Your beloved dog has found another way to shock you with her behavior. Suddenly, she has started humping, and whatever and whomever she reaches – from you, furniture, other people, or other dogs… I completely understand your question: Why does my female dog hump all of a sudden?
Right at the beginning, let us comfort you and say that this kind of dog behavior is normal. Both females and males hump.
But, the dog’s humping behavior can be quite uncomfortable, especially when your dog feels free to hump on your guests. And, if it’s a person who isn’t much of an animal fan, you must have wished at that moment that you had a magic wand with which to stop your rabid puppy!
But, for every problem, there is a solution. Let’s get to the point, and first find out what the causes of this behavior in dogs are. After that, we will also find out what you can do to prevent such outbursts in your dog.
Why Does My Female Dog Hump All Of A Sudden?
You have probably seen male dogs humping a lot of the time. But now, you have noticed this in your female dog, and you are rather surprised. Do female dogs hump other dogs, too? Why does my female dog hump all of a sudden?
Humping might be seen in male dogs more often, but this does not mean that a female dog won’t hump, too. Humping (or mounting behavior) is completely normal in dogs. However, we know that it is very inappropriate.
So, why does my dog hump things?
1. The Dog Is Excited
You went for a leisurely walk to the dog park with your furry friend. Suddenly, your female dog started humping. A possible reason for this is that you met a person or another dog, which caused your dog to become excited.
So, humping might be the dog’s way of showing that she is happy to see someone… a strange way to show it indeed, but we all know how our dogs came up with many funny ideas! That is one of the many reasons why we love them.
Excitement in many dogs arouses their drive to hump. If this is the reason, you have nothing to be worried about since you have found the trigger for this inappropriate behavior in your puppy.
2. The Dog Is Not Adequately Socialized
You recently brought a new dog into your home. You notice that the dog does not show obedience all the time, and that it is not easy to train him.
In addition, your disobedient dog has started humping! It is possible that you are dealing with an inappropriately socialized dog. Lack of socialization is an additional cause of dog humping. Perhaps no one has taught your new puppy basic obedience training.
Although training such a dog may seem quite challenging, we encourage you not to give up! Any dog can become an obedient and good-natured dog with adequate training and socialization.
Some dogs need to be shown dominance in order to fully understand who the boss is in the house. Of course, this should be done with positive reinforcement, not harsh punishment. You should never punish your dog for any kind of behavior. Bear in mind how sensitive all dogs are.
3. The Dog Is Seeking Your Attention
If your female dog has suddenly started humping, it is possible that she is seeking attention from you.
With these behavioral outbursts, your dog wants to prove to you that she is missing something or that something is not as she likes.
Maybe your attention-seeking dog spent the whole day alone, and now she’s letting you know she’s not happy about it. Maybe you were too busy the last few days and didn’t go out with her for regular walks. Maybe she lacks mental stimulation and needs new creative activities.
Here, it is important to discover the exact cause of this unwanted behavior, and then work on a solution.
4. Humping Is A Part Of a Dog’s Play
In some cases, humping in female dogs is just a part of play behavior.
You’ve already seen your dog in action plenty of times: during playtime, there’s hardly a thing that won’t cross her mind!
So, humping can be one of the ways for your dog to have fun. This is completely harmless and normal behavior in both male and female dogs. Although we believe that your dog’s humping also irritates you, we assure you that this is completely common behavior in a dog.
5. The Dog’s Sexuality Is The Cause Of Humping
I am sure that many of you thought of hormones and sexuality when you read the title, Why does my female dog hump all of a sudden? Well, you are right!
A female dog’s sexual behavior is very often shown through her humping. So, why do dogs hump? Just like humping is a sign that a male dog wants to mate, we can see the same behavior in female dogs.
You have noticed this inappropriate behavior of your dog with other dogs, stuffed animals, or with people. You’ve even witnessed your dog humping the air!
If your dog has not been sterilized, it is clear that she will hump a male dog she is sexually attracted to. If you don’t want your family to expand by several puppies, you need to watch out for this kind of behavior.
In case you do not want your dog to have puppies at all, it is necessary to spay her.
6. The Dog Is Stressed Or Frustrated
In some cases, a dog’s humping can be the result of a situation that is stressful for her.
For example, maybe your dog has found herself in an unfamiliar environment. There are unknown people near her whom she does not trust.
