# Bitch Humping, Excessive Licking, strange behaviour.



## RobertShaw

After coming off her first heat a couple of months ago Zeta developed a very occasional trait where she would lick inside my elbow then proceed to hump! I would put a stop to it right away.

Now tonight she's gone nuts humping as she licks in a very strange way, like I've never seen before almost like she's trying to masterbate. She's stood over my partners JR as he rests, trying to hump him side on, then climbing over him, while her bits rub over his head!

What's puzzling is it's like there's a trigger that's just started it. But no idea what it could be. We're just relaxing with some quiet time! She seemed to get a bit strange by moving around and looking at us as if to say "what's happening to me"?

She spends plenty of time round my partners dog, he's the dominant one. But he has not shown any interest in humping behaviour since she was on heat. They play together and get on together very well with plenty of exercise.

Do I try to this behaviour or ignore? 

To be honest it seems a bit wrong, strange out of character


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## Hertsgirl

I think it's more than likely a dominance thing, my female dog does the same to my male puppy. She's trying to show him who's boss. It's not always a sexual thing when dogs do this.


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## Meezey

Hertsgirl said:


> I think it's more than likely a dominance thing, my female dog does the same to my male puppy. She's trying to show him who's boss. It's not always a sexual thing when dogs do this.


It's also nothing to do with dominance...


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## Meezey

RobertShaw said:


> After coming off her first heat a couple of months ago Zeta developed a very occasional trait where she would lick inside my elbow then proceed to hump! I would put a stop to it right away.
> 
> Now tonight she's gone nuts humping as she licks in a very strange way, like I've never seen before almost like she's trying to masterbate. She's stood over my partners JR as he rests, trying to hump him side on, then climbing over him, while her bits rub over his head!
> 
> What's puzzling is it's like there's a trigger that's just started it. But no idea what it could be. We're just relaxing with some quiet time! She seemed to get a bit strange by moving around and looking at us as if to say "what's happening to me"?
> 
> She spends plenty of time round my partners dog, he's the dominant one. But he has not shown any interest in humping behaviour since she was on heat. They play together and get on together very well with plenty of exercise.
> 
> Do I try to this behaviour or ignore?
> 
> To be honest it seems a bit wrong, strange out of character


Like humans dogs mature and their hormones change, they reach sexual maturity and go through a lot of the same changes ( think back to when you were a teenager), there are many forms of arousal.

I'd distract her from the behavior so it doesn't become a habit..


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## Guest

It’s probably just hormonal wackiness coming off her heat. Was this her first heat? Is the other dog she hangs out with intact? Might also want to keep an eye on her for a UTI or vaginitis. Some dogs get humpy when things get itchy or uncomfortable down there.


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## ClaireandDaisy

Dominance theory is tosh.
Humping is an excitement / stress behaviour, triggered by boredom or anxiety. Bitches exhibit this as much as male dogs because dogs do not equate sex with procreation. It is merely one of the many instinctive behaviours in their makeup.Yes it could be itchy... but I would expect her to nibble at the area rather than rub it. 
Look at what is happening before she does this if you want to work out `why`... but it could now be a learned behaviour trait. (i.e. this gets me attention / it`s fun / it relives my frustration about not being able to reach the food on the table ) so it may be that she does it because she does it...
If it bothers you, teach an alternative behaviour. So when she starts licking your elbow, teach her a trick or do some retrieves.


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## Hertsgirl

People can be so rude on this forum, I simply commented on dominance but clearly I know nothing, even though the vet has told me this in the past.


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## Meezey

Hertsgirl said:


> People can be so rude on this forum, I simply commented on dominance but clearly I know nothing, even though the vet has told me this in the past.


Why are people rude? Now you know humping has nothing to do with dominance? Your Vet is incorrect..

*"HUMP FREE!" *
Flash back to the late 1990s, my husband used to have a service dog named Bailey. One of Bailey's funniest commands (due to how Bailey was trained I will use the word command) was Hump Free. It meant stop humping whatever you are currently humping. It could have been a person sitting on the ground, a pillow, dog bed, another dog or a large stuffed animal. If he did not stop humping, he would be corrected, either by a leash correction or a shock from his shock collar. He would slowly slink off and hang his head down avoiding everyone. The trainers deemed him dominant and that the behavior could not be tolerated.

Flash forward to 2015. Understanding humping is evolving research. We are starting to understand that humping as a very hard-wired behavior that can have a variety of "reasons" behind the action.

https://positively.com/contributors/why-does-my-dog-hump-everything/

There are lots of studies out there to show what the behavior is about dominance isn't one of them!!

Dog have no wish to dominate anything( say a cushion) .. or anyone..


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## Guest

Hertsgirl said:


> People can be so rude on this forum, I simply commented on dominance but clearly I know nothing, even though the vet has told me this in the past.


I wouldn't worry too much  Everyone has a different posting style and tone doesn't always translate as well in written form as it does in person. 
Your vet is incorrect, but dominance theory was around for a long time and lots of people have trouble letting go (or getting new information). Vets are not always the best ones to offer behavior advice - unless we're talking credentialed veterinary behaviorist


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## RobertShaw

Thanks for the replies. It seems very much like she was being over excited. She's tried a couple of times since but it was stopped.


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