• Oakley is ten months and not neutered.. Lately he has been forcefully rubbing himself up against me. This particularly happens when laying down on the couch. He does this now everyday. I don't know if it's a dominance thing or his way marking me as "his" or just him being lovey? I will say that it feels a bit too forceful for just affection and he seems to do it purposefully. Any insight would help because as of now I have just been ignoring the behavior but if it needs addressing I'd like to know


  • My guess is that he is mounting you. Do you need to keep him intact?


  • Kipawa is a companion dog (not a show dog) so there was never any question that he would be neutered, just when. Lots of reasons both pro and con for neutering. You will have to make your decision based on a number of things. For us, neutering at 11 months was the best decision for our family.

    For the breeders out there, how do you stop your male dogs from doing this type of thing? I don't see your boys doing this at any dog shows. 🙂 What training technique do you use for repeated humping? If it has become habitual, will neutering stop it?


  • Dogs hump for dominance, it is not just a sex thing. And not sure if you are saying that he is mounting you, Chealsie or doing something else?


  • I agree Pat, is he rubbing his BODY against you or his penis. Big difference. Don't be shy, we're all dog folks, lol. If his body, he may be simply scenting you with his scent. If mounting, tell him NO and remove him.


  • Either way, if you don't like it, don't let him do it. You say no, and you walk away…


  • Also, 'tis the season. My boy Nicky during his first rut did some very strange things, like lick the carpet. We had no girls at the time it was just that time of year. Based on the behavior around here, 'tis the season. Everyone is starting to act a little different.


  • Yeah my male is almost two and just a couple of days ago he was mouting my female…..he has never done this before or even bred yet. We did just get a new male intact dog though (a Toller who we will get fixed soon), but I was wondering if he was trying to 'claim' Becca.


  • I should have been clearer, he is definitely not humping me and truthfully he isn't a dog that humps often. What he is doing is pressing up against me with his side and head and does this ONE pass the length of his body. It does somewhat seem as if he's trying to scent me. I am just unsure if Doing this is a dominant behavior? He doesn't do it when I'm standing but anytime he sees me sitting/ laying he takes the opportunity to rub his side against me starting with a head nudge down to bum. One pass and he's done, then turns and looks at me as if to say, " yup, that's better mom"! I don't feel there are any sexual motivations for doing this. Also, in the past two weeks Oakley has been testing me and challenging me more than an adolescent would and for that reason and because of the impending "season" I decided it best For Oakleys happiness and my sanity that he be neutered sooner rather than later so his surgery will take place this upcoming thursday. Oakley is a good dog but neutering him will make him a much better pet and dog. Hope that clarifies things!


  • @Chealsie508:

    What he is doing is pressing up against me with his side and head and does this ONE pass the length of his body. It does somewhat seem as if he's trying to scent me.

    Or he is trying to make himself smell like you! My guy will do this to clothing I have taken off, or the towel I have dried myself on, and goes positively nuts when I put on body lotion. 🙂


  • @Chealsie508:

    I should have been clearer, he is definitely not humping me and truthfully he isn't a dog that humps often. What he is doing is pressing up against me with his side and head and does this ONE pass the length of his body. It does somewhat seem as if he's trying to scent me. I am just unsure if Doing this is a dominant behavior? He doesn't do it when I'm standing but anytime he sees me sitting/ laying he takes the opportunity to rub his side against me starting with a head nudge down to bum. One pass and he's done, then turns and looks at me as if to say, " yup, that's better mom"! I don't feel there are any sexual motivations for doing this. Also, in the past two weeks Oakley has been testing me and challenging me more than an adolescent would and for that reason and because of the impending "season" I decided it best For Oakleys happiness and my sanity that he be neutered sooner rather than later so his surgery will take place this upcoming thursday. Oakley is a good dog but neutering him will make him a much better pet and dog. Hope that clarifies things!

    I would say that he is just trying to match the scent with you… what you describe I would not take as dominance behavior.

    And as we all have said, we all have to decide what is the best for our family... As a point of reference, I had my OJ neutered at 4yrs... and till the day he passed over the rainbow bridge (at 17+), he still knew when it was Basenji Breeding season....


  • We call that a love bump. IMO, he is just wanting to smell like you. Nothing to worry about..


  • It does feel affectionate but I wanted to make sure it wasn't also a dominant move on his part as I'm already working on him not guarding me around other dominant dogs… Some of the issues ive been dealing with ( on a daily basis) is that his threshold of overexcitement seems much much lower the past two weeks... He gets overexcited at the drop of a hat! We get into a daily struggle where he tries to keep nipping my hands as I try to eat and he doesn't stop. I've tried not reacting or resisting but he doesn't stop and putting him in his crate he starts shaking the crate like a wild banchi... Needless to say, I haven't has personal space during mealtime in about two weeks and therefore no peace.... As soon as his excitement rises he becomes fixated on biting my hands. This isnt aggressive and I can tell he thinks its a game but for one: it hurts like he'll with those teeth and my " not so meaty hands". This hasn't ever been a real issue as I've always been able to hold my hand up in a stop motion and say stop and he would listen. The intensity he has for that and all activities has been significantly higher and his fortitude and persistence are overwhelming. Again I say, this has all been in the past two weeks. Age? Upcoming season? Because he isn't neutered??


  • I also want to add, I have increased his daily exercise. We run between 3-5 miles in the morning and he gets at least an hour walk after work where we also go hiking at a local preserve…. Then another mile around nine and after that just a potty break before bed. I don't think it's for lack of working him physically and ive been upping and varying mental exercises.... At least five mini command/ training sessions, we play fetch which he loves.... I sometimes hide his food dish at night and I've tried seek games with cookies. He is crated while I work ( 40 hours a week) and he is with me all the time when I'm home and at night


  • Do you need to keep him intact? Show dog?


  • Sharron, because of the RECENT difficulty ive been having with Oakley in addition to a few other newly noted behaviors I have made the decision to neuter Oakley. His surgery is scheduled for the 1st of September. I'm only asking because while I am sure neutering him will help with the intensity and determination to follow through with negative behaviors when corrected, I know it will not solve the problem. I'm trying to assess how much of his new behavior is age related, being intact and the possibility his behaviors are exacerbated by the impending breeding season…
    After a lot of back and forth in my head I have come to the conclusion it it best for Oakleys happiness and the right decision for him to be the best dog he can be, to get the neuter done now..


  • I think your on the right tract. Has he had any basic gentle obedience classes? Those will help as well.


  • You can work on him respecting food in your hand by using a clicker training method. Take one of his kibble pieces or a high value treat and hold it in your closed hand, keeping your hand loosely closed so he can smell the kibble/treat. If his current biting is too painful, wear a light pair of gloves.

    Let him smell your hand. As he tries to bite, hold the treat in your hand. Do not let him get it. The SECOND he backs off, click your clicker and as quick as you can give him the kibble/treat (the closer the click and the reward are given, the better). Repeat again and again, rewarding and praising. He will start to learn that when he backs off, he gets the food.

    When you feel confident enough, take the glove off and hold the treat between your thumb and index finger. Same thing happens - as he tries to nibble the food out of your fingers, click and reward when you see the slightest movement away from your fingers.

    When I started this with Kipawa, I could feel his little baby teeth. Now all I feel is his muzzle, if that. He smells and then waits for the treat to be given. I hope this can help you.


  • You may want to try crating him, in another room, before you start getting your supper/lunch/breakfast/snack ready. This way, he doesn't see you start to prepare. Is he normally bad in crate?

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