Humping or mounting is one of the most commonly seen sexual behaviours in dogs. While both female and male and neutered and unneutered dog may mount one another in play there is a clear difference between the mounting that lasts briefly in a bout of energetic wrestling and the determined mounting of the unneutered male.
Many owners find such behaviour embarrassing or even funny but few view it as a serious problem. Here at 4Paws Outdoors we consider it to be a problem behaviour when it is sustained and when it aggravates other dogs. There are some entire males who will given the opportunity spend the entire day clamped onto another dog. This is understandably irritating for the recipient and can ultimately lead to squabbles and injury.
The main reason for mounting is as displaced sexual behavior analogous to masturbation. This is often seen in puppies who have a favourite toy they like to mount. This also helps to explain why it can be hard to break the habit in determined humpers as the dog has learnt that it is a gratifying behaviour. The longer the period of time that a dog is allowed to display sexual traits such as mounting the greater the likelihood that such behaviours will become habits.
Excessive humping is an irritating and antisocial trait which can best be resolved by neutering at an appropriate time during adolescence.
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