[LabbieMama]

My 5 year old neutered male Yellow Lab has a humping / mounting issue. Everytime we visit a dog park, he becomes fixated on a certain dog and persists to mount / hump that dog. Whenever a new dog arrives at the dog park, my Lab has to be the first one to greet / hump the dog. I know that mounting is an instinctual behavior but I also think my Lab is doing it excessively. I'm embarrassed when other people at the dog parks have to pull my Lab off of another dog.
Does anyone else here on this Forum have a similar issue with their dog and how was it dealt with?

 

[Rexandbaby]

If it is a dominance issue, then you have to make sure that your dog sees you as the alpha, and just tell him no way. Our command was "Not Now" he soon realized that not now meant not ever, but in the beginning, not now stop because, mom said so.

 

[RawFedDogs]

Everytime we visit a dog park, he becomes fixated on a certain dog and persists to mount / hump that dog. Whenever a new dog arrives at the dog park, my Lab has to be the first one to greet / hump the dog.

It's a dominance behavior and quite natural. You take your dog to the dog park to be a dog. Don't try to make him into a little furry human. Let him be a dog.

I know that mounting is an instinctual behavior but I also think my Lab is doing it excessively.

That's your opinion. Obviously he disagrees and at the dog park you are in his world (or at least should be).

I'm embarrassed when other people at the dog parks have to pull my Lab off of another dog.

Thats the problem with dog parks. There are people there who don't understand dog behavior. This behavior is part of the normal introduction ritual when dogs meet each other. It's like shaking hands. It's determining each dogs place in "society". Who is higher than the other.

Does anyone else here on this Forum have a similar issue with their dog and how was it dealt with?

I prefer to just let dogs be dogs. I understand many people not understanding what's going on. I usually try to explain it to him.

Funny side note: I had my Abby (Great Dane) at a dog park one time when a little pomeranian came up behind her, got on his hind legs and tried his best to hump her. :smile: He didn't even reach her knee. LOL I call that confidence. :smile: Or maybe ambition. :smile: Or maybe dreaming :smile:

 

[rannmiller]

Yeah, my roommate's male puppy used to mount my little guy. After a while of us trying to stop it, we just let it run it's course. It usually doesn't last more than 30 seconds (which I know can seem like forever if you're watching your pet get raped by a random stranger's dog). But usually either the humpee will not accept this, snap back and the other dog will back off. Or the humper will get tired of it and stop (like I said, after about 30 seconds or so).

Now my roommate's dog is so much taller than my little guy that when he starts to hump Milo, Milo just walks away out from under him and Kody is left standing there looking confused like, "What happened, this used to work so well."

 

[LabbieMama]

I agree with RawFedDogs' response. The reason why I bring my dogs to the dog park is to let them be dogs. But, I'm tired of other people pulling my dog off other dogs. Other people who correct my dog and even say to my dog, "No humping allowed here!" As if my dog understood. I hate the way people look at me when my dog and I enter the park as if to say, "here's the humper again!"
Both of my dogs know I am the alpha. It is quite clear to them. But at the dog park is where their instincts kick in.

 

[rannmiller]

That's just rude! You should definitely try to talk to the people about it, try to explain to them that this is a DOG park for dogs to play and be dogs. I got annoyed last time I went because my lab/pit likes to bark at the other dogs, especially when someone throws a ball and both dogs go to run after it. She barks at them to throw them off so she can have the competitive edge or something. I think she's just having a good time, everyone else looks at me like I've brought this terrible bully into their territory. Dogs bark, I'm sorry but they do and it's a fact of life.

 

[BoxerMommie]

And one more reason to add to the list of why I don't attend dog parks LoL.

Good luck though, it sounds like you're having more issues with the people than the dogs to be honest, so if it's the people that are the problem I would speak to them or just say too bad, do you really want people like that as friends anyway? Ask them nicely to stop touching your dog and just go about your business.

 

[chowder]

As long as we're on the subject we just had Rocky neutered at 5 months old. Before that we had to take away his giant stuffed lion because whenever he would play with it, he would start humping it and that would lead to trying it out on my 11 year old Lhasa who is just too old to put up with that from a 50 pound puppy! Anyway, now that he is neutered and it's been a month without his friendly lion, is there any harm in letting him have his way with his stuffed toys? The vet told me it might get to be a habit with him and to keep it away from him but he REALLY loves his lion and his stuffed toys! He doesn't have any other dogs to play with because we don't have dog parks here and I haven't talked my husband into another puppy yet!

 

[LabbieMama]

At this point, I'm reminded of a popular bumper sticker:

"The more people I meet, the more I love my dog."

How true. Oftentimes people ARE the problem.

My Lab was neutered at age 3 (he's a rescue dog, before he was rescued he was not neutered) I adopted him at age 4. So he has been intact for 3 years, long enough for him to have an ingrained habit of humping, I guess....

 

[BoxerMommie]

At this point, I'm reminded of a popular bumper sticker:

"The more people I meet, the more I love my dog."

How true. Oftentimes people ARE the problem.

My Lab was neutered at age 3 (he's a rescue dog, before he was rescued he was not neutered) I adopted him at age 4. So he has been intact for 3 years, long enough for him to have an ingrained habit of humping, I guess....

This is actually a HUGE misconception. My dog was neutered at 6 months EXACTLY 6 months but he's a very dominant dog and he will mount on occasion. Mounting for dominance really doesn't have anything to do with neutering it simply has to do with your dog's individual personality and if they are a dominant personality or not.

 

[Rexandbaby]

Rex is a male GSD, Baby is a female JRT. She really is alpha between the two of them. But every now and then, Rex who is now almost 4, still tries to hump her. He also was fixed at 6 months old. She was also fixed at 6 months, and she insists on lifting her leg like a male, but Rex justs leans forward more like a horse. Too funny!

