Hi everyone Our 9 month old puppy has started humping other dogs, male and female, to the point where it's all he tries to do. I didn't want to get him neutered till he was at least a year but it's becoming a bit of a problem. He really gets fixated and doesn't listen to us, he has to be pulled off. When did you guys have your dogs neutered and did it help with them humping things? I want to wait but I'm worried if I do then it'll become a habit.
I think the humping at this age is pretty normal and yes he has to learn it is not ok. This means you removing him from other dogs, and also letting other dogs tell him that they don't like it! I would put the neutering, if you really feel it is necessary, off as long as possible.
Distract and redirect is the bestt solution to humping. Neutering has little, if any, effect on the behaviour. Dogs hump because they are over-tired, excited or find it rewarding. It has little to do with sexual behaviour.
Agreed with @Jojo83 - Coco, aged nearly 4, (neutered at 13 months) humps when he is over-excited in play - bitch or dog, neutered or not - it is infrequent. He is more often humped by his (female, un-neutered) friend Alaska. Given a choice, I would let my dog reach full maturity before considering neutering.
I live in Canada, where neutering at around 6 months is pretty much expected and advised by the vet. My previous two dogs were neutered at that age. Current dog was adopted at around nine months and was very “humpy”. We had him neutered and he pretty much immediately stopped that behaviour. But there are differing opinions about the pros and cons of neutering. I would talk to your vet and make sure you research it before coming to a decision.
Snowie was very mounty at that age - we managed it by redirecting or removing him from a place when he got totally over excited and would mount a dog (not sexually, just typical Lab boisterousness) - there were some doggy friends he tried to mount more than others. It wore off as he got older. He’s 6 yo and still intact. We thought we’d wait till he was 2 yo to neuter, but by then he had grown into such a lovely boy and we couldn’t see why he should have his hormones altered. He also developed epilepsy, so it was a factor in deciding not to make him undergo such transformative surgery, and all the evidence shows it’s healthier for the dog to remain intact, if not forever, at least until they’re fully matured - around 2 yo - (helps prevent joint problems and certain cancers, helps emotional confidence).
My dog was neutered at 1 for daycare purposes. He was really humpy prior to this, couldn't see another dog without mounting them. As soon as he was neutered the behaviour stopped immediately. He had 10 days of on lead walks and then has never humped another dog since. As @Lisa says there's pro's and con's so I'd look into it throroughly before making any decisions
My girls happily humped each other - both neutered. I distracted them as I didn’t want it to become a habit. But neutering makes no difference to humping behaviours, male or female imo. Here is an excellent article - https://www.thelabradorsite.com/should-i-have-my-labrador-neutered-the-latest-evidence/ .
Merlin is one year old, and very humpy at present! Almost every dog is interesting, in his opinion, and he tries it on with most. It is definitely sexual in nature for him though - there is a bitch in season around and that has made the behaviour much worse. However, he does learn quite quickly - for instance he NEVER tries to mount Poppy, because she showed him very clearly that was not ok with her, and he also knows with most of his friends that they will not tolerate it. There are a few very docile and friendly dogs who just sort of ignore him jumping on top of them, but in that case I firmly tell him no and take him away. He is getting better, and I'm sure will continue to do so. I am not going to have him neutered, by the way, he is my fourth male dog and all of them have been left entire - but this is very much an individual thing, depending on you, your dog and your circumstances. I would really encourage you to leave it as long as possible though, for health reasons.
Keir is neutered and still a humpster. He doesn’t try with Tatze but did a lot with Fable. She just sat down and he couldn’t. With other dogs I just distract.
Just to add: this morning we met a Standard Poodle spayed bitch, 6 yo - we bump into them every now and then. Snowie goes crazy for her, would love to mount her if he could - he dances around her, play bows, tries his luck, but she’s too nimble for him. Well, she was the humpstress today - he just had to stand put and think of England.
Thank you @Lisa and @JenBainbridge... It is good to know that neutering stopped the problem for your dogs! How do you know if it is sexual motovation or over excited/dominance behaviour? I know obviously the fact he does it to everyone would suggest dominance but he does get his willy out!
The thing people normally think of as "dominant" behaviour in dog-dog interactions is often better described as "bullying" and is normally based in uncertainty. A truly confident dog (or human, for that matter!) doesn't feel the need to assert themselves over others. So, look at his body language. Does he seem unsure of himself? That's common in adolescents and this uncertainty often presents as "I don't know what to do, so I'm going to hump!". Or if he's over-excited by the presence of other dogs, it might be just a way to burn off energy. In either event, I would be promoting calm interactions with other dogs, including him not meeting more dogs than he does meet. Teaching him to be able to focus and remain calm around other dogs will help keep his excitement down and give him a job to do which will, in turn, give him confidence. Unless the dog he is mounting is a bitch in heat it is very unlikely it will be anything sexually motivated. The fact he is "showing pink" (as we like to call it) just shows he's excited; Shadow often does this when we're training, and that has nothing to do with sex!
I'm still on fence of indecisiveness on neutering. My vet is urging me to get it done before he's 6 months old. My golden retriever was neutered at 5 months, but then, he was a rescue and it was a requirement of adoption. The argument for it is, of course, convenience, stops certain unwanted behaviours, def stops having unwanted puppies, and the biggest argument for it in the vet community here is, of course, testicular cancer. I have noticed my sons intact male, at 6 years of age, is still well muscled and lean (of course he runs in country every day, so there's that). But the smell! My sons intact male chocolate lab exudes this horrible odor. How do those of you with intact males keep that odor from permeating your home?
My intact male does not smell horrible. My husband is really sensitive about smells and would really whine if Rory smelt bad. Rorys 4 and the only time he smelled different was when he was teething that really did stink apparently, I can't smell much and have even drunk milk that's gone off without being aware it's off.
@Moosenme My intact boy doesn’t exude a smell from his penis. He is smelly when he’s itchy and has been licking himself - but that’s nothing to do with being intact. Perhaps your son should have his lab checked up at the vet - it might be a yeast infection or some other infection?
Zaba smells a bit ‘doggy’ from time to time, but a quick wipe with Cowboy Magic get him sweet smelling again
Smelly?? Yes, my dogs smell... But that has nothing to do with being entire or not. A neutered dog can smell just as badly from his penis as an entire one.
- I don't find having an entire boy any less convenient than having a castrated one - unless you're using day care, I don't see why it would be? - and can create others - as does supervising your dog adequately - which is not a concern for most 2, 3, 4, 5, 6... year old dogs. So why is it recommended so early? In fact, it's normally very easily spotted early and easily addressed with castration when needed. Preventative castration for something that is very unlikely to happen just seems bonkers to me. It is a personal choice, for sure, and most dogs do just fine being neutered but if it's not necessary, it just seems so permanent when it can cause other problems and is obviously irreversible. If you want to see if neutering will benefit your dog, I would recommend opting for a temporary chemical castration. The evidence suggests that early neutering is to be avoided, so I would always urge waiting until at least physical and emotional maturity has been reached.
