To be annoyed by people who don’t neuter their dogs and let their dogs hump other dogs nonstop

[CalIie]

It drives me up the wall that some people (mostly men) refuse to get their dogs neutered.

It seems some men are just so insecure about their own manhood that they try to compensate by leaving their dog intact? As if that's supposed to "prove" their own masculinity somehow?

I have a female dog who was spayed at 10 months, yet is constantly being humped. The owners do nothing to stop it, or worse find it funny when my dog is clearly distressed. I’ve even seen dogs knock over and hump young kids, which the owners find hilarious

I can’t see any reason to not get your dog neutered, except rare medical issues. AIBU?

@pikapikapukachu

I'm really shocked at how many posters have replied saying their dogs aren't neutered. What is the reason for not neutering unless you're going to breed from them? Isn't it better for their health that they are neutered?

It generally is better for health in females but not in males..... it can be the opposite in fact.

We have unspayed females. Not for breeding but because they are a giant breed. Plus it has an impact on likelihood of bone cancer.

I don't think the humping behaviour is always related to whether or not a dog has been neutered. Over the years, between my immediately family and I, we have had numerous dogs. Most have been male and almost all have been neutered. One was never neutered and never showed any interest in humping anything. One was neutered when he was about six months old but always seemed highly sexed; he tried humping the neighbour's arm the first time he met him when the dog was about three months old and continued to try and hump my spayed female dog until shortly before he died, aged fifteen years. He was told to stop, removed and we even tried wiping the female dog with anti-chew spray - she wasn't impressed with the spray but it didn't deter him. He only seemed attracted to certain people/animals though - my female dog, the neighbour's arm, my uncle's leg and one of my friends.

I'd agree that dog humping behaviour isn't fun for anyone, except the humper! However, humping is not always resolved by neutering. Humping can also be a displacement behaviour, excitement, bordeom, there are numerous possibilities.

Humping can be a learned behaviour. My lab bitch went to stay with some family friends when I had to work abroad for 6 weeks. She came back humping everything in sight having spent 6 weeks romping around with their two male whippets. Both dogs were neutered, she was spayed, but it's an innate behaviour and she copied them. Fortunately she stopped again after a few weeks!

My male dog humps my female dog, and he's been neutered. I stop him when I can, but it's proven difficult to train him out of it. At least he never humps people and is never around other people's dogs.

That same female has been known to hump our other female dog, in the past, too. All of these dogs have been neutered! It still happens, but I understand it's probably not pleasant when your dog is being humped by someone else's dog, and I'd remove my dog from the situation. I dislike it amongst my own dogs, but it doesn't seem to do any harm. If the humpee doesn't like it, she usually gives the humper a sharp telling off.

OP 10 months is too early to spay. They’re not fully developed yet. Seems some vets push for it too early because it suits their agenda.

Fwiw I had a spayed bitch who was the single worst jumper the world had ever known.

And dogs knocking over and jumping children is a serious matter.

The vet advised us not to get our large breed male pup neutered until he's at least a year old ideally 18 months. This is because it affects their bones and joints. It also affects the coat in some breeds and increases risk of obesity and it makes male dogs more fearful and more fear aggressive in many cases so it's not a wholly positive or neutral thing to do to your dog. There are good reasons to delay neutering a male dog as well as bad ones. A lot of vets and dog trainers are not recommending early neutering now.

He has just very recently at 9 months had his first 2 episodes of humping other dogs (one female and one male on the same day!) It was hugely embarrassing and he had never done it before that day. DH was in charge and stepped in and stopped him straight away. I guess this may be his latest new aresehole behaviour (after we dealt with the jumping up, mouthing, chewing up stuff, counter surfing etc etc) and we will try to deal with it by discouraging and rewarding better behaviour to start with and if that doesn't work only then consider neutering.

A lot of humping is behavioral and neutered dogs indulge in it too.

My dog isn't neutered. He has anxiety issues that could be made worse by the change in hormones caused by neutering. However he is a rescue and kept on a lead at all times. He very rarely humps anything, perhaps once a week maximum, and is usually if over stimulated

My neuted Lab does it, and other neuted dogs do it to him. It's hump or be humped in my dog park 🤷‍♂️

My female, calm, adult, neutered Lab cross sometimes - very rarely, but still! - to puppies. Which is super embarrassing, obviously! It happens if they’re harassing her and not taking her cues to back off. So I would say that’s dominance not pure ‘excitement’ but not in a ‘pack theory’ way just in another communication between dogs way - here, youngster, if you don’t stop getting in my face and up my arse I’ll do it to you and see how you like it!

Obviously we stop her immediately.

Neutering is not always better for health. There are pros and cons to both leaving entire and castrating. I would never personally neuter either a dog or bitch until it’s had a couple of seasons/is physically mature depending on the size.
I have giants so the risk of bone cancer means my male is still entire at 2 years. He never humps!
Neutering can also make nervous behaviour worse.

Dogs humping others and jumping on children is a badly behaved out of control dog with a useless owner issue…nothing to do with a pair of balls.

Well I never neutered my male dog and he never humped another dog. I’ve got two female dogs now and in all the years of walking them I’ve never seen this happen.

To add my females are spade and hump each other constantly.

@Leonberger

Neutering is not always better for health. There are pros and cons to both leaving entire and castrating. I would never personally neuter either a dog or bitch until it’s had a couple of seasons/is physically mature depending on the size. I have giants so the risk of bone cancer means my male is still entire at 2 years. He never humps! Neutering can also make nervous behaviour worse.

Dogs humping others and jumping on children is a badly behaved out of control dog with a useless owner issue…nothing to do with a pair of balls.

This

My friend has several intact sausage dogs and was advised not to castrate them for similar reasons.

Early castrating/spaying is also wrong. My mum rescued a Doberman who had been castrated at 6 months old. He had permanent problems with both cruciate ligaments until the day he died.

Could you get dogs neutered over lock down? I thought they only did emergency visits/procedures. I'm not sure if neutering counts as an emergency, though it is very important.

My dog isn't neutered as I see no reason to put him through a medical procedure if it isn't necessary. That being said if he jumped anything, let alone everything, I think I'd be changing my mind.

I've never seen any dogs humping while walking.

My male dog is entire. He's a gentle, obedient dog and doesn't hump.
And I'm not an insecure man (or any sort of man, for that matter.)

I have a dog and never seen this happen. Sounds like you have a couple of very inconsiderate owners who use that park. I’d find somewhere else to walk my dog

@x2boys

How strange I have never seen anything like this but in five years of being a dog owner 🤔

Last month there was a thread about how terrible it was for owners of male dogs to have to deal with nasty owners who didn't have their female dogs spayed, every time they took their male dogs for a walk. it may not be good for the female dog concerned, but that's a different point.

It's a bit like the mythical cyclists who run you down the moment you get out of the door, the virus shedding joggers who breathe all over you on every corner - and dogs that hump others in every park. All massive overexaggerations.