by Marlene
(Dallas)
I have a 5 month old Rottie who has been humping since he was 2 months old and now he exposes himself all the time!
Is he ready to breed?
Hi Marlene
Absolutely NOT, at 5 months old your Rottie is still very much a baby!
This ‘humping’ behavior is more a dominant action than a sexual one is very young puppies, and at 5 months he is only beginning his sexual development and is comparable to a ‘tween’ in the human world.
Be sure to tell him ‘no’ firmly when he does this and redirect his attention to a favorite toy or game. He will likely do this with other dogs both male and female, human visitors and maybe even toys/cushions etc. It’s his way of trying to exert authority over these animals/things and it’s best to discourage that.
Unless he’s a show-quality Rottie with parents who are OFA rated and free of the inheritable health conditions that affect the breed, then breeding him is an option that probably shouldn’t be explored. There are a LOT of Rottweilers, but many of them don’t improve the breed as a whole when bred, and that should be the main aim of a breeding.
I’d really recommend that you have him neutered before he’s six months old as that will help reduce his desire to increase his ‘humping’, plus should prevent territory spraying or marking, and his desire to wander the neighborhood after any female dog in season. It also reduces his chances of developing a number of serious, reproductive-order diseases and conditions later in life.
Hope this helps. Best of luck with your pup.