Do Dogs Masturbate? 8 Hypotheses Why This Happens!

Do dogs masturbate? When you think about it for a second, you start wondering how can this be possible, right?

Well, we need to keep an open mind. We also need to realize that the old-fashioned way that we humans are used to isn`t possible for our furry friends.

Mounting, thrusting, or masturbation all represent normal behaviors in the canine world. (“Reasons Behind Your Dog’s Excessive Mounting and Masturbation,” 2022)

Whether you have a female or a male canine, you most certainly caught your little friend humping one of your pillows at some point. (“Do Dogs Masturbate: Strange or Normal Activity? Should you Worry?”, 2022)

Regardless of how you think about this, there are a few things you need to know about all this so you can be prepared when you notice this behavior in your little pal. (“Dogs Masturbation: Strange or Normal Activity? – Oxford Pets”, 2022)

Why Do We See Dogs Masturbating?

As difficult as it may seem – yes, dogs do masturbate. Our canine companions have plenty of other ways to do it. They mount and thrust against objects, people, or other animals.

Sometimes, they even rub themselves against a wall or other objects without mounting them. (“Reasons Behind Your Dog’s Excessive Mounting and Masturbation”, 2022)

Male canines can even use their teeth to grab their penises from their end when masturbating. Female and male canines sometimes masturbate using many substrates, some of which may lead to tissue damage. (Milani, 2022)

Mounting and masturbating with dogs aren`t always related to sex. (“Dogs Masturbation: Strange or Normal Activity? – Oxford Pets”, 2022) According to Natcheva (2022), sometimes our fluffy friends play with themselves because of anxiety or stress. Other times, they masturbate simply because they met another canine and get turned on.

8 Hypotheses Why Canines Masturbate

We established this normal behavior in our pooches` world. But does this happen? Here are a few of our assumptions.

Sexual Behavior

Whether your canine is neutered (spayed) or not, masturbation is an essential part of the sexual behavior of a dog. Moreover, neutered canines can also experience ejaculation or erection. (“Dogs Masturbation: Strange or Normal Activity? – Oxford Pets”, 2022)

Most dog owners don`t exactly know that not just intact canines have this particular behavior.

A “flirty” canine will always have their ears backward and their tail up. They might try to play bows, lick themselves, or have any other kind of similar sexual behavior. (“Do Dogs Masturbate: Strange or Normal Activity? Should you Worry?”, 2022)

They Lack Socialization

Poor socialization can also be a key reason your little fella` doesn`t really know how to behave. When dog owners don`t socialize their pooches with other animals, it`s only a matter of time before unwanted behavior will occur. (Natcheva, 2022)

Our canine companions frequently exhibit sexual behavior as a normal part of playtime. At this point, canines won`t experience erections; however, they might still try to hump. (“Do Dogs Masturbate: Strange or Normal Activity? Should you Worry?”, 2022)

They Saw This Behavior at Other Dogs

Our pooches learn fast! They will absorb new information like sponges, especially if positive reinforcement is used.

Yet, training with professional trainers or their owners isn`t the only way a canine can learn new stuff. They can acquire knowledge by observing other canines as well.

Sometimes, dogs even go out of their own way and try to “train” their siblings. (Natcheva, 2022)

Excitement, Stress, or Anxiety

Canines experience excitement, stress, or anxiety in different ways. Some dogs may respond to these particular types of sensations by masturbating and humping.

For instance, an excited canine might try and hump another canine if they meet them for the first time. Moreover, nervous or anxious canines might hump other objects, like pillows or toys. (“Do Dogs Masturbate: Strange or Normal Activity? Should you Worry?”, 2022)

They Want Rewards

Punishing a canine during training is something no fur parent should want. According to Horwitz & Landsberg (2022), proper training is always done with positive reinforcement.

Giving rewards to your furry friend represents one of the fastest ways for them to learn new behaviors. It`s much easier for dogs to repeat an action when associating that behavior with a good thing.

This training method might be efficient but can also make your canine companion want more. Therefore, you may see their random mounting and humping increase due to the rewards received. (Natcheva, 2022)

Compulsive Disorder

Masturbation can easily lead to a compulsive bad habit, specifically if your pooch does this to cope with their anxiety or stress.

This might interfere with their normal functioning and cause many problems that no pet owner wants. (“Reasons Behind Your Dog’s Excessive Mounting and Masturbation,” 2022)

Priapism

In simple terms, priapism represents a medical condition that will make your canine experience erections. Strangely, there isn`t any sexual stimulation required for this to occur.