 

[rannmiller]

Anyway, now that he is neutered and it's been a month without his friendly lion, is there any harm in letting him have his way with his stuffed toys?

I'd say try it and if he gets in the habit of humping his lion without humping your lhasa then it should be fine. Maybe if he tries to go for your Lhasa you could use some sort of clicker training method so he knows that lions are ok for humping, but senior dog citizens are not?

Or maybe if he starts humping the lion, then take it away again.

 

[EnglishBullTerriers]

My Bull Terrier is almost 11 months old now and he is still 'intact' and he doesn't hump anything when I am around. As soon as I leave him alone, he would always try to mate with a female pit mix that I rescued because she was still cycling. (She had puppies 2 months after I got her and she got out of my house at the beginning of her cycle. I got Owen 1 month after I got her!!) I haven't had any problems with humping. I think that it partly depends on the nature of the dog and the training that you provide. It does also have to do with where you and other dogs stand to your dog in his eyes. He might just see himself at the top of the ladder at the dog park and as number 2 to you!! I don't see anything wrong with that. I do think that you should let people know that you do not appreciate that they repramand your dog, that should be your job. The only reason that I will repramand someone elses dog is if I jumps up on me or tries to hurt my dogs.

BTW, Owen also does the 'lean foward like a male horse' thing also and my female terrier mix 'squats and lifts'! It really is a funny site to see!!

 

[LabbieMama]

My female Shepherd Mix is the dominant one of my pair of dogs. Gunther never tries to dominate her. At home with me there is never any humping involved. The only time I see it happen is when we are at the dog parks. Being that my female is the dominant one, she NEVER humps other dogs at the parks -- it's always the male doing all the humping at the parks. I think it's interesting to note.

 

[rannmiller]

Maybe she's more secure in her dominance and your lab is trying to establish his since he can't at home? Dogs are interesting creatures, that's for sure.

My male, Milo, also squats and leans like a male horse, but it's better than what he was doing. He'd just kind of stand there and pee and since he's a short, long dog, he'd often get pee all over the back of his front legs. Now he squats and leans or lifts (but only on walks).

 

[rockymtsweetie82]

Our male is constantly humping our female. Call it dominance or just plain horniness, I don't really care. I tell him to stop. Lately, our female has been humping our male. LOL. That's just too funny.

 

[LabbieMama]

What's even funnier is when they hump "backwards" --- meaning, humping the head!!

 

[rockymtsweetie82]

Omgoodness yes, that's how China does it!! Mako tries to get it right but China's so wiggly that he just humps what he can get. lol. Soon she'll be going into heat...Probably around December. Then the humping can actually have some meaning other than arguing which one is the big boss in the pack! lol

 

[PukinHovi]

It's a dominance behavior and quite natural. You take your dog to the dog park to be a dog. Don't try to make him into a little furry human. Let him be a dog.



That's your opinion. Obviously he disagrees and at the dog park you are in his world (or at least should be).



Thats the problem with dog parks. There are people there who don't understand dog behavior. This behavior is part of the normal introduction ritual when dogs meet each other. It's like shaking hands. It's determining each dogs place in "society". Who is higher than the other.



I prefer to just let dogs be dogs. I understand many people not understanding what's going on. I usually try to explain it to him.

Funny side note: I had my Abby (Great Dane) at a dog park one time when a little pomeranian came up behind her, got on his hind legs and tried his best to hump her. :smile: He didn't even reach her knee. LOL I call that confidence. :smile: Or maybe ambition. :smile: Or maybe dreaming :smile:

thank you thank you thank you for this comment, let dogs be dogs please. Mine goes to the same woods every day,since he was 8 weeks, so naturally he assumes this is his territory. He never hurt another dog, but he is quiet vocal and loud when greeting other dogs, a few seconds of raised hackles and some barking, playing king kong and its over, but people just have issues with it, thinking he is agressive. I also see a great difference between dogs in germany and dogs in the US, its hard to explain, but most US dogs we meet seem to have all alpha drives removed entirely, seldomly another dog that is being approached by my dog gives him any static, they just seem very submissive. The funny about this one is that my dog is actually not really all that tough, he is 80 pounds and turns into a shivering furball when he meets my friends 30 pound mud, quiet commical actually to watch.

That why i like the winter in the park, no fair weather amateurs around to give us static.

 

[LabbieMama]

That why i like the winter in the park, no fair weather amateurs around to give us static.

Good dog owners know that dogs need DAILY exercise, socialization, and mental stimulation regardless of the weather.

Dog parks that I frequent in my region are well-attended in winters as well as summers. Dogs just love running and playing in the snow. My Lab loves to hunt for hidden toys buried in the snow. (that's mental stimulation.)

As for being an amateur, OK, I will humbly confess to that. Even though I've grown up with dogs, I have owned dogs only for a short time during my adulthood (I'm approaching age 50 now.) That's because I was married for 21 years to a man who didn't like animals and would not allow any animals in our house. Within a few weeks after he moved out, I got my first rescued dog (a Greyhound) and I was in heaven. "Get rid of the husband and get a dog!", my friends encouraged me, because they knew I wasn't happy without a dog in my life. How right they were.

Now, back to the subject at hand: Ever since Gunther started attending doggie daycare on a weekly basis, his "doggie manners" have greatly improved. The day care owner suspects it's just a lack of proper socialization during Gunther's puppyhood that attributed to his constant "bad manners" at the dog parks.

Whenever I bring him to the dog parks now, he plays and runs just fine without as much humping behavior. And I just sit back and let him be a dog.