# Humping :-/



## Parker16 (May 30, 2016)

So my soon-to-be 7 month old has started to hump his buddies during play dates in my community. It's a private community and Male or female doesn't matter because he'll jump on both. For now I've just been telling him "off" and physically removing him from the other dog. I'm friends with the owners of all of his buddies and they just laugh it off and are very understanding and the female buddy is spayed. He's not neutered. I'm now worried that he'll do the same at dog parks and since they are all off leash I won't be able to manage my dog in that overly stimulating environment. Any suggestions on how to handle this?


----------



## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

It's a combination of hormones and excitement. But you are correct, whatever the cause, it's rude behavior and one day he's going to do it to the wrong dog and get told off or worse. Until he's past this stage, I absolutely wouldn't be taking him to dog parks where I didn't know who he is going to meet if he were my dog. 

Continue to correct him and be stern, make sure he knows it's not ok. You can have attach a short 6 inch tab lead to his collar when he is playing with other dogs so that you can easily reach in and control him. Are you enrolled in obedience classes with him? If not, I would be taking classes with him to help continue working on obedience and helping him practice self control. You can search you tube for dog trainers like kikopup who show you how to work on 'self control' exercises. Teaching a dog to listen and control himself is worth the time and trouble. 






https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE4E3514F27696CE2






http://www.deesdogs.com/documents/LoweringArousal.pdf


----------



## wdadswell (Dec 17, 2015)

I used to take my terrier mix to the dog park all the time, as she was never picked on and could outrun anything, but I observed, unaltered dogs always ended up in fights. The more dominant ones would pick on the submissive ones. Owners never caught them quick enough, or "let them work it out". It bothered me to no end. My pup is 9 months old and I'm hoping not to neuter him and I'm not willing to take the chance, my easy going guy is going to get hurt. It's just an accident waiting to happen, in my opinion.


----------



## Parker16 (May 30, 2016)

Thanks for your insight, nolefan and wdadswell. I haven't enrolled him in obedience training classes yet. We have been training him ourselves. He's a great pup, very well adjusted and super intelligent. We got very lucky with him as *knock on wood* he has shown no behavioral problems to date and the obedience training that we do with him had worked thus far. He's been well socialized with kids, elderly, other dogs of different breeds etc Since we live in a busy suburban town, there's no lack of noises, activities and people! Easy going temperament...just a typical Golden. One of my neighbors told me that once a dog starts to hump other dogs, he'll always do it! Is that true? When do they "outgrow" this phase? We plan to neuter Parker at 10 months.


----------



## wdadswell (Dec 17, 2015)

Bodie went through a phase, between 6 and 7 months where I was constantly telling him off and my other dog told him off, as well. He only tries a couple times a week now, at 9 months. Now, he just eggs her on, by pulling her tail. I found it, more of an excitement thing. I don't believe, once a humper, always a humper.


----------