Your little fella` might have a good time playing around, and then they could have an erection all of a sudden. They may try to relieve this discomfort by licking themselves. Some causes leading to this disorder in canines might include:

• Vascular defects
• Medication
• Masses in their little penises
• Trauma
• Myelopathy

If you notice this occurrence in your canine, you could try to check your dog`s surroundings. If you notice any visible sexual stimulation, your dog may also have to be checked. (Natcheva, 2022)

Additional Health Problems

We already mentioned that humping in canines is absolutely normal behavior. Still, there are some health problems besides priapism that pet owners have to watch out for.

If your dog is trying to rub themselves against various objects constantly, masturbating in excess, or chewing and licking private areas of their body more than normal, maybe it`s for a veterinarian to see them.

Some possible medical issues related to this type of behavior may include:

• Urinary tract infections
• Skin allergies
• Urinary incontinence

(“Happy Hump Day? | How To Stop Your Dog from Humping – Cesar’s Way”, 2022)

Is This Behavior a Sign of Dominance?

When talking about canines, this type of behavior can be taken as a sign of dominance. Our furry friends will always try to take control of their “pack” by mounting or humping other canines in their pack.

In this situation, dominance can be a sign of control when discussing accessing various resources within their personal space.

This happens not only with male canines but with females as well. Serotonin, a chemical substance in the dog brain, has been linked with the necessity of canines to express dominance in the pack.

This particular chemical substance plays a key role in affecting their humping behavior as well. (“Do Dogs Masturbate? 9 Key Reasons Why | Thefavpet”, 2022)

When to Correct this Behavior?

We already mentioned that masturbation is typical behavior in canines. But what does this exactly mean? More specifically, a canine that humps up to a couple of times per day is considered normal behavior that doesn`t need to be corrected. (“Happy Hump Day? | How to Stop Your Dog from Humping – Cesar’s Way”, 2022)

It`s to be expected that you may want to act when this canine masturbation occurs around guests or other people. In these cases, you could use a water spray to discourage your dog from repeating this behavior immediately. (“Do Dogs Masturbate? – Gleeful Dog”, 2022)

However, if acting against your dog somehow bothers you, there are still a few things you could consider.

• Use your dog`s training
• Distraction sometimes works
• Give your dog some time out
• Spay & neuter

(“Happy Hump Day? | How to Stop Your Dog from Humping – Cesar’s Way”, 2022)

Final Word

When talking about canine masturbation, our pooches are known to “perform” this practice by licking various body parts or humping objects around, female canines in particular.

Canine humping behavior can be linked with various causes like social behavior, looking for attention, anxiety or stress, and sexual activity.

This can easily be avoided by spaying or neutering your little pal, specifically if you don`t have any plans to breed your pooch at any time in the future.

Reference List:

Do Dogs Masturbate [2022 Guide] Dog Masturbation 101 – Male & Female. K9 Magazine. (2022). Retrieved 16 October 2022, from https://www.k9magazinefree.com/do-dogs-masturbate/.

Do Dogs Masturbate: Strange or Normal Activity? Should you Worry?. True Pet Story. (2022). Retrieved 12 October 2022, from https://www.truepetstory.com/dogs/do-dogs-masturbate/.

Do Dogs Masturbate? 9 Key Reasons Why | Thefavpet. The Fav Pet. (2022). Retrieved 16 October 2022, from https://thefavpet.com/do-dogs-masturbate/.

Dogs Masturbation: Strange or Normal Activity? – Oxford Pets. Oxford Pets. (2022). Retrieved 16 October 2022, from https://oxfordpets.com/dogs-masturbation-strange-or-normal-activity/.

Happy Hump Day? | How to Stop Your Dog from Humping – Cesar’s Way. Cesar’s Way. (2022). Retrieved 12 October 2022, from https://www.cesarsway.com/happy-hump-day/.

Horwitz, D., & Landsberg, G. (2022). Using Reinforcement and Rewards to Train Your Pet | VCA Animal Hospital. Veterinarians & Emergency Vets. Retrieved 14 October 2022, from https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/using-reinforcement-and-rewards-to-train-your-pet.

Milani, M. (2022). MultiBrief: Ethology and veterinary practice: Canine and feline sexual politics. Multi Briefs. Retrieved 16 October 2022, from https://exclusive.multibriefs.com/content/ethology-and-veterinary-practice-canine-and-feline-sexual-politics/pet-care.

Natcheva, P. (2022). 11 Weird Reasons Why Dogs Masturbate + 3 Tips to Stop It. Dogs and Clogs. Retrieved 12 October 2022, from https://dogsandclogs.com/do-dogs-masturbate/.

Reasons Behind Your Dog’s Excessive Mounting and Masturbation. PetCareRx. (2022). Retrieved 11 October 2022, from https://www.petcarerx.com/article/reasons-behind-your-dogs-excessive-mounting-and-masturbation/4124.