Quick Navigation
- What Does It Look Like When a Dog Mounts Another Dog?
- Will My Neutered Dog Ever Stop Mounting Other Dogs?
- 1. A Firm ‘No’ and Lock Him Up
- 2. First Things First – A Trip To The Vet
- 3. Crate Or Leash Him
- 4. Keep Your Dog Exercised
- 5. Make Sure Your ‘No’ Is ‘No’
- 6. Keep His Stress Levels Low
- 7. Keep Females in Heat Away
- 8. Redirect His Energy
- Conclusion
You may have had your dog neutered, then you want to stop your neutered male dog from mounting other dogs since it’s becoming frequent and irritating.
Now what?
Neutering your male dog is helpful if you don’t wish him to become a parent.
Apart from the health benefits of castration, it’s your duty as a responsible dog owner to have him neutered.
What Does It Look Like When a Dog Mounts Another Dog?
When a dog mounts another dog, it clasps its hips and stands on its two legs behind the other dog, then thrusts its hips back and forth.
Often, it’s associated with sexual behavior, although it could also be about social dominance.
You can also see puppies mounting others playfully shortly after they start walking.
Male dogs are most seen with this kind of behavior, but female dogs could also mount others as a matter of social dominance.
You might assume that female dogs mounting other female dogs signify sexual confusion.
But in reality, it shows that the dog on top of the other wants to be dominant or the “top dog.”
Will My Neutered Dog Ever Stop Mounting Other Dogs?
Once your dog is neutered, their testosterone levels are significantly reduced and gradually decline right after the procedure.
And when their testosterone levels reach their lowest, your dog may no longer have the desire to roam, mount, and even mark everywhere with their urines.
However, when these activities are already their habit, they may not go away just because you neutered your dog.
But how do you stop a neutered male dog from mounting other dogs?
What should you do when you’ve had him neutered and he is still mounting other dogs?
1. A Firm ‘No’ and Lock Him Up
What can you do to stop your neutered dog from mounting other dogs?
Some veterinary behaviorists tell us that neutering will certainly diminish the amount of testosterone in a dog.
They also say that some sex hormones can remain in a dog that has been neutered.
A large male dog that engages in obsessive humping with a small dog can create safety concerns.
If your dog humps an unwilling dog, it could result in a fight.
Always push your dog off and say a firm ‘no.’
You can even resort to locking him in an enclosed area and leaving him alone with no toys.
After a few minutes, release him and behave toward him as though nothing has happened.
2. First Things First – A Trip To The Vet
So what do you do to stop dog your dog from humping?
The first thing you should do is schedule an appointment for your pet to be examined by the vet.
You never can tell, but he may have some other medical condition causing this irritating behavior.
Once you have ruled out any medical conditions causing his mounting, it’s time to look at other possible causes.
The longer your dog has had his mounting behavior, the more complex and longer it will take to change his habits.
3. Crate Or Leash Him
If you take your dog into public areas, he will have to be crated or leashed. to stop your neutered male dog from mounting.
This way, you manage your pet’s environment and prevent him from having free rein.
He will be restrained from aggravating other dogs at the vet or in the park in a crate or on a leash.
From puppyhood, train your dog to walk on a leash.
These days, most parks have leash laws in place.
So if you use a park for exercise for your pet, get him used to a leash.
If your dog is known for his humping ways, you won’t be able to let him off the leash.
Only when he has been trained not to mount other dogs can you safely allow him to run free in the park.
4. Keep Your Dog Exercised
When your dog has too much energy, that excess energy is directed into unwanted behavior.
Keeping your dog exercised goes beyond just being active.
It also extends to your dog’s nutrition, environment, and body condition, which influence his health and behavior.
When your dog has too much energy, he directs that energy toward an unwanted behavior such as humping.
Daily exercise will help to release his pent-up energy, aggression, and desire to hump.
So now, take your dog out each day for a strenuous walk and get him to get tired.
The exercise helps prevent your neutered, humping dog from using his energy on humping behavior.
5. Make Sure Your ‘No’ Is ‘No’
As the human in the house, you are the pack leader.
You need to make your 4-legged canine friend understand this.
Get him used to the word ‘No.’ A firm ‘No’ must make your dog know he is displaying the wrong behavior.
Training your dog to respond to the ‘no’ word is done in a non-threatening way, focusing on rewarding your pet when he changes his behavior.
6. Keep His Stress Levels Low
Humping can also be a stress response.
As a responsible dog owner, you should avoid putting your dog in stressful situations that you know trigger humping.
It won’t help to stop the mounting behaviors by shouting at your dog and striking out at him.
Dog experts tell us that canine aggression and other behavioral issues aren’t because of dominant behavior.
It is also not because the dog owner doesn’t take the alpha role.
This kind of behavior is essential because of anxiety and stress.
We see it in both male and female dogs.
Some dogs hump other dogs of the same sex, and even females hump males.
It’s partly due to anxiety, automatic or learned behavior.
7. Keep Females in Heat Away
You can’t just suppress what is natural in a dog.
They simply have the instinct to reproduce.
And a female dog in heat can still create the desire to hump, even in a neutered dog.
So it’s cruel to keep a female dog in heat near any male dog.
Certainly, you will need to separate the male and female during this time.
If not, it is far better to have a female dog spayed to reduce humping from your male dog.
8. Redirect His Energy
It’s weird what dogs will get up to get your attention.
Dogs will sometimes mount another dog to get some reaction from you or to attract your attention.
You will have to ignore or push him away with a stern ‘no.’
This is you showing him that his behavior won’t be tolerated.
Once your dog stops humping, you should try redirecting his energy into a rough-and-tumble game.
He will love the attention you give him and readily exchange his humping for playful interaction.
When you’re around your dogs, it is always good to have some toys on hand to detract your dog should he try to mount the other one.
You want to be ready to intervene as soon as you see the slightest sign of mounting behavior in your dog.
The quicker you intervene in the mounting behavior, the more effective the intervention.
It’s also important to remain calm and consistent with your humping modification program.
With a young neutered dog, this consistency should pay off as he understands what isn’t acceptable behavior.
Conclusion
Mounting other dogs is what dogs do.
It is even normal for male and female dogs, neutered and unneutered dogs.
Your concern isn’t about why dogs mount but how to stop your neutered male dog from mounting other dogs.
If the humping bothers you, there are several things you can do to end the behavior.
Dog experts tell us that there are always certain behaviors that your dog does before mounting: pawing, panting, and licking.
When your dog does this, distract him with a game or the promise of a walk.
If you have tried all these methods and are still battling with your dog’s humping, speak to your vet or a reputable animal behaviorist.
Purrfect n’ Pawesome is the brainchild of Amanda, who has been into researching and writing about pets to help other pet parents in nurturing their adorable pets. Currently, she runs Purrfect n’ Pawesome along with her team of experienced and dedicated pet experts. Along with being an awesome writer and entrepreneur, Amanda is a cat mom to two innocently spoiled cats, Balanca and Scruffy.
She has been writing about pet care and nurturing and wants to share her readers’ experiences, learnings, and knowledge.
Over the years, she had the opportunity to work with various pet owners having multiple breeds, and that exposure gave her experience and the lessons of a lifetime.
Her family, her entire universe revolves around her two cats, who give her endless support and inspiration to move ahead with her objectives in life. Amanda is a live example of a balanced approach to all parenthood questions we all face in life.