My 3 year old Shepard is out of control....?

Question

He tries to hump my neighbor every time she is around.. He doesn't try it with my wife or any other person. Just my neighbor. As soon as she stands still for a moment he is at her and I have tried everything I know to get him to leave her alone, but to no avail. She's always gotten along with Shep and she has played with him since he was 8 months old. So it's not like she is a stranger. He is out of control. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

Dogs humping humans may amuse other humans, but rarely the human who's being humped. Some dogs will hump a toy or sofa cushion incessantly. We accept dogs humping other dogs in the act of mating, but in other situations it can create problems. What does all this humping mean, and what can we do about it?

Early Days

Puppyhood socialization to another dog of the opposite sex can help a dog orient sexual behavior for adulthood. Whether you're going to breed the dog or not, it helps for the dog to develop the concept that sexuality is toward other dogs, not humans or pillows.

Much of the humping you'll see among puppies as well as among adult dogs is play. Some of it expresses dominance, but that's not always the case.

If a dog persists in humping another dog in a social situation, distracting the dog who's doing the humping into another activity is a good idea. For one thing, it's best that a dog not get obsessed with humping. Besides the potential annoyance to others, it can even result in physical irritation. When you consistently interrupt the humping, you prevent it from becoming a strong habit in the dog.

Secondly, being humped can become oppressive to the dog who is the target, so that's another reason to interrupt. This is a common complaint in situations where dogs get together to play, such as dog parks. Just distract the humping dog, without punishment of any kind.

Physical Issues

Irritation or itching in the genital area can cause both male and female dogs to hump in response to the physical sensation. Be alert to this possibility, and of course have your veterinarian prescribe treatment to correct any underlying condition.

When a female dog is in heat, she, other females, and of course the males around her may turn into humping fools. Of course, this would be sexual arousal. The excitement of the situation can lead to fighting, as well as the strong possibility of an accidental pregnancy. Female dogs in heat need to be kept under top security!

Effects of Neutering

Behaviors can start for physical reasons and then continue because they have become habits. Humping is a prime example. Perhaps initially the dog derived pleasure from it, or simply was allowed to do it for prolonged periods with another dog, a human or an object.

When a male dog is neutered, a female spayed, or a medical condition irritating the genital area corrected, an established humping behavior may continue because it was allowed to become a habit. For this reason, neutering a male dog is not a sure cure for humping people's legs any more than it's a foolproof method of stopping urine marking in the house after that has become a habit.

Neutering does reduce the physical pressure on the dog, and can make your task easier when changing habits through behavioral means. It's important to stress, though, that intact male dogs need not go around humping everything in sight, either. The same simple distraction into another activity that works for neutered males also works for those who are not neutered.

Alternatives

Correcting a dog in a harsh manner for humping is not necessary and can create problems worse than the humping. Work with the dog to develop several behaviors the dog will perform on cue, such as sit, down, come, fetch, go to a spot and settle calmly, go find a toy to chew, and any trick the dog enjoys doing for a reward.

The list of alternative behaviors can be endless. Vary which behavior you cue as a distraction from humping. This keeps your intervention interesting for the dog, and helps avoid encouraging new obsessions.

Date Published: 8/11/2003 9:17:00 AM
Date Revised: 10/02/2003

Answer 2

If you've really "tried everything" then why are you asking for advice?

Have you tried neutering him?
Have you tried putting him on a leash and correcting him when you know she'll be around?
Have you tried reading any great books on training. (Try not to pick books randomly - there are a lot of bad books out there also!) These are some of my favorites and you can get them on Amazon.com
What All Good Dogs Should Know – Volhard http://www.volhard.com/
Good Owners, Great Dogs - Brian Kilcommins
Dog Tricks : Eighty-Eight Challenging Activities for Your Dog from World-Class Trainers by Haggerty and Benjamin
Don't Shoot the Dog - Pryor
Training Your Dog: The Step by Step Method - Volhard
Dog Problems - Benjamin
Cesar's Way - Cesar Millan
Also, watch the Dog Whisperer on the National Geographic Channel. Cesar Millan is the best trainer I've ever seen on TV.
http://www.dogpsychologycenter.com/

This is rude and obnoxious behavior that should be stopped immediately!

Answer 3

Uh oh, this is unacceptable behaviour and you have to stop it NOW. The longer Shep gets away with it, the harder it will be. I assume he is not neutered? That would be one way to curb his humping. But if you are planning to breed him, you have to use behaviour control.

Keep Shep on a leash when your neighbour is around. Humping is agressive behaviour and you have to show him who is boss (or pack leader, in dog terms.) Use a choke chain or a haltie so you have more control. Get your neighbour to come over, and yank Shep firmly if he tries to get at her. Make him sit-stay (I hope you have these basic commands down!) and correct him every time he lunges at her. You will have to repeat this many times, as he has learned that there are no real consequences so far.

If necessary, get Shep and yourself to obedience classes where you can learn techniques to control his behaviour. I pay $90 for 6 one hour lessons and it is worth every penny, as my dog has to socialize with other people and dogs during classes. Shepherds are big dogs and you need to nip this in the bud. Good luck and don't give in!

Answer 4

Neuter him. If you are asking a question like this than you are not an experienced breeder so you don't need a dog that is intact.

Your dog either is attempting to mount her because of a smell or to establish dominance. It is your responsibility to not let him do this. Keep him on a leash under control when your neighbor is around or when other people are around for that matter. If he mounted a small child he could hurt him / her.

Answer 5

Is she hot? Sorry, couldn't resist that one.

Seriously, mounting is usually a dominance thing. Your neighbor needs to let the dog know she is the boss. A swift knee to the chest will usually work after a few times. Grabbing hold of the loose skin on either side of the dogs neck and forcing him to the ground works, too, if she is strong enough to do it.

Answer 6

Neutered dogs hump too, it's a dominance issue. When she comes over, perhaps have the dog outside or in a separate area.

Answer 7

This could be a dominance issue. Try getting her to correct him by bringing up her need towards him and telling him no. She has to show him that she is more dominant. Good luck.

Answer 8

Neuter your dog. Problem fixed.

Answer 9

Neuter him - or keep him on a leash when around her so you can pull him off.

Answer 10

haha