Puppy Humping: Is it normal and what to do?

Your friend just stopped by to say hello and meet your puppy and everything was going great… That is until your puppy got excited and started humping your friend’s leg. How embarrassing! So, what is this humping behavior, is it normal, and what can you do about it?

Is puppy humping normal?

Yes, a puppy humping is perfectly normal. It could be a favorite stuffed animal, a person’s arm or leg, or in probably the worst-case scenarios, your pup might want to hump the family cat. But overall, puppy humping is a natural and normal behavior as they grow up.

Why Do Puppies Hump?

Many people may be surprised to learn that a young puppy is not displaying a preference for sexual activity or sexual behaviors.

Instead, there are many other reasons why puppies hump. Most puppies don’t start to reach sexual maturity, or for the human equivalent, puberty, until they are six to eight months old.

When puppies younger than this show signs of humping, it is highly unlikely that it is a sexual behavior.

So, if you see puppies who are eight weeks, twelve weeks, and even sixteen weeks old who might display these behaviors, don’t worry. They aren’t trying to be inappropriate!

But let’s look at the reasons why a puppy might be humping.

Excitement, Overstimulation, & Play

One of the reasons puppies hump is due to becoming overstimulated and too excited during playtime.

This excitement and overstimulation could be during playtime with their owners, with other dogs, with new people, or they could just be really excited about a new toy!

These are some big emotions for a little puppy and can be overwhelming, so the puppy may be prone to get more physical by mounting, thrusting, and humping as a means to get that built-up energy spent.

You might like to read our post, 9 Awesome Puppy Indoor Games and Exercises that can help overcome this.

Stress and anxiety

Stress and anxiety can also cause puppies to become overstimulated and ultimately start humping.

If they are anxious, worried, and stressed in their environment, the puppy may feel overwhelmed and this can also result in harmless, non-sexual, humping behaviors.

Boredom

Sometimes your puppy may simply be bored. When overstimulated, your pup may have already developed the humping behavior and now wants to try it again for kicks and giggles, which can result in the behavior becoming a habit.

It is best to try to find other ways to keep your puppy occupied by using redirection methods.

Mild amounts of exercise is great for a puppy and can help with boredom. To learn more about this read our post, Puppy Exercise Guide for 2023: (Safe methods and going outside)

Social development

Humping can also be caused by a puppy trying to establish their standing in the social hierarchy.

Puppies play with and mount each other for brief periods to learn what is and isn’t acceptable. Puppies might also try to do this behavior with their toys, other family pets, other members of the household, and guests.

A puppy that has been taken away from its litter mates too early might be more prone to excessive humping. But while socialization becomes harder as they age, it’s still a must-do. You can read our post, Too Late to Socialize Puppy? (When is Too Old?)

Puppies teach each other through play. For example, if they bite too hard, the puppy that got bit will cry out or squeal, which tells the biting puppy that the bite was way too hard.

Similarly, with humping, if a particular puppy doesn’t like to be humped, it will cry out, yip, or bark at the other puppy, who learns that not everyone is okay with it.

When Do Puppies Start Humping?

When puppies reach a certain age, they often begin to exhibit behaviors that are commonly associated with sexual maturity.

One such behavior is humping. It can be an embarrassing situation for many pet owners to experience. So, when do puppies start humping?

Generally, puppies start humping as early as three to four months of age, but it is more common for this behavior to emerge around six to nine months. It is important for owners to understand that humping is a normal part of a puppy’s development and should not be seen as a sign of aggression or dominance.

Do both male and female puppies hump?

It is normal for both male and female puppies to hump and often for the same reasons. Often, we focus on male and female pairs of dogs, with usually the male humping the female.

However, males don’t just hump females, but also hump males, while females hump females and females hump males. Dogs don’t care what sex the other dog is because, a lot of the time, it isn’t necessarily a sexual behavior.

