Awkward Moments in Pet Ownership: The Humping Dog

My previous dog was a Basset Hound, and like many of his breed, he was a clown. He loved to play and, on occasion, he would hump his favorite bear. This often manifested in a display which reminded me of a football center trying to hike a football - repeatedly. Needless to say it was a great giggle point for my friends, but I’d typically ignore it since it was easily manageable and preventable. Not everyone is that lucky.

Mounting or “humping” makes owners feel uncomfortable, even though animals know nothing of being prudish. I suspect much of the discomfort relates to the thought that their pet is showing sexual or “dominant” behavior while grinding away on a friend’s leg during a party. 

In reality, mounting is a very complex behavior which has a myriad of causes, none of which are related to your dog finding people attractive or trying to dominate your guest. To start off with, let’s go over things we know: humping is a natural behavior found in dogs for reproductive purposes. Any natural behavior is one that you’ll probably see puppies practicing while playing with one another. This goes for both sexes. If your pet is altered, it may decrease the biological need for the behavior, but it doesn’t remove it from their doggy “vocabulary”.  The behavior may be lessened, but can still erupt if there’s a local female in heat. Additionally, humping feels good - dogs will masturbate and will find an object (or person) as an acceptable proxy.

Another reason for humping is as coping mechanism to deal with social stress such as excitement, anxiety or frustration As a displacement behavior, humping fulfills the need to do “something” to dispel stress when emotionally conflicted—akin to human chewing on their finger nails. A prime time where humping will happen in this case may be during transitions (someone arriving or leaving), during intense play or when the pet can’t get what it really wants (a treat, a toy or access to another person or animal).

The issue at hand with this behavior is the human reaction to it: embarrassment. Reactions to the behavior are important since it could be considered as encouragement. If people are laughing, the dog sees this as a cue to do it again. Keep in mind, depending on the type of dog you have, yelling can ALSO be reinforcing if the goal was to get your attention. In general the act is self-rewarding, so don’t add to it! In rare cases, this can become a compulsive behavior (where the pet isn’t able to stop himself from performing the behavior). With all of this in mind, how can you explain to your dog you want him to be remain “G” rated?

Determine a few things: when does your dog do it, where, in what circumstance and for how long does it occur. Can your dog be interrupted when engaged in the behavior? These are essential questions. 

If you discover your dog engages in the behavior within the first 10 minutes from the arrival of guests - he may be doing it due to stress or excitement. Keep your dog in a bedroom with a food treat when guests arrive. When he seems calm, this is a good time to introduce him to the new arrivals. If he attaches himself to someone, call him or lead him away (no need to be angry, but apologize to your guest!) to an area where he can settle with a food toy or other activity.

If it seems to happen at the dog park when the dogs are playing, it may be play behavior. Teach your dog to have mini time-outs for treats if you see he’s getting revved up. Practice simple obedience cues for rewards, then send him back out again. Typical play behavior may be exhibited by a dog who mounts another for a few moments and goes back to playing. If your dog is the type who’s making the rounds humping a single or multiple dogs over and over again consider it may be a displacement behavior due to social stress. Consider a smaller or more mellow play group. If that appears too much, consider just taking him for walks with other dogs rather than overwhelming him with a “pack” at the park.

If your dog is mounting objects, determine if this is a big deal. Really, it’s not hurting anyone, so turning a blind eye isn’t wrong. If he’s doing it frequently, see if he can be positively distracted. DO NOT punish your dog for this behavior! If he’s doing it out of anxiety, it will just feed the reason for doing it in the first place. If his focus is on an inanimate object, you can manage the situation: put item away and engage him in other activities. Additionally, you might try introducing an incompatible behavior: Distract your dog for a game of tug or ask him to “sit”. It’s ideal to invoke these cues prior to your pet engaging in full blown humping. If your dog can’t be distracted (you’ve tried to remove him from the situation but he goes immediately back to it) consider an appointment with a Veterinary Behaviorist. 

A final note: don’t assume that your dog is trying to be dominant. Labeling an action as “dominant” is often misapplied and can erode the bond with the pet. Again, this behavior is most often shown in numerous emotional states which have nothing to do with a “power play” between people, animals or even stuffed animals. 

Nobody's Perfect

I’d like to dispel any skewed visions of how *awesomely behaved* my pets are since I work for the Behavior Service. When I sit down in the exam room with a client to discuss behavior modification, I often share my personal training challenges I’ve experienced with my own pets. It gives them perspective; after all, we aren’t training gods.  Nay, we‘re mere mortals with pets who can create mayhem and foolishness in our lives too. This often eases tension, because there’s less fear of judgment from the situation they’re facing.

I’ve yet to meet a trainer or Behaviorist who can (truthfully) proclaim that their pet is “perfect” in every way. That type of animal is as rare as a fabled unicorn. Though I adore my pets, they all have their own quirks.  Personally, I own a Beagle (insinkerator) who’s so devoted to all things “food” that he’s managed to get into child-locked trash cans and unscrewed the lid on his bear-container-like food receptacle (he looked like a hippo after the feeding frenzy). I kid you not, if he had an opposable thumb, I’d be hosed. He’d be building a drone to assist him in food acquisition from elevated surfaces, much to my dismay. 

After a long day, I occasionally feel my dogs are like the cobblers children who run around shoeless; they can be rude little beasts begging at the table, but hey, that indulgence isn’t going to kill anyone, so why not? We’re not immune from feeling tired and, frankly, lazy. The good thing is that we have the knowledge and skills to tweak things to set it all right again…when compelled.