Maybe the dog is simply upset because of a new situation, and her way of showing her frustration is by humping a person, furniture, or an animal.
7. The Dog Wants To Show Dominance
Your female dog humps all of a sudden in a dog park or in doggie daycare. What is going on?
Maybe your dog is trying to show dominance. Some dogs like to take the lead, and are used to being the center of attention. When they find themselves in the company of other dogs, they still want to feel like the top dog.
Humping in your female dog can therefore also be a sign of dominance.
8. Humping As A Dog’s Habit
After a long struggle with your dog’s unpleasant humping behavior, you decided to sterilize her. However, even after spaying, your female dog continues to hump.
Why does this keep happening?
Simply, your dog has adopted a certain pattern of behavior, and it has now become her habit. So, your dog does not hump due to sexual frustration, an attempt to show dominance, or during playtime, but simply out of habit.
The bad news is when a dog’s humping becomes a sign of compulsive behavior.
If you notice that your dog is using all kinds of life situations such as some stressing moment, exciting moment, or as an everyday technique to show you that she needs more attention – this is when you should be worried.
This means that your dog’s humping has become compulsive. One good idea here is to take advice from a professional dog behaviorist.
All pet parents love their dogs, but this does not mean that they have solutions for all their problems. A professional behaviorist will have a better understanding of this dog behavior. After all, there are certain things that are simply too much for us to handle.
9. The Dog Is Still Very Young
If you just got a new puppy, and she is still very young, don’t be surprised if she humps on things, people, or other animals often!
Simply, this is part of the dog’s growing up phase.
Your little dog is full of energy, exploring the world around her, and everything is exciting and new for her right now. An adult dog will probably hump at a much lesser extent than a small puppy, and probably, she will stop altogether.
10. The Dog Has Some Medical Problem
Unfortunately, in some cases, the existence of a health problem can be the reason why your female dog humps.
If, in addition to humping, you have noticed that your dog frequently licks its genitals, rubs itself on the couch, and generally seems to be in pain, it is possible that she has a certain medical issue.
In male dogs, humping can be caused by Priapism. In female dogs, most often, it can be caused by a Urinary Tract Infection, incontinence, or skin allergies.
A visit to the vet is recommended as soon as you notice that the previous symptoms have appeared in your dog.
So, if you notice sudden humping behavior in your female dog, it is good to pay attention to your dog’s urine color chart.
How Can I Stop My Dog From Humping?
At first, it was funny to you, but when you noticed how often this happens, it became annoying and even tiring to watch your dog constantly humping on things, people, animals… everything that gets in her way!
We have already mentioned that this kind of dog behavior is normal, but that does not mean that it is desirable or that you should let her hump all the time.
Fortunately, there are certain methods that can stop your dog from humping frequently.
Teach Your Dog That This Behavior Is Undesirable
When you catch your dog humping, you need to let her know that this behavior is not acceptable.
If your dog is quite intelligent and learns commands easily, this probably won’t be a problem. However, if you are dealing with a slightly more stubborn dog for whom obedience is not their main feature, then using commands like ‘no’, ‘leave it’, or ‘stop it’ probably won’t have an immediate effect.
So, what can you do about this?
It is useful to use positive reinforcement to discourage your dog from humping. For example, you can use your dog’s favorite treat as a key tool.
Invite her to come, and give her food – this way, you will divert your dog’s attention from humping over to food.
In the future, the dog will immediately stop humping, and will follow you because she will believe that a treat is waiting for her. Over time, this inappropriate behavior should become rarer, and eventually disappear altogether.
Start On Time
To make sure that the humping behavior will not become a compulsive habit of your dog, it is important to prevent this behavior when your dog is still a puppy.
In some cases, we know how to encourage our dog to behave in a certain way without even being aware of it.
Maybe your little dog was humping another dog and you were laughing.
This act was funny to you – you saw it for the first time, and you did not attach too much importance to it.
However, your dog may have perceived this as approval. After reading your body language, the dog didn’t pick up any resentment or a reaction from you that would reveal that her act was wrong.
So, the sooner you start showing your dog what is good and what is bad, the better!
Puppyhood is a time when your dog learns so many things and behavior patterns. If she gets to know that humping is an unwanted behavior while she is still very young, it is more likely that she will not develop the habit of showing this behavior.
Of course, every dog is individual, and learning a certain behavior pattern will not be the same for every dog. However, it is useful to start as early as possible regardless of the type of dog.
