# Four Month Old Humping



## sillysausagedog (Nov 5, 2012)

My four month old mini dachshund has started humping other dogs (either sex). I think it's in play, he seems too young for it to be sexual and people have told me he's trying to be dominant, but I don't think it is. He shows no other dominant behaviours that I can see, and on one rather memorable occasion he started humping a large golden retriever during puppy class while she was playing with another dog and she didn't even notice. (Size matters! ) He's also done it in the same play session as submitting by rolling on to his back. He doesn't hump people, toys, or anything else. 

Do you have any thoughts on how to stop this? I do find it embarrassing, especially in front of kids.  The vet nurse at puppy class said that neutering will stop it, but I don't believe it necessarily does and don't want to get him done. Not yet, anyway.


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

sillysausagedog said:


> My four month old mini dachshund has started humping other dogs (either sex). I think it's in play, he seems too young for it to be sexual and people have told me he's trying to be dominant, but I don't think it is. He shows no other dominant behaviours that I can see, and on one rather memorable occasion he started humping a large golden retriever during puppy class while she was playing with another dog and she didn't even notice. (Size matters! ) He's also done it in the same play session as submitting by rolling on to his back. He doesn't hump people, toys, or anything else.
> 
> Do you have any thoughts on how to stop this? I do find it embarrassing, especially in front of kids.  The vet nurse at puppy class said that neutering will stop it, but I don't believe it necessarily does and don't want to get him done. Not yet, anyway.


Its probably play and likely does it when he gets hyper and excited even more. Pups in the litter bark bite chase and mount each other in play so likely its mostly why he is doing it at the moment and its confined to other dogs and he isnt doing it to people cushions and other things like some do.

I would try interruption and distraction, try an ahh ahh to interupt call him to you and get him to do a sit or another command and then praise him for coming when called and doing a command you then even give him a treat for practising the alternative behaviour instead, that way there can be no accidental praising for the humping and re-enforcing that in error.

Dont make a big thing of the humping and remain calm, making a big thing of it and giving him loads of attention for it will just make it even more rewarding and likely re-enforce it further.


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## newfiesmum (Apr 21, 2010)

sillysausagedog said:


> My four month old mini dachshund has started humping other dogs (either sex). I think it's in play, he seems too young for it to be sexual and people have told me he's trying to be dominant, but I don't think it is. He shows no other dominant behaviours that I can see, and on one rather memorable occasion he started humping a large golden retriever during puppy class while she was playing with another dog and she didn't even notice. (Size matters! ) He's also done it in the same play session as submitting by rolling on to his back. He doesn't hump people, toys, or anything else.
> 
> Do you have any thoughts on how to stop this? I do find it embarrassing, especially in front of kids.  The vet nurse at puppy class said that neutering will stop it, but I don't believe it necessarily does and don't want to get him done. Not yet, anyway.


Neutering will not stop it, especially at his age. My male newfie did hump from the age of ten months to two years, as I would not get him fixed until he had fully grown, but that was definitely sexual. Now he still does it occasionally but it is different and only with one or two dogs he has taken a fancy to.

Puppies will very often hump an older dog out of playfulness or friendliness or just anxiety because the dog is so much bigger than them. All you need do is to pull him away. Keep a short lead on him if you can so you are not grabbing his collar, or a harness so you have something else to grip other than a collar.

You will learn to see the signs of when he is going to do it and perhaps be able to body block him before he does it. This is what I do with my newfie as he is too big to allow them to sort themselves out, but I know that look.

And don't be embarrassed. It really is a very natural thing for a dog to do no matter what the reasons and I have even known bitches to do it.


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## JAChihuahua (Nov 23, 2012)

Lady does this - and she's a girl, I had assumed it was normal puppy play?

Ive not been commenting on it (I dont say a word), but I do try and distract her by waving a toy infront of her face.