Rule Out Medical Concerns

Some conditions impacting the reproductive tracts of female and male dogs, could potentially lead to mounting behaviors. It is a good idea to have your pup evaluated by a veterinarian, especially if other signs are present.

Should you let your puppy hump?

For the most part, a few instances of puppies humping here and there are harmless. However, even though young puppy humping is not usually sexual in nature, it can be habit-forming, so it is best to get it under control before it is too late.

Never allow a puppy to do a habitual behavior that you don’t want to see in them as an adult.

As your puppy reaches puberty, it is more likely that humping might turn into a sexual or pleasure-seeking type of behavior that can especially become habit-forming.

For some dogs, it can become almost like an obsessive compulsion. Spaying and neutering will almost always help in these cases.

Additionally, it can be dangerous for dogs to do this humping behavior because other dogs may not like it, which can lead to an aggressive encounter.

So, although it is perfectly normal for a puppy to try to hump, it is, in most cases, in the puppy’s best interest to teach them that it isn’t polite to hump!

While we’re on an embarrassing subject, perhaps you want to read another one, Why Do Dogs Smell My Crotch? Explained.

How to Stop Your Puppy From Humping

Now that we have talked a bit about why puppies hump, let’s talk about what we can do to stop it from happening. Or how to redirect our pups into behaviors that make them a little more popular at the dog park!

Limit Opportunities

One of the first and easiest things you can do is take away the object of your puppy’s affections.

If your puppy has a favorite toy they always seem to want to hump, try hiding the toy for a while. Or if there is one certain dog at the dog park that your puppy just loves to try to mount and who always seems to be there, try going at a different time.

Taking away or removing the temptation can be a big help to our furry friends.

Teach Commands

You’ve probably already been working on a couple of commands with your puppy, so you should be in good shape already!

For situations like humping, commands like “off” and “leave it” might be a good fit for you and your dog.

Avoid using the word “no” since it is often overused and tends to lose its effectiveness.

Reward Good Behavior

While you are teaching new commands, make sure to reward your puppy throughout the process with lots of praise and yummy treats!

The important step is distracting the puppy and getting it to stop focusing on the behavior long enough to focus on you and what you want instead.

Time Outs

Sometimes the absolute best thing you can do is simply remove the puppy from the situation. Much like children, pups get overstimulated and just need a break!

Even if it is just for a minute or two, take your puppy away from the toy, person, or other dog. Redirect them into another activity like playing fetch or practicing their favorite training to help focus their mind on something else.

No, you don’t actually have to put your pup in time-out. Just take a little break together instead!

Spay and Neuter

After puppies reach puberty, they may start to develop the desire to hump for different reasons than before. Again, humping due to sexual motivations or desire is normal in puppies and dogs, but it can be troublesome if it becomes a habit or compulsion for the dog.

In addition to training, one of the best ways to prevent or fix sexually motivated humping is to have your pup spayed or neutered at an appropriate age.

This can vary depending on your dog’s breed, so talk to your vet to develop a game plan to decide when you want to neuter or spay your pup.

Doing so will help eliminate a female dog’s urge to mount or hump while she is in heat. And for a male dog, it will reduce his testosterone levels and thereby his sexual desire.

You might want to read our post, Will Dog Stop Barking After Neutering or Spaying?

Puppy Humping at 8 Weeks

If your puppy is humping at 8 weeks they are likely over stimulated and over excited. When this occurs, it’s good practice to redirect their behavior to something else. If that something else is a toy and they also hump their toys, then redirection may simply mean putting them in their crate for a spell.

Puppies require a lot of sleep at this age and so some time in the crate can be positive action to take.

Conclusion

Don’t be embarrassed the next time your puppy decides to latch on to your friend’s leg. It is a perfectly normal part of growing up for your puppy. While it may not be one of their most charming traits, we can hardly blame pups for following their natural instincts.

References

https://unionlakeveterinaryhospital.com/blog/look-away-please-how-to-stop-a-dog-from-humping