subject: Stop Your Puppy From Humping Everything [print this page] I think all new dog owners have got the problem at some point. They're showing off their new canine to their family, perhaps attempting to get him/her to do tricks, etc. However, the puppy has different plans and starts to attempt and hump and rub up against any person and anything in sight. How come puppies do this, and can anything be done to prevent it?
There are actuallydefinately two different views on this subject. The more conventional opinion is that the puppy humping is a demonstration of alpha male behaviour. All dogs are pack mamals, and your pup is simply trying to discover their role amongst your house pack situation. If you look at puppies in a litter, it is not uncommon to witness the male dogs try to hump their litter mates whenever possible. Girl puppies can also exuge this personality trait, but it's not as usual.
For those dog enthusiasts that subscribe to the alpha dog idea, the usual train of thought is that if the puppy humping isn't hurting anyone, do nothing at all. Given enough time, it will write itself on its own when your puppy understands their pack place (in your home, this should be at the very bottom). Althoguh, if it's still making issues, you and other house members will have to ensure your dominant position by using "Sit" and "Stay" commands every time your puppy starts to rub up on anything. If you try this for 2 months, and it's still an issue, you may want to consult a professional dog behaviorist. They could suggest getting your pet neutered (if he isn't already), or a further training course may be in order.
A posible better thoguht of the phenomena of canine humping is that it has zero to do with pack personalityies or dominance at all. Rather, the only thing it shows is that your puppy is in a excited state, and is scouring for a method to release that active feeling. The canine humping you see is only a default activity that your pet displays when in this state.
This concept was borm from rumours on canine psychology. Dogs don't think like people. They live in the present, and they can use previous happenings. However, canines dont know how a current mistake will affect future events. So, in your dogs view, they can take previous events to realize that dog humping felt great in the past, and may feel good currently. Pets cant muster that humping another dog today will somehow affect the dogs friendship standing in the near future. This is far past his intelligents.
Whether this understanding has any truth to it at all, the training is still the same. If your puppy is in a hyper state and is performing objectionable acts, he needs to be slowed down by using the "Sit" or "Stay" commands. If your dog doesn't comprehend to this, lift him in his crate until their excited time ends. Your dog will be taught fast that object humping will end in an automatic caging, which will stop this personality problem.
In the end, nearly all pups will show signs of puppy romping at one time. Although unfortunately, it's not really a pain as long as your dog is not causing pain to anyone. If you think this behaviour must be diminished, using the beginner training, along with the crate, should do the trick.
