Bulldog Humping Behaviour - help?

[Reggie]

I love my Reggie, he's 7 mts old. However, since 6 mts the evening cuddles I used to enjoy with him seem to flip over into him grabbing/gripping my arm with both bear paws in an attempt to hump it. I push him off saying 'no' and he sits and cries. Please tell me this is a phase and he'll outgrow it. I scoured the usual Bulldog info books and sites but perhaps it's not quite 'English' to discuss it as I can't find any info or help on what I should appropriately do about it. I'd like to hear from more experienced owners than myself but won't do any alpha roll stuff as I think he's just as confused about it as I am.

 

[bullmama]

Hi welcome to the site! I think your question is a very good one actually.

The first thing that came to mind is one question. Is he fixed (neutered)?

 

[Knuckles73]

its always "THE' answer..."get him fixed and he'll stop." Maybe so, but what about those who dont want our boys "snipped"? I think training like any other bad habit will take care of it. It might be a hard one to break, but I am tired of nueturing being the only answer.

 

[cali~jenn]

I have no experience with this specifically and being un-neutered not sure how to stop it. Figure the boy has urges. lol. It is sad but most of the problems that do come up are because of being un-neutered or it seems but figure not everyone does neuter so there must be an answer for you.

 

[Kikiwhoa21]

Hey! My little boy would do the sammmmee thing. I think its right about 5-6 months when boys start to hump. Chelios would hump people's legs (it was embarrassing :x), stuffed animals, even the air! Hahaha! I hated it soo much! But with lots of discipline just tell him no and he'll learn. I know its hard to tell them no, Chelios would get all sad && even cry sometimes. He's a year and 4 months now && he hardly even humps now. I think its somewhat of a stage boys go through && the discipline helped him know its not okay to hump just whenever. lol

 

[Reggie]

Hi welcome to the site! I think your question is a very good one actually.

The first thing that came to mind is one question. Is he fixed (neutered)?

Thankyou, no he isn't neutered. I don't wish to until at least 2 yrs old when he's matured fully both physically, emotionally, hormonally etc

 

[Reggie]

Wow, thanks sooo much for this response. I can so relate to 'just humping air' poor love doesn't know what he's doing. I will go down the training route in the belief that if I make the behaviour unfulfilling for him by pushing him off and redirecting he will stop trying to hump my arm. It's great to know there is light at the end of the tunnel as I really do not wish to neuter him if I'm honest. Thank you, thank you. What a fab site!

 

[Reggie]

Me too. There's a huge drive in England to get all dogs/cats fixed but responsible pet owners really aren't the indiscriminate breeders anyhow. I have lots of other views on this but suffice to say thank you for making this point.

 

[catorres8988]

spike is now 7 months and he did that as well but not with me he would do it in the air and with another puppy he was playing with one day...he started doing it like at 4 or 5 months...it must be a stage b/c he doesn't do it now. i would always tell him no and just make him stop. lol

 

[Reggie]

Thanks, it feels so much better knowing that it's a phase and there is a light at the end of the tunnel

 

[reallyrob]

Not all males stop the humping once they are neutered. My Cocker Spaniel still tries to hump Bertie, and half the time Bertie who is a spayed female will try to hump him!

 

[sowdie]

Lola is a spayed female who humps my leg on occasion. Mostly in the morning when I'm fast asleep. She looks really funny so it's hard to get mad

 

[cali~jenn]

Not all males stop the humping once they are neutered. My Cocker Spaniel still tries to hump Bertie, and half the time Bertie who is a spayed female will try to hump him!

That is true, Mugsy got fixed young and yet he humps on Cutty when Cutty gets playing fetch and I guess gets excited to play also. hehe. He never has tried to hump anything else tho so I think he relates that to playing somehow. Cutty on the other hand got fixed after being a year and never humped before or after fixing BUT when there are young kids around and playing he does get excited and wants to hump them also. For them it must be somehow thought of as part of play time or something. lol. Not something that happens very often tho.

 

[laurentourville]

Horse is 4 and un-neutered, as I have never felt completly comfortable with our vets bulldog experience, and am too scared to have him put under anesthesia. He has always been a humper, his newest thing is humping pillows. I bought him an expensive, monogrammed dog bed from LLBean that he loved and slept on for a month, then started humping it, and won't stop until I take it away! So, with everything I've learned about training from this site and some reading, I've started to finally train Horse, and teach him that I am the "alpha" and not him, and WOW, what a difference it's made is our home. We still have a long way to go, but I've learned that having a trained dog makes both you and the dog soooo much happier! So, I think with some training it is possible to "cure" the humping issue!