Dog loves to entertain himself... humps pillows and blankets

golfmom · Post by **golfmom** » Fri Sep 04, 2009 12:13 pm

Help, not sure how to control my dog who likes to entertain himself by humping pillows and blankets. He tends to do this when he is bored? Or I have caught him right after we leave the house if I run back in to get something? He has destroyed most of our blankets as he then chews them an we have so many holes. Ugh Yes it is very disgusting. Any suggestions? By the way he is neutred and was neutered at a young age. He is a 5 year old ****-a-poo

Nettle · Post by **Nettle** » Fri Sep 04, 2009 12:58 pm

Give him his own pillow to hump and prevent access to your treasured household items.

It isn't at all disgusting to him only to you, and it gives him comfort. So undisgust yourself and let him get on with it.

If he gets lots of walks and training games he will probably be less interested in comfort from his pillow.

Horace's Mum · Post by **Horace's Mum** » Fri Sep 04, 2009 2:47 pm

My boy used to hump a lot when I first rescued him, it was a form of stress release for him and something he had learnt during his 18months in kennels to keep himself occupied. He now only does it if he hasn't had enough exercise and mental stimulation for a few days (if I've been ill for example). Try doing more with your dog, make sure he has had a good walk before leaving him, and maybe do some clicker work, but try not to leave him when he is hyped up, so don't leave just after playing tug for 10mins. Also leave him with something to do, some kind of food toy or chew. If he does it in front of him then get out a tuggy or ball or do some training with him to distract him and let him use his brain and body.

If mine gets into it now and I can't distract for whatever reason then I just let him get on with it, because he needs to do it, but if he starts chewing then I redirect him onto something more acceptable for me!

emmabeth · Post by **emmabeth** » Fri Sep 04, 2009 2:48 pm

... yep neutering doesnt prevent humping - be good if people were told that before they had a dog neutered I think less people would be surprised and think their dog somehow deviant or errant in some way when it continues to hump.

Give him his own humpy stuff - shut your stuff away and dont give him ANY reaction if he does it in front of you. Humping is totally normal and if thats his strategy for coping with being left alone, so be it.

Its only a problem when it becomes an attention seeking device, ie dog does it in front of you because you will leap up go 'arrrrgh' or whatever and chase him. That doesnt sound like your dog to me (and if he does do this... dont react and suss out why he is attention seeking in the first place to cure that problem).

Lis & Addy · Post by **Lis & Addy** » Sat Sep 05, 2009 7:20 pm

Depending on the dog and why he's humping things, neutering might help, or it might not, and if that's the only reason you're neutering the dog, you need to be prepared for disappointment. Some friends of mine have a seventeen-year-old cat, neutered at six months per contract with the breeder, and he's the most enthusiastic humper amongst all the feline and canine pets in my entire circle of even casual acquaintances. Ex-breeders and animals rescued from the streets at five or six years don't hump like Nuadha.

In any case, honestly, I agree the only problem here is that he doesn't have his own humpy toys and he's using your stuff. Give him a toy of the kind he seems to like for the purpose, and block his access to your stuff. End of problm.

Lis