After 3-4 months, dogs may start mounting objects, other dogs, or even people’s legs.
While we might assume it’s purely sexual or playful behavior, mounting can have several meanings. It could indicate pent-up energy, heightened arousal due to smells or emotions, or even an attempt to assert dominance. Understanding the reasons behind this behavior is key to managing it appropriately.
We often see that after 3-4 months, dogs start humping—sometimes people’s legs, sometimes other dogs, and sometimes objects in the house. We might think the dog is trying to fulfill a sexual need, or we may think it’s playful and make fun of it. We may even say, “It’s nothing, let him do it,” and leave it at that. But it is important to understand the meaning of this particular behavior. Humping can occur for various reasons; it does not necessarily indicate sexual arousal. Humping can also mean that there is a lot of energy in the body that is not finding an outlet for release.
Another reason is arousal. Dogs can become highly stimulated by smells and feelings they experience, which can lead to humping behavior. For instance, a dog might hump someone wearing a lot of perfume, or someone with soft, inviting energy. Dogs also hump to show dominance, which is a form of arousal.
This behavior in dogs should not be ignored. It can indicate dominance or arousal and can start at 4 months of age, across all breeds. It’s essential to ensure your dog is getting enough exercise and is not overstimulated. For dogs, excitement is not happiness—calmness is.
Focus on providing the right amount of exercise based on your dog’s needs to maintain a calm state of mind and overall well-being.
It is not necessary for a dog to be 1 year old to experience arousal; it can start as early as 4 months, in any breed. It depends on the individual dog, not the breed. So do not take humping behavior lightly or ignore it. First, check whether you are giving the dog adequate exercise. Ensure you are not overstimulating or exciting the dog too much. Provide more exercise and less excitement. For a dog, excitement is not happiness—calmness is.
The dog should be in a calm state of mind, which is possible only with adequate exercise. Adequate exercise means providing the amount of exercise that your dog specifically needs. You might think that a half-hour walk is sufficient, but it may be too little for your dog. Whether this is enough depends on the individual dog. Thank you.