My dog is mounting my son!

[Quercus]

Ditto everything Pat said. I would probably neuter him. There are several thread here about responsible breeders, and what it takes to be a responsible breeder, and why it is unlikely a responsible breeder will be interested in using an un-health tested stud dog from long lines of un-health tested dogs.

If you want to keep him intact, I would put a house line (light leash) on him so that you can stop him from mounting the second that he looks at your son. Everytime he successfully starts the behavior he is strengthening a habit that will be harder to break the longer he practices it.

Teach him a "leave-it" command. You have to stop the behavior before it happens, rather than waiting for it to happen, intervening and reprimanding…he has already been self-rewarded at that point.

[tanza]

@Quercus:

Ditto everything Pat said. I would probably neuter him. There are several thread here about responsible breeders, and what it takes to be a responsible breeder, and why it is unlikely a responsible breeder will be interested in using an un-health tested stud dog from long lines of un-health tested dogs.

If you want to keep him intact, I would put a house line (light leash) on him so that you can stop him from mounting the second that he looks at your son. Everytime he successfully starts the behavior he is strengthening a habit that will be harder to break the longer he practices it.

Teach him a "leave-it" command. You have to stop the behavior before it happens, rather than waiting for it to happen, intervening and reprimanding…he has already been self-rewarded at that point.

Great point about the "leave-it" command… and that is so very true, if after the fact, he has already gotten his reward...
And remember Basenji males during breeding season "have" no brain....

[Quercus]

@tanza:

Great point about the "leave-it" command… and that is so very true, if after the fact, he has already gotten his reward...
And remember Basenji males during breeding season "have" no brain....

yes, and they honestly cannot help it. Their hormones have taken over their brains. It doesn't help to get mad at them, because any kind of reprimand is lost in the moment.

Another alternative would be to give him something that he is allowed to hump. At our house (before Querk's neuter) it was a big blue blanket called "the humpy blanket" embarrasingly! But it kept him from humping the couch cushions and the cats, and our jackets, etc.

But, in all honestly, he was never the kind of dog that would consider humping a human…there are probably some behavioral issues with this young dog in the OP as well.

[Barklessdog]

and what we call "air" humping… and especially a young male.

Our female neutered dog does that to our male????

I never knew females air hump. I have picture some where of her, but I'll spare you it.

[Basenji_Boy]

@Barklessdog:

Our female neutered dog does that to our male????

I never knew females air hump. I have picture some where of her, but I'll spare you it.

Our neutered females do it to each other and sometimes to the males. Domination thing.;)

[tanza]

@Barklessdog:

Our female neutered dog does that to our male????

I never knew females air hump. I have picture some where of her, but I'll spare you it.

That is dominance, bitch mounting/humping males…

[Barklessdog]

Basenji's are equal rights dogs. She also backs up and pees on trees and ebven lifts one leg to pee.

She's such a Tom Boy!!

[MaxBooBooBear]

Max was a little feminine. He was neutered at 6 mos. As a young puppy, he would hump my female in play–but I would stop him and tell him no--and he pretty quickly gave it up. He never humped after he was neutered. And he always squatted to pee. My female was more masculine than he was! She would sometimes hump him in play--but I did the same thing with her--told her no--being a german shepherd mix--she actually wanted to please me and would do as she was told

[tanza]

@MaxBooBooBear:

Max was a little feminine. He was neutered at 6 mos. As a young puppy, he would hump my female in play–but I would stop him and tell him no--and he pretty quickly gave it up. He never humped after he was neutered. And he always squatted to pee. My female was more masculine than he was! She would sometimes hump him in play--but I did the same thing with her--told her no--being a german shepherd mix--she actually wanted to please me and would do as she was told

Mounting and humping… is not play... per say... it is dominance, especially young males puppies

[nomrbddgs]

Thx Pat-that's what I wanted to say-but I thought I would be shot down again!

[tanza]

@nomrbddgs:

Thx Pat-that's what I wanted to say-but I thought I would be shot down again!

Not a problem… and really while there have been pretty heated discussions on these boards... for the most part we usually agree. This behavior in young Basenjis is pretty standard, IMO... (humping the other Basenjis in the house).. and bitches humping each other too.... especially when they are in season... my girls used to do the "humping" train... 4 of them... it was pretty darn funny but pretty hard to explain it to people...

My oldest boy started humping Maggii (she was 10 wks old) when he was 8 wks old... but it stopped by the time he was 12 wks old... as she ruled the house between the two of them...

[tanza]

@tanza:

Mounting and humping… is not play... per say... it is dominance, especially young males puppies

I should rephrase that… it is pretty normal for pretty young Basenjis, male or female....

[Quercus]

@nomrbddgs:

Thx Pat-that's what I wanted to say-but I thought I would be shot down again!

uh…I guess I would be the one who does the shooting down, huh?

Nope, not in this case...I agree that humping is usually a dominance related behavior. But it can be prompted by play (in young male puppies) and arousal

[tanza]

@Quercus:

uh…I guess I would be the one who does the shooting down, huh?

Nope, not in this case...I agree that humping is usually a dominance related behavior. But it can be prompted by play (in young male puppies) and arousal

And I agree with that too, Andrea… but I will go just a bit further to say that the fact that this dog that starting this thread mount her son, that is sexual... IMO... especially this time of year! These Basenjis know breeding season.. many times even when they are neutered... of course then if you have in tact bitches... that would be "safe sex" :eek:

[MaxBooBooBear]

Sorry I kind of got the thread off track. I agree with both Pat and Andrea–it is dominance and can be prompted by play. My situation was different than the originator of the thread. It usually happened after my two had already been playing together--and maybe progressed to "play fighting"

[tanza]

@MaxBooBooBear:

Sorry I kind of got the thread off track. I agree with both Pat and Andrea–it is dominance and can be prompted by play. My situation was different than the originator of the thread. It usually happened after my two had already been playing together--and maybe progressed to "play fighting"

Totally expected…. and yes it is a different situation... but always good to talk about all kinds of things these critters of ours do!

[lovemybaroo]

Thanks for the advice. The problem has gotten better, but it does still happen from time to time. We have decided to go ahead and get him neutered, and hopefully that will take care of it.

[tanza]

@lovemybaroo:

Thanks for the advice. The problem has gotten better, but it does still happen from time to time. We have decided to go ahead and get him neutered, and hopefully that will take care of it.

That is a good idea…..

[MaxBooBooBear]

I think neutering him will do the trick. Max never mounted anyone or anything after he was neutered Tyler, the male that I have now, was used by a backyard breeder for breeding. He was neutered at the SoCal Basenji Rescue–I think he was about 4 or 5 when that was done. I have him and his daughter (who was spayed), and I haven't seen Tyler do any mounting since I've had them (about 6 months now).