Humping is pretty common among dogs, but it can be quite confusing if it’s happening between the same gender. With this, many pet owners are asking, why do female dogs hump another female?
Before you jump to the wildest conclusions, let me address the elephant in the room: dogs can’t be gays. Canines don’t have sexual orientations like humans. Also, humping between same-gendered canines is actually non-sexual in many cases.
Below, we discussed this topic to help debunk misconceptions and myths. We also added a few points to help you address the behavior in case it’s already becoming invasive.
Why do female dogs hump another female?
A female dog humping another female may seem like an anomaly, but there are actually explanations behind this. Here are some possibilities that experts suggest:
🐶Your female dog is stressed.
Stress can wreak havoc on your dog’s behavior. Whether it’s male or female, stress can trigger a canine to hump as a way of releasing its anxiety.
It’s possible that you moved to a new home, there are strangers or other dogs around, and so on. Each dog has varying stressors and tolerance levels, so it’s something that you should consider.
Aside from that, a dog’s anxiety can lead to arousal, which therefore triggers humping. This can happen to both male and female canines.
Moreover, this response to stress is called ‘displacement behavior’. Other dogs will hump while some will chew, scratch, dig, sniff, and exhibit other obsessive habits.
To stop stress-related humping, the only way is to get rid of your dog’s stressors. Desensitization will also be a big help.
🐶Your female dog is excited.
Too much excitement can also lead your female dog to hump another canine nearby even if it’s of the same gender.
Excitement can happen if your dog meets new people, animals, or is experiencing a new thing. Like stress or anxiety, humping due to excitement is normal and should subside once your pet is calmer.
Overall, over-excitement in dogs can be minimized with proper training and desensitization. This way, your pooch won’t have an adverse emotional reaction to its triggers.
🐶Your female dog is bored.
Boredom can do a lot of negative things to your dog’s behavior. For example, if a female dog isn’t receiving enough mental stimulation and exercise, it will resort to humping to pass the time.
While it’s not very common among female canines, it can still happen in some cases. The frustration over the lack of things to do can also trigger anxiety and stress.
The solution is quite easy: keep your dog busy as much as possible. You can schedule daily walks, multiple playtime sessions throughout the day, and other activities to occupy your pet’s time.
If you’re busy at work, make sure that your female doggo has interactive toys. This will keep the canine’s mind off humping. Aside from that, interactive toys will also help prevent separation anxiety among clingy dogs.
🐶Your female dog has medical issues.
Medical issues can also trigger humping between two female dogs. Take note that humping is just one of the symptoms, so it’s important to get your dog checked at the vet if you suspect this problem.
Dogs with urinary tract infections may find humping relieving or soothing. And since UTI is more common among female dogs, it shouldn’t be surprising if this will be a symptom.
Aside from humping, female dogs with UTI will also lick their genitals often. Incontinence and straining to urinate will also happen, especially for dogs with a severe case of infection.
In addition, medical issues like skin allergies may also trigger humping, especially if the irritated skin is around the genital area.
🐶Your female dog came from an abusive owner.
Female dogs that came from an abusive owner or situation will likely develop unusual behavior like humping another female canine. It’s often a dog’s response to poor socialization. And since abused dogs are barely trained well, they tend to be stressed on many occasions.
Also, constant humping in public spaces, visitors at home, and calm situations often indicate that your dog needs training. It’s possibly a sign of a bigger underlying behavioral problem.
Poorly trained female dogs can also use humping to impose social dominance over other dogs. It can also be their way of practicing social interaction skills since they weren’t socialized enough early in life.
Take note that rescue dogs that come from abusive homes require a lot of patience. Many of them tend to respond slowly to training, but nothing is impossible with consistency and the right approach.
If your efforts aren’t helping in reducing your dog’s humping, you should consider tapping the help of a professional dog trainer.
🐶Your female dog is in heat.
A female dog in heat can also hump due to sexual arousal. They can do this to both male and female dogs, which is completely normal.
Moreover, female dogs in heat will hump their male suitors during ‘courtship’. However, there are instances when a female canine may mistake the gender of the other dog.
Overall, expect your female dog to hump obsessively during its heat cycle. While not all female canines will do this, those who do will likely exhibit the behavior often.
🐶Your female dog wants attention.
Lastly, female dogs may hump any dog if it wants attention. This is often the case if you reinforce the behavior by rewarding humping inadvertently.
Rewarding humping can be in the form of reacting to your dog, whether it’s positive or not. With this, your doggo will hump repeatedly to solicit your attention.
This can be corrected with training and basic obedience. You can do so by rewarding your dog if it stops humping when told “no” or “stop”.
Overall, this requires consistent training, especially if your dog has been doing it for quite some time. If your efforts aren’t working, a professional dog trainer can surely help.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can two female dogs live in the same house?
A: Two female dogs can get along in the same house, but there are a few considerations. Breed compatibility is crucial as well as how you introduce the two canines to each other. In general, experts recommend getting dogs of the opposite gender to avoid territorialism. Nevertheless, this can be managed by selecting matching breeds.
Q: Why does my dog keep getting humped?
A: If your dog keeps getting humped, there are two possible scenarios. First, your dog is unspayed and currently in heat. On the other hand, it’s also possible that the surrounding canines are stressed, overexcited, or aroused. In general, humping isn’t always sexual and it can happen even if unprovoked by your dog.
Q: Is it okay to let my female dog hump?
A: There’s nothing harmful about letting your female dog hump. However, this behavior can get annoying or even embarrassing if you have guests around. With this, you should try identifying the cause of humping, so you can remove such triggers.
Q: Do female dogs hump in season?
A: Interestingly, two female dogs may hump each other when they are both in heat. However, the dogs are often unaware of each other’s gender. Overall, this is harmless and common among canines across breeds. Once the dogs exit the estrus cycle, this behavior will subside on its own.
Q: Do female dogs hump because it feels good?
A: Female dogs hump each other because it feels good. However, not in a sexual way all the time. Sometimes, humping feels good for female dogs because it allows them to decompress stress or vent out their frustrations. Humping can also be a form of play in some cases, so it’s considered harmless most of the time.
Q: Do female dogs hump before a heat?
A: Female dogs may hump before heat if they are stressed, anxious, or over-excited. Medical issues like urinary tract infection may also trigger non-sexual humping, both in male and female dogs. As long as it’s not medical-related, humping among female dogs is normal and shouldn’t be a cause of concern.
Final words
Why do female dogs hump another female? It can be anywhere from stress, excitement, boredom, medical issues, or an abusive past. Still, you should also consider the possibility that your dog is suffering from a urinary tract infection, which triggers the humping.
Do you have other points to add here? Share your thoughts below in the comment section!