The reason our advice works so well is because we don’t live our client’s lives. We aren’t suffering from the frustration, fear and anger that the owners are faced with each day. With our perspective, we’re emotionally removed and able to lend an objective eye to resolve the conflict. We can’t be totally devoid of emotion though. The fact that we’ve been down similar paths with our own pets provides a font of empathy, so we understand the emotions that put up road blocks to progress. Many times it’s not just the pet’s behavior causing a disconnect; it’s also the owner’s feelings of shame, failure or judgment that keeps people from seeking appropriate help in the first place. 

We’re real people who love and understand animals, but we’re not immune from having pets that make poor choices. The next time your dog does something that drives you crazy, please think of me walking into the house to find pickle juice, coffee grounds and the dregs of several days of who-knows-what all over my carpet with a Beagle happily wagging his tail in greeting. Oh, and don’t forget the part where I walk out the front door again, counting to ten to avoid a barrage of NC-17 language that’s dying to roll off my tongue.

The Galloping Gourmet

Dogs are wonderful animals that bring so much value to our lives. We love to play with them, pet them and snuggle – that is until we discover that Rover has been busy eating stool in the backyard. Yup, you heard that right. Eating poop is a gross doggy habit…I guess that’s one benefit of strictly owning cats. For those who have a pet with this affliction, your first question is probably “Oh my goodness. Why???!!!” Coprophagy, or eating of stool, is suspected to be caused by:

• Natural behavior: Female dogs clean their puppies and their den by eating stool. A large percentage of dogs that eat stool are females. The most common breed with this problem is Beagles.
• Underlying medical problems: This can be seen in pets with malabsorption in the gut, starvation or malnutrition (ensure your pet is getting a balanced good quality diet).
• A less discerning palate – they think it tastes good. Raiding the cat litter box rates highly as a popular bistro bar since cat food is higher in protein.

If your pet is eating his own stool, or those from your other dog, there are many preventatives including:

• Take your pet on walks and bag the stool as you go
• Do not yell at your pet when it consumes stool since this might accidentally reinforce the behavior
• Ensure you are providing a quality diet – talk to your vet for suggestions.
• Unfortunately, research has shown that no aversive additives work.

Out of all these preventatives, the most successful treatment is to pick the stool up right after your pet goes to the bathroom. Get your dog on a feeding schedule to help regulate stool production and make pick-up times more predictable. 

If your dog is a frequent flier to the cat litter box, consider making one bedroom or office the “cat domain”. Use a child gate to cordon off the area – your cat can jump over, but your dog is kept away from temptation.

If your pet is a scrounger on walks, keep him or her leashed and sequestered to paved areas where animals are less likely to eliminate. The biggest concern with coprophagy—other than rank dog breath—is the ingestion and transmission of intestinal parasites. If your pet tends to ingest stool be sure to have regular health exams and fecal testing to prevent infestation.

Don't Move My Cheese

I learned everything I needed to know about food aggression from a dog/animal actor named Chester. Our relationship started on a commercial set, where I worked as a second-trainer on a Three-Day Blinds commercial with him. He was an adorable wrinkle-beast, so cuddly it was hard not to fall in with love him. He reflected a mild nature, regardless if you scrubbed him up in the tub, cleaned his ears or provided a pedicure. He had a gentle mouth when offered treats, tail wagging and eyes sparkling. Over all, I thought of him as a gentle soul…until the day I fed him and attempted to pick up his food bowl. Watching the Exorcist would probably give you a good idea of the shock and awe on my face when I saw “that look” come across his face seconds before his teeth flashed near my hand! I jumped back – uninjured but deeply stunned.

This isn't an uncommon situation. Many people have perfectly lovely dogs - just so long there isn't a bowl or high-valued chewie sitting out. Food aggression is interesting in how owners react to the possessiveness. Let’s put this in perspective: I have a plate of chocolate chip cookie and I’m chowing down on them. I've been looking forward to this moment of bliss ALL DAY and now it’s coming to fruition. Suddenly, someone comes by and sticks their thumb in the middle of the cookie I’m eating. Then, as an indication of ultimate skeeziness, swipes the entire plate away while all the while telling me how BAD I am for getting upset. This is the travesty of being a dog. Misinformed people have perpetuated the idea of taking away food from puppies while they’re eating and scolding them for getting mad. Even worse: others put their hands in the bowl to ensure it’s understood who the Alpha is! In fact, you’re just being rude. You’re the provider of food and the one with the opposable thumb, so you really don’t need to put on such a needless show of power.

Food aggression is caused by the fear of losing a resource.

By taking that item away from the animal, you’re reinforcing that perception that their fear is valid. The only way to teach a dog that you’re not salivating over his bowl of kibble is to build trust. How can you do that? Become a provider rather than a thief.

If your dog is aggressive about food or toy – make your presence seem like a party. You want him to look forward to your presence while he’s eating rather than dread it.

•  Start by getting close enough so your pet can see you, but not so close that he stops eating, gives you the hairy eye-ball, growls or snarls.
•  Once you've established the “safe spot”, toss something truly special and delicious right near his bowl (like a piece of chicken or hotdog), then walk out of the room. You’re showing him “When I’m here, something awesome happens!”
•  With treat tossing as your mission, get slowly closer to the bowl during each meal, following the previous parameters of ensuring your pet isn't getting upset with your existence.

Eventually, you’ll find that when you walk into the room your pet may STOP eating and look up at you with a totally different expression – one of happy expectation. If he leaves the food bowl, so be it, you want him to be happy that you've come by the ol’ doggy trough to visit.

Do you want to take the bowl away, but Rover refuses? Do a trade: Have one person call him with a delicious morsel, while you whisk away the bowl. Note that throughout this scenario, there’s no yelling, intimidation or corrections. Fear is built on those principles. Trust, however, is grown through consistency, respect and understanding. If you do your job right, you’ll find that the training is much simpler than arranging an exorcism.

                                              Chester courtesy of Ron Kimball Photography