WHY DOES MY STERILIZED DOG HUMP?:
I’ve recently encountered a few incidents where a neutered male Jack Russel wanted to hump my arm, and in the same househould, the other neutered male humped a blanket. One would ask why would they do that even if they are neutered. This can be a communication tool for them to try and tell us something.
This is due to a number of reasons why dogs hump:
- In this particular household, the one humping my arm was due to over excitement.
- In the same household, the Jack Russel humping the blanket was possible a combination of excitement and anxiety. Dogs that are anxious, or stressed, will also sometimes hump.
- If the dogs are not neutered or spayed, humping can be seen as a sexual act if the female is on heat.
- Underlying medical problems.
- Attention seeking, habit or play.
The important thing is not to let them make a habit of it of humping you, or cushions, blankets, etc. If it suddenly started, speak to your vet first and check if there are any underlying problems and treat accordingly. If its more for attention, or play, etc. always redirect like playing tug (I found it worked quite well with the Jack Russel humping my arm) as a more acceptable behavior. If stressed related, once again, see if you can do calming things with the dog like something to chew on, or speak to your vet for calming medication if severely stressed for some reason.
If your dog struggle with these issue and not sure what to do, kindly contact me.