scold your dog for humping – that won't help.
Strategies like redirecting your dog's attention, providing mental and physical stimulation, addressing stress and anxiety, teaching basic obedience, and consulting professional dog trainers can help manage humping behavior in female dogs. With patience, understanding, and the right approach, you can help your female dog beat the humping blues!
- Understanding the reasons behind a female dog's humping behavior can be traced back to science, as it involves exploring various psychological and behavioral aspects, such as frustration, playtime, seeking attention, dominance, compulsive behavior, lack of stimulation, and potential medical issues.
- Improving a female dog's overall health-and-wellness can aid in managing humping behavior, as addressing stress, anxiety, providing mental and physical stimulation, and teaching basic obedience can provide effective strategies to help your dog beat the humping blues.
