My 9 month old male Rottie, tries to hump all the dogs at the dog park!

by Janet
(Phoenix, AZ)

Well, my puppy named Rocki tries to hump all the dogs at the dog park, I’ve noticed that he does it more with other male dogs though. What can i do to get him to stop…. it’s gotten to the point where he won’t listen to me when i tell him to stop. I have to pull him off.

I want to get him to stop before a fight breaks out.. It always starts out with them playing, then in the middle of it he’ll start trying to hump….. yikes!

thank u

Hi Janet
This is usually a dominant behavior in puppies rather than a sexual one, and if your pup is humping other male dogs then that’s most likely what is going on here.

However, the other dogs won’t appreciate it (not surprising!) as they see it as a direct challenge, and you’re right to worry about some conflict being in the future. The good news is that this sort of behavior, and any resulting conflict, is usually more ‘posturing’ than serious fighting, but even then either dog can get hurt… and if they get irritated enough it can degenerate into a real fight which with dogs the size of Rotties can lead to serious trouble.

If he’s not already been neutered then I’d definitely recommend that you get that done. It will reduce his ‘macho male’ attitudes somewhat, but won’t totally cure the problem. You’ll just need to keep reinforcing the idea that this is NOT acceptable social interaction, by correcting him verbally every time. And pulling him off the other dogs if/when necessary. Once you’ve told him off and got his attention, redirect it to a favorite toy or game and try to keep him busy so his mind is less inclined to consider dominating the other dogs.

It’s an adolescence thing, and with constant and consistent discipline he should outgrow this, or at least stop doing it when told to. If he’s choosing to ignore you when you reprimand him, then I’d also advise that you enroll him in a basic obedience class and work with him regularly so that he respects your authority and doesn’t even consider the possibility of ignoring a command. Rotties are very clever, and tend to be stubborn at times, so regular training is important.

Hope this helps, best of luck with your pup.

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