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There’s not much more embarrassing than a dog who’s humping whatever he can get his hips on!
Now, you may have noticed that your dog humps particularly often when he’s tired or over excited.
My Mini Poodle Baloo is one of that kind. He’s neutered and doesn’t show the behavior at all normally. But when he gets overwhelmed, a bit too tired or simply over excited, he’ll try to hump other people’s legs…
Super annoying, as you can imagine!
Well, luckily there are ways to prevent this kind of behavior. In this article we’ll look at what you can do if your dog humps when he gets tired or over excited.
Why does my dog hump when tired or over excited?
Whether your dog is humping furniture, other dogs, or worse—people—this behavior can be very frustrating. After all, there’s not much worse than having friends over, turning around, and suddenly your dog is humping your chair.
One of the best ways to stop an unwanted behavior in dogs is to figure out when the behavior is being triggered. By keeping an eye on your dog, you may have realized that he tends to hump when he’s overexcited or overtired.
So what’s going on with that? What is causing your dog to display this behavior?
Why do dogs hump?
The first step to understanding why your dog humps when tired or over excited is to understand why dogs hump in the first place!
While many people assume that humping can only be something sexual, humping can be caused by a variety of reasons.
If your dog is humping out of sexual urges, then spaying or neutering could help. For more information on that, check out “What Is the Best Age to Neuter or Spay a Dog?”
Humping can also be a learned behavior, or a bad habit that your dog has picked up from other dogs. Some dogs hump other dogs to assert dominance.
So, the behavior isn’t always sexual. And it’s also totally normal behavior for dogs. But if the humping is excessive or he’s doing it as a way to dominate, then that signifies that there’s a larger issue at hand.
Why does my dog hump when tired?
Have you ever spent time with a little kid who is way too tired? You’ve probably noticed that they start behaving poorly, maybe even throwing tantrums.
Dogs are like kids in that regard. When they get too tired, dogs might start behaving pretty badly and acting out.
When both children and dogs get overtired, they lose control of themselves. This can result in excessive unwanted behavior, like humping.
If your dog is humping because he’s overtired, then he’s probably showing other signs of that. Here are 10 overtired puppy symptoms and what to do about it.
Why does my dog hump when over excited?
Dogs may hump when they’re overtired. But sometimes the pendulum can swing all the way over to the other side. Your dog may show the same behavior in a situation that you consider to be the opposite!
Being overtired and overexcited show a lot of the same symptoms. If your dog is in a situation that’s super exciting or stimulating, then he might start humping.
This is just your dog’s way of burning off the excessive energy that he has in these situations.
Like being overtired, being overexcited will probably show other symptoms, too. For more information on overexcited dogs, be sure to take a look at these articles:
- My Dog Gets Overly Excited When Guests Come Over—What Can I Do?
- 5 Tips to Calm an Overexcited Puppy Quickly
- 9 Hyperactive Dog Symptoms and How to Help Your Dog Calm Down
Do dogs hump when stressed?
Humping can be a way for dogs to get rid of excessive energy when they’re too excited. But stress can also cause a lot of energy to build up in your dog.
Because of this, your dog might start humping when he’s feeling stressed. It might be the only way he knows to deal with what he’s feeling.
We humans get into bad habits when we’re stressed, too. We bite our nails or pick at our skin.
Your dog is no different! Humping could be one of his bad habits that helps him deal with stress.
If you think your dog might be humping out of stress, then help him out by learning how to calm a stressed dog naturally.
How to stop dog humping when tired or over excited
Now you know the reasons why your dog may be humping when he’s tired or overexcited. But how can you put an end to this unwanted behavior? Here are a few tips.
Make sure he gets the right amount of exercise
Are you making sure that your dog is getting the exercise that he needs during the day? If you’re not giving him enough, then he might try to channel that excess energy elsewhere. One of the ways he might be doing that is through humping.
At the same time, exercising your dog too much could also result in unwanted behavior like humping. If your dog gets too tired or overstimulated, then he’ll start to lose control of himself.
So how much exercise do dogs need? Well, it all depends on your dog’s age, breed, overall health, and personal needs.
Keep trying new things until you find the right amount of exercise for your dog.
Give him something else to do
If your dog is humping, then redirecting the behavior is one of the best things you can do. But it’s hard to redirect your dog if you’re not giving him any other options!
If your dog is humping a lot, then give him something else to work on. It can be anything, as long as it keeps him too busy to start humping.
Something tasty to chew on is a great option. You can also work on training. Check out these 11 easy dog tricks for beginners for some inspiration.
Playing brain games is also a great way to keep your dog’s focus on something else. Here are 10 brain games for dogs to play at home.
Mental stimulation can also be a wonderful training tool if used correctly. Check out Braintrainingfordogs to learn how to train your dog to be the best dog he can be by using mental stimulation! Or have a look at Dogpackr’s review first to see if it’s a fit for you and your dog!
Stop the behavior immediately
You want your dog to break his humping habit. That means you’ll need to help him.
If you notice your dog is humping or about to start humping, then you should stop him right away.
Don’t be forceful, but do make sure that your dog can’t hump anymore. Teaching your dog “leave it” will help you get your dog to stop unwanted behavior. But if your dog is too focused on humping, then you may need to take him gently by the collar and guide him away.
Once your dog has stopped humping, make sure to give him something else to do to redirect that behavior. Play a game, teach your dog a trick, or just give him something to chew on.
Give him a break when he starts humping
If your dog is humping because he’s feeling overstimulated, then giving him a little break could help. A common situation where that happens is when you have visitors—that can get your dog really hyped up!
Try removing your dog from the situation that is ovestimulating him in order to help him settle back down. If he’s having trouble calming himself, then you might want to consider crating him.
Putting your dog in his crate might help him to relax. If you haven’t crate trained your dog, then it’s something you’ll want to consider doing! For more information, here’s how to crate train a dog easily in 13 steps.
What does it mean when your dog humps you?
Your dog might be humping you or other humans for a variety of reasons.
It could be that your dog is trying to stimulate himself sexually. But it’s more likely that he’s doing it for a different reason.
Your dog may be trying to tell you that he’s the dominant one in the situation. It could also be that he’s learned that humping gets him attention and he’s trying to get more from you!
Or it could simply be a way to get rid of excess energy or decrease his stress level.
Why does my dog hump me before bed?
If your dog is humping before bedtime, then that could be his way of trying to tell you that he isn’t ready to go to sleep. He might be acting out a little bit in the same way a kid would! He’s protesting bedtime because he wants to keep playing or exploring.
Again, it could also be an attention thing. If you’ve provided your dog attention in the past when he starts humping, then that teaches him this is the best way to get it.
If your dog is humping before bed, then the best thing you can do is interrupt the behavior and put him straight to bed. A crate will help prevent him from humping during the night.
Why does my dog hump in his sleep?
Dogs do a bunch of weird things while they’re awake. But they also do things we think are weird while they’re sleeping!
During your dog’s REM sleep, he might start acting out behaviors that he does while he’s awake. And yes, that includes humping!
Your dog may also run, bark, twitch, or cry in his sleep. If this happens, it’s really nothing to worry about! Your dog is just having a dream.
Conclusion
Humping is one of those behaviors that you really wish your dog wouldn’t do. This is especially true when you have company over!
But humping is an entirely natural behavior that dogs do for many different reasons. While it can be a sexual thing, it’s more likely something else. Your dog could be overtired or overexcited. The only way your dog knows to deal with these feelings is by humping!
If your dog is humping excessively, then work with him to teach him there are better ways to channel that energy. With time, practice, and patience, you’ll help your dog learn how to deal with his energy in a positive way.