Spay Your Dog
Humping might be a sign that your dog needs to be spayed.
So, if you spay your female dog, this could be a way to end this undesirable behavior. Also, if you have no plans for your dog to reproduce, it is advisable to sterilize her.
In some cases, even spayed or neutered dogs will still continue to show humping behavior. However, this will probably reduce it drastically. If your dog continues to hump even after sterilization, then it is probably a habit she has acquired.
If you think that spaying is the best solution for your dog’s humping problem, consult your veterinarian.
Ask For Professional Help
You’ve tried everything, but it just doesn’t work. Your dog doesn’t want to stop humping!
You are slowly losing patience and want to give up. You’ve resigned yourself to the fact that you’ll simply feel uncomfortable wherever you go with your dog that will hump on whatever comes her way.
Still, we tell you not to despair!
In case you have not been able to prevent your dog from humping on your own, you can always seek the help of a dog trainer.
An experienced dog trainer will be able to show dominance to your dog, and there is a high possibility that your dog will obey him even before you.
In some cases, the dog simply does not see her owner as a dominant leader, but as her friend. So, we advise you to seek professional help, and then you can enjoy your calm and obedient dog!
FAQs
Why Is My Female Dog Humping My Male Dog?
This can happen for a couple of reasons.
First, this can be an indication of sexual arousal. So, this kind of behavior is completely normal, and you don’t need to panic if you see your female humping the male.
This is her way of exploring her sexuality. In some cases, it may be possible that your dog has a hormonal imbalance, but in most cases, this behavior will simply be – sexual pleasure.
By humping the male, it is also possible that the female dog wants to prove to him that she is dominant. So, maybe your dog wants to stand out as the leader of the pack, and show this by humping the male.
Finally, your female dog may be excited about something completely different, but she will show it by humping the male dog. In addition to excitement, the dog can show that she is stressed or upset in this way.
Why Does My Female Dog Hump Me All Of A Sudden?
Female dogs can also hump people; not only dogs.
Why is this happening? Can dogs get sexually attracted to humans?
Well, this dog’s behavior does not have to be sexual. You should consider the circumstances. Maybe your dog lacks mental stimulation. You should try giving her some new puzzle toys or similar activities.
If this keeps your dog entertained, then you have found your solution – boredom or lack of activity provoked humping behavior in your dog.
Also, maybe you have been out all day. You just entered the house and your dog instantly started humping you.
Maybe she is lonely and is suffering from separation anxiety.
See, there are different reasons why your female dog humps you all of a sudden. You know your dog the best so just try reading the signs of her behavior. Dogs are highly emotional animals, and we can learn a lot from their body posture, barking, howling, and – humping!
Is It OK To Let My Female Dog Hump?
Since we have established that humping is a normal behavior in both male and female dogs, it can be said that it would be okay to let your dog hump. However, we would recommend that you do not do this.
If you have noticed this only a few times, and you soon discovered the cause of this behavior, there is no reason for alarm. These are just occasional outbursts of your dog, and this behavior probably does not disturb your usual daily routine.
On the other hand, if your dog’s humping behavior is very frequent, and happens in almost every place you visit with your dog, it’s time to intervene!
If you let your dog hump anytime and anywhere, she will very easily start doing it with other things as well. You could soon have a wayward dog that refuses to obey, and will always do her own thing!
So, we recommend that you still try to put an end to your dog’s humping. Especially if you have noticed that humping has become your dog’s habit, or that it has become her way of showing dominance or expressing her feelings.
Bottom Line
We hope that you have found the answer to the question, Why does my female dog hump all of a sudden?
The truth is that most dog owners will eventually have to deal with this type of dog behavior. For some, it will be a short-term problem, but others will have to go through a serious struggle in order to have an obedient dog with no humping behavior problem.
Humping can also be noticed in female dogs just like in males. Some reasons for humping behavior are harmless, like your dog humping another dog during a play session, or your dog showing that she is excited by humping.
However, if humping becomes a behavior pattern for your dog, you could have a serious problem here. Also, humping can indicate some medical problems, so if you notice this all of a sudden in your dog, we suggest you contact a vet right away.
Finally, with a little effort or even with professional help, we believe that all dog owners will be able to eventually stop the humping behavior in their female dogs.
It might not be dangerous, but we all know how embarrassing this dog behavior can be.
We wish you the best of luck with turning your playful pooch into an obedient and well-behaved adult dog!
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