It only happens when were out on a puppy playdate (her victims yesterday were a gorgeous samoyed 4mo pup and his 4yr big brother). She seems to get soooo excited and is extreemly hyped up and its at this point that she starts humping.


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## Jenny Olley (Nov 2, 2007)

In my experience at this age it is all conected to play, it is often done by pups that are less confident, please don't consider having him neutered at his age, it wont stop the behaviour you are seeing and may well cause him to have less confidence, which may cause other issues.


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## cazbah (Nov 2, 2009)

my 13 week old Jack Russell arrived with a humping habit as Sled Dog suggests distraction works, he is 15 months old now and sometimes grabs hubby's arm when they are playing but we still divert his attention, he has never 'sexually' humped and lives alongside another unneutered make quite happily.


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## BoredomBusters (Dec 8, 2011)

Puppy play is all about practising behaviours they might need as an adult, it's unlikely to be hormone related unless he's also lifting his leg to pee, but small dogs can come into their hormones quite young - I saw a small dog in season at 5 months once. Castrating at this age could be detrimental to his development, I don't distract, I teach all dogs Leave (or No) and just use that.

Dogs of all ages, castrated or not, male or female, can take it into their heads to try to hump another dog - the most common recipient I see are labradors who were castrated before a year old... I have my own theories why that it. 

Funnily enough, the dog that does it least is the uncastrated 8 month old teenager in the house!


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## Sarah1983 (Nov 2, 2011)

Spencer will hump if play with another dog gets too intense. If I catch him before he starts an "ah!" stops it but otherwise I just remove him for a minute or two, let him calm down and then let him go again. I don't think it's either sexual or dominance with him, I think it's just over excitement.


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## sillysausagedog (Nov 5, 2012)

Thanks all, I'm pleased there's an agreement that it's just in play. Because he's doing it to other dogs I get old dominance theories from their owners every single time, despite it not fitting the rest of his behaviour or personality at all. 

It sounds like like I've been handling it in line with how most of you would. I'll try giving him a command then rewarding next time too.


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## newfiesmum (Apr 21, 2010)

sillysausagedog said:


> Thanks all, I'm pleased there's an agreement that it's just in play. Because he's doing it to other dogs I get old dominance theories from their owners every single time, despite it not fitting the rest of his behaviour or personality at all.
> 
> It sounds like like I've been handling it in line with how most of you would. I'll try giving him a command then rewarding next time too.


There is a woman near me who runs a rescue and is supposed to know all about dogs. I saw her the other day when she was walking her dogs and I had just stopped Ferdie from getting near one of his favourite targets,and just happened to say: I wonder what it is about that dog. Her reply was: It's a rank thing.

It was all I could do not to say what a load of codswallop. I will never understand why people think that their dog is trying to dominate everything but when it is people, I get really cross.

He is doing what dogs do, nothing more, nothing less. No special scientific reasons that need to be gone into.


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## jbw54 (Apr 24, 2012)

My young one did this when my daughter brought her pup over, it was always when they started playing and got excited when they saw each other. We just used to get a toy and catch his attention so he would play with that. He doesnt bother as much now only occasionally i think it's just a play thing


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## koolchick (Apr 5, 2011)

I'm sure my 4 month old has humped while playing before I find it embarrasing but he hasn't done it for a bit and never to another dog. Out of 5 dogs I've had I've only known 2 to hump not including my pup. 1 was a girl dog who had been spayed before we got her so spaying doesn't solve that and the other was my last dog who wasn't neutered he'd do it to other dogs sometimes. 2 other male dogs wasn't neutered and never humped so some dogs do others don't neutering or spaying has nothing to do with it.


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## GermanShepardOwner (Aug 20, 2012)

Most dogs will do it because of overexcitement, it can be sexual as its natural for them, also some will do it just because they can. Neutering can help as will reduce hormones but it is a very small percentage, training and discouraging will help the most. I would say a loud ah ah sound with a clap, if it doesnt help then remove for 20-30 seconds.


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