Dog Masturbation 101 – How Do Dogs Masturbate?
Whether you have a male or a female dog, sometimes you may find the animal humping a pillow. At times, even a stuffed toy may become the victim of the animal’s humping. This may often make you wonder whether dogs masturbate on their own. It is quite natural for dogs to hump at such items. This is especially when they really should. The question to your doubt is affirmative. Dogs do masturbate with pillows or stuffed toys.
Both male and female dogs do masturbate. This may also happen often after being spayed or neutered. There are several reasons behind such an act. There is nothing much that you can do to prevent such an embarrassing act. There are some dogs that grow out of this behavior as they grow older. In other words, younger dogs are more prone to masturbating.
Reasons for Dogs Masturbating
As discussed above, there are several reasons for dogs to masturbate on their own. Some of the primary reasons are discussed below for your knowledge.
- Fun: You will be surprised to know that there are many dogs that manifest sexual behavior as a daily part of their play behavior. Once this happens, they will not display erections. Nonetheless, they will hump away. Some dogs that are not well socialized will normally mount other dogs and try to initiate play. At the same time, there are some dogs that may get aroused while playing. This will result in humping.
- Sexual Behavior: Irrespective of the fact that your dog is normal or spayed or neutered, masturbation happens to be a part of a dog’s sexual behavior. You need to know that it is absolutely normal for dogs to hump other objects, dogs, and even its owner’s legs. You will be surprised to know that such acts of sexual attraction are not just limited to intact male dogs. Even neutered male dogs can have an erection and ejaculate sperm. If you take a close look at the body language of a dog, you will understand that it is humping as a part of its sexual instincts. A dog that is “flirty” will normally have its tail up and his ears in a backward position. He may often also play bows, lick himself, and have various other similar behavior.
- Social Behavior: It is important for you to know that humping happens to be a typical display of social status or control. If your pet wishes to prove his dominance, he will go ahead and hump other dogs in the same house or room. Erection may happen in such a case. Males are not the only ones that do this. Females also mount other dogs, whether female or male, to show her authority.
- Excitement or Stress Response: You will be surprised to know that dogs experience excitement and stress in several ways. There are some dogs that may respond to these feelings by masturbating or humping. Take the example of an excited dog. Such a dog may hump any other dog after meeting the other animal for the first time. Apart from that, when it is a nervous or stressed dog, it will normally hump other objects, which may include a pillow or a stuffed toy.
- Compulsive Disorder: There are some dogs for whom masturbating happens to be a compulsive habit. This is usually seen in dogs that are stressed. If humping becomes habitual, it will naturally interfere with the everyday activities and life of the dog. It will be a thing to contact a dog behaviorist if you notice such habits in your pet.
Do Dogs Usually Masturbate Due To Health Reasons?
At times, there are several medical issues that may be the root cause of your pet’s excessive masturbation. Some of these health issues include urinary tract infection, urinary incontinence, priapism, and skin allergies.
Most of these issues may prove to be severe and may require proper medical attention. Dogs that suffer from such issues will also sometimes chew or lick their genital area. This helps the animal relieve some level of discomfort for them. When you notice that your dog is rubbing its body on various things or even chewing or licking himself, it is good to get in touch with a vet. These problems normally require professional help from a vet. These are not behavioral issues at all.
Things to Do When Your Dog Masturbates Excessively
There are several reasons for which your dog should never hump other dogs. One of the primary reasons is unwanted puppies. However, there are some dogs that may get aggressive if you try and stop them in the middle of the act. If you ever think that your dog may also become agitated and bite at you, better get in touch with a local pet behaviorist. There are some certified dog trainers who may also help you by treating the aggression in your pet.
All you need to do is make sure that the trainer is well experienced with dog aggression, since this type of expertise is not important for the certification. Apart from that, dogs that have a tendency of mounting other dogs may also get into trouble. There are many canines that will not be too fond of such signs of affection. This will simply end up in an aggressive fight in which your dog may get seriously injured.
Here are some common ideas that you can try to prevent your dog from masturbating or mounting.
- Allow Them To Be As They Are: There are many dogs that will mount infrequently. This will not be more than once or twice a day. If they tend to do so with a toy without even disturbing other dogs or you, there is no reason to stop him. However, if your pet has a habit of jumping on other people’s legs, it may prove to be a serious concern for you. The same will happen if he mounts on other dogs.
- Turn His Focus Onto Yourself: If your dog regularly humps other dogs, better teach him to play some vigorous games with you. Take out his favorite toy and play fetch with him outside. You may also play tug of war with the animal. This will easily turn his focus onto you and it will get him more interested in spending time with you instead of other dogs.
- Allow Him A Time-Out: You will have to discourage your dog if it has already developed the habit of mounting you or others in the house. You may either push him away or stand or sit in such a position that will make it difficult for the dog to hump. If you notice that this trick isn’t working for the dog, tell “No” to the animal and take him out for a time-out. You may leave him alone in a room where there are no toys for a couple of minutes. Once the time is over, you may allow the dog to come out and behave as if nothing has happened. Do not make the mistake of acting angry with the animal as this will just confuse the pet. If you notice that the behavior continues, better extend the time-out. Most of the time, this technique alone will not be sufficient to stop the dog from mounting other people’s legs. It will be handy to teach a few tricks to the pet. Performing some tricks will simply discourage the dog from doing any unwanted behavior and calm him down. You also need to prepare if you know when your dog usually humps, such as when it is very excited or happy.
- Distract Them: There are some dogs that will exhibit some previously mentioned signs of any sexual behavior before masturbating. If the animal starts to whine, pan, rub or lick against a person, there is a great possibility that he is getting ready to mount. Once you notice such actions, start playing a game with him or throw him a toy. If there are some tricks that have been taught to your pet, like shake or sit, ask the pet to perform them. This will easily interrupt the animal and force him to think about other things. Train your dog to leave other dogs alone when you ask it to. This will also include different situations. When your pet understands the true meaning of “Leave” you can always use it to prevent it from masturbating. Do not forget to reward your pet with his favorite treat whenever he listens to your command. If you notice that it refuses to listen to you, better stop his play season and train him further.
Neuter or Spay the Dog: If you do not have any plans of breeding your dog, it will be a good idea to neuter the animal. Although this will not stop the dog completely from humping, it will help to reduce its sexual behaviors. If you notice that your dog frequently mounts other female dogs, neutering your pet will help a lot. At the same time, better spay your female dog. Females also tend to hump when in heat.
