Bill, only three weeks off being two years old has started to try to mount our seven year old granddaughter. He loves being around the grandchildren and has always followed them around (supervised) like he was their shadow. He has never behaved in this manner before and my granddaughter is not doing anything any different as far as I can see. He was neutered twelve months ago. Why would he suddenly start doing this.
He's probably getting over excited. Mounting is often due to that than anything sexual. Playing with the children must be very exciting for him I would distract him away and play a less exciting game or some calming training or a Khong.
Hi @Nanster, it is odd for the mounting to begin after two years. Aside from other factors, it can be a learned behaviour that may have been inadvertently reinforced from puppyhood or a behaviour used by the dog to try and control the owner/avoid compliance. But you indicate it is a new behaviour. And that you can't see any different behaviour from your daughter towards the dog. If I were you I would mention it to the vet. UTI can apparently result in the dog mounting in order to get some relief from the pain.
Our 5 year lab mounts my arm sometimes, when we’ve been playing on the floor. She does it when she’s super excited. We re-focused her attention when she did this and it’s almost a thing of the past. Try not to shout at Bill though as he doesn’t know that he’s doing anything wrong. Instead distract him away from your granddaughter and praise him for coming away x
Are you absolutely sure? Sometimes it's the little things that trigger over-arousal in dogs, and I don't mean there is any harm being done, absolutely not, just keep an eye on exactly what the interaction is looking like and also where this is happening, inside or outside for example.
Thanks for your reply and comments. It has only happened a couple of times - when they are playing chase around the kitchen table- something they have done for what seems like forever.... My granddaughter visits quite often so I will watch more closely and see if I can establish what triggers the behaviour..
It's a common assumption that humping has to do with sexual urges and that therefore neutering a dog will reduce humping. In actual fact, the vast majority of humping is not sexual in nature and research shows that neutering a dog actually INCREASES humping. If he was neutered 12 months ago, given it takes several months for hormones to reduce and stabilise at new levels, and then some more months for behaviour to be influenced by hormones, it seems pretty likely to me that the neutering actually predisposed him to humping and made it more likely... that's what research shows. Dont' forget that your granddaughter has presumably also been growing rapidly and at 7 years old might seem a more hump-able appealing object than a 3 year old(!). Humping in the situation you describe, is the result of high excitement levels. Humping is a behaviour which is deeply programmed into dogs (since without it they would not be able to procreate and the species would cease to exist!) and so it often comes out in various conditions and circumstances. IT would be best to try to avoid your granddaughter getting him really worked up or excited, if this behaviour occurs - since it will only occur more frequently, then. Try to keep activities with kids and dogs calm and relaxed and not about exciting chase games...
Ok, will take on board what you say and try to calm things down a bit - but what a shame when they both seem to be having so much fun being aliens !!!!
