They say they do it for a variety of reasons. Socializing, displaying dominance, responding to stressful situations, and of course the obvious. Whatever the reason, my dog mounting another never fails to elicit that all-too-familiar “I’m painfully embarrassed, why would you do this to me, we must get out of this situation asap” rush of emotion.
But since Foster can’t explain the rationale himself (which I’m sure is 100% innocent), I’ve come up with a few hacks to address the ever-dreaded hump. Just 1,427,897 awkward situations later…
Dog Humping :(Try to) Prevent It
People often mistakenly think that neutered dogs don’t mount, but I’m here to tell you they, too, are just as naughty. However, they do it less frequently than their fully equipped pals. So, if you’re not intent on your pup making more pups, consider neutering if the humping has gotten out of control.
Secondly, dogs often mount as a means of socializing, and poorly or under-socialized dogs hump more frequently and aggressively. So get your pooch out there and make him some friends! Parental duty.
And finally, know the signs. Oftentimes, dogs will “flirt” before they take the leap. So, a wag of the tail, panting, licking, pawing, or cozying up to a person or other pup may be just the signal you need to grab the leash and exit stage left.
Love, Interrupted
My vet once suggested I train Foster with a command word to teach him to stop mounting. That was about as successful as “stop” is when I open the front door.
So, the next best option is to distract. Those paws go in the air, land on said friend’s back – and boom, I’ll toss a toy, pull out a treat, or show off our favorite trick (high five). Success rate for the distraction method is not 100% but good enough to make sure I have a treat or two in my pocket if needed.
Own it
When all else fails and the train has left the station, you just gotta own it. Some days, it’s “Oh Foster, you know better than that” in my breezy, cool mom, I’ve-got-this-under-control tone that’s totally masking my sheer humiliation. Others, it’s the maniacal “Foster!!! Get DOWN! I’m so sorry, I don’t know why he just did that, he never does that anymore.” (lie) And then of course there’s the “let’s just carry on with our conversation as normal – nothing to see here” approach. Gotta know your audience with that one.
But one thing’s for sure – there ain’t no getting over this hump, it’s here to stay. So lately I’ve just been owning it. After all, it’s just a HUMP (my adorable, dear Humble Under-socialized Pup).
Got caught in an awkward situation with your pup? Let us know how you handled it at whatthepup@spotandtango.com.
