Oops… He Humped Again

Years ago, I was at the dog park with Athos. He was doing well at that point, though he still had his occasional over-reactions if another dog was being particularly rude.

While we were there, a man’s dog decided to mount every single dog it could get its paws on. It was like a canine speed-dating session, except nobody had agreed to it.

I asked the owner if he could stop his dog, explaining what I’d been working on with Athos and why I didn’t want him caught up in that nonsense. The man puffed his chest and proudly announced, “My dog is just more dominant than all the other dogs. If your dog has a problem, mine will sort him out.”

Now, that’s not just ignorance—, it’s dangerous ignorance. That belief could easily have ended in Athos or his dog getting badly hurt. Rather than risk a real fight, I had a few choice words with him, and Athos and I left.

The thing is, years later, I still hear this same line of thinking: that mounting is “dominance.” And it’s just as wrong now as it was then.

So, let’s clear this up once and for all. What does humping actually mean? Why does it happen with other dogs, with guests, or even with your new girlfriend’s mum’s leg? And most importantly, what can you do to stop it?

Mounting: Not What You Think

Despite what my friend at the park believed, mounting isn’t about your dog plotting to overthrow the neighbourhood or assert themselves as some four-legged mafia boss. It’s a behaviour with many different possible meanings. Let’s look at the main ones.

1. Sexual/Arousal - Yes, sometimes it is sexual—particularly with adolescent or intact dogs. But neutered males, females, and even puppies hump too. So it’s not purely about reproduction.
   

2. Play Overflow - Ever seen kids get so excited they start squealing, bouncing, and flapping around? Dogs are the same. Mounting during play is often just excitement spilling over because their arousal system has gone into overdrive.
   

3. Stress, Anxiety, or Displacement - Think of it like nervous laughter in humans. When unsure or overwhelmed, dogs may hump to release tension. Guests arriving, kids zooming around, or a busy dog park can trigger this.
   

4. Learned Habit/Attention-Seeking - If your dog humps and everyone in the room suddenly reacts—shouting, laughing, or pulling them off—they’ve just scored attention. For some dogs, that’s reason enough to keep doing it.
   

5. Medical Causes - Sometimes humping is less about behaviour and more about health. Urinary tract infections, skin irritation, or prostate issues can all increase mounting. If it’s new, intense, or paired with licking or chewing. If this is even a possibility, get a vet check.

   
   

Why Neutering Won’t Save You

A common suggestion: “Just neuter him; it’ll stop.” Not quite. While neutering can reduce sexually motivated mounting, it doesn’t address stress, play overflow, or habits built over time. Behaviour modification is still needed.

If you want to find out more about how neutering actually impacts behaviour, you can listen to this episode of our podcast: Neutering/Spaying

Spotting the Context

Always ask three questions each time mounting shows up:

1. What just happened? Visitor stood up? Kids started running? Another dog sprinted past? Arousal spikes often precede mounting.

   
   

2. What does your dog’s body say? Loose, wiggly, “this is a game” → likely play/excitement.Tense, still, pupils large, mouth tight → likely stress/displacement.

   
   

3. What payoff did your dog get? Did humans react (even negatively)? Did the other dog freeze, this could indicate a lowering level of conflict → “success”, or did your dog get removed from pressure? Any of these can reinforce the behaviour.

So… What Do You Do About It?

We use a simple framework: manage, train, and reshape the brain. Of course this is an overview and if the problem persists you may need to reach out for your particular situation to be addressed. But try this first.

1. Manage It (Stop the Rehearsal)

• Keep a house line on when guests arrive. This makes removing your dog less chaotic and easier. It also gives you calm control if they have had good leash training.
  

• Use baby gates or pens to set up space and safety. This is not a punishment, it is simply to control your dogs movement till they calm.

• Ensure you have given them enough enrichment for the day; a good walk, sniffing games, lick mats, or scatter feeding before visitors arrive. To learn more on enrichment you can listen to this episode of The Wagging Tales Podcast: Enrichment
  

• Dog park? Follow the “3-second rule”: call the dogs apart often. If one is fixated on humping, leash them and enforce breaks.
  

2. Train Clear Alternatives

Give your dog something better to do. Of course these will need to be proofed to ensure they work in real life situations.

You can't teach something only in a quiet room without building your dogs ability to perform it in real life situations.

To learn how to proof your training, you can listen to this episode of the podcast: Proofing

• Mat training/place – “Go settle on your bed.”
  

• Pattern games – 1-2-3 reward routines that calm and focus.
  

• Hand target (“Touch”) – redirect onto you instead of your guest’s leg.
  

• Impulse control games – “It’s Your Choice” teaches patience even with moving people around.
  

3. Reshape the Brain (Long-Term Fix)

These techniques take a bit of education, so it would be advised to have a professional run you through these if you are not familiar with how they work.

• Teach calmness: daily mat work, structured down-time, and rest (dogs need up to 18 hours of rest in 24).
  

• Build tolerance to frustration with waiting games.
  

• Play novelty/confidence games so movement and chaos don’t tip them into mounting.
  

What Not to Do

• Don’t scold or push them off—it just fuels stress or attention. When we feel the need to scold or punish the dog, it means that we have reached our limit of knowledge and need to find someone who can help.
  

• Don’t blame it on “dominance.” That myth has caused far more harm than humping ever has.
  

• Don’t ignore it. Every time your dog rehearses it, they get better at it, and will keep doing it.

  
  

When It’s Time for a Vet or Pro

See your vet if:

• The humping is new, obsessive, or paired with licking or genital focus.
  

• Your dog shows urinary issues or swelling.

  
  

Call in a behaviour professional if:

• Mounting escalates into fights with other dogs.
  

• It creates real stress with guests.
  

• Training and management haven’t made a dent.

  
  

The Bottom Line

Dogs hump for many reasons: excitement, stress, habit, or sometimes sex. What it is not is a plot for world domination.

Back at that dog park years ago, the man who thought his dog was “sorting things out” was dangerously misinformed. Mounting isn’t a dominance game, it’s communication gone a bit haywire. Left unchecked, it can create fights, frighten people, or become an ingrained habit.

But with smart management, training, and brain reshaping, you can stop the embarrassment and help your dog cope in healthier, calmer ways. And trust me, it’s a lot easier to explain “my dog’s learning a settle cue” than to explain why he’s attached to your mother in-law's leg.