So what does it mean (silly but serious question)

Sounds like Bugs is very confident with who he is! He sounds like a dog who doesn't need to prove himself. That is real confidence.

The dogs that hate being humped also tend to be confidence problem dogs but in a different way. They are bold dogs that don't like other dogs in their space. Abbie is this way. The boldness makes her lack of confidence easy to over look. A good offense is the best defense type thing

The middle of the road dogs don't seem to care and react like bugsy does "oh pleeaaase *rolls eyes*"

Jewlieee

Abbie is this way

Tootsie, is very much like Abbie when it comes to humping. Big mistake for the humpee.

 thanks for the responses - as I said I am just curious. 

He does react to some dogs ever since that one aggressive dog we used to see came after him time and time again but I still don't know why he does react to those few versus all the ones he doesn't.

the best way to describe what I attribute his lack of concern of attempts to hump him is that he didn't take the other dog serious so he is calmly confident, no need to assert himself.

Just fascinates me

Apollo isn't a humper. Apollo will move away from a humper, but if the dog hangs on Apollo will do the low growl, and if the dog doesn't get that warning sign Apollo's ready to throw down. But, once the humper is off him he's cool- not more fighting, he doesn't keep going with it. It's just like a "get the f* off me!". So, I usually get the other dog off him ASAP if the owner doesn't. I would describe Apollo as bold and confident, but mature (7-9yrs) and less tolerable of bulls*.

Patty is a humper. She humps smaller than her size dogs. Her humping is usually brought out by over stimulation (like playing w/ another dog then bursting into zoomies).

Molson isn't a humper. And he'll take whatever dog is humping him and just stand/sit there like "Maaaa....", and I'll get the humper off him or the owner will. Sometimes he just looks scared- too scared to move- when it's a much larger dog- and I don't blame him! Eeek!

If anything, I would say that Bugsy is a pretty self-confident guy who is pretty good at telling the difference between *benign* humping and *serious* humping.

Humping has so many motives, and root causes, from stress, to mating, to control, to UTI's, to play. There is no *one rule* when it comes to humping, and it certainly does not always mean that one dog is trying to *one up* another.

I would wager that Bugs knew that the GSD's humping was less about play and more about control, wheareas a younger, soft dog, may be either eliciting play or is displaying a bit of anxiety about the situation, and reacted accordingly.

Yes sexual experience also plays a part here. I know some stud dogs seldom mount anything outside of a serious meaningful encounter...young untried intact males will hump anything that is female many times. Sully does...and he is a VERY confident puppy...

Girls....tend to tolerate humping A LOT LESS, from anyone, once they've been bred. They know what that means and they ain't having it. LOL. Least my girls do. But they mount each other like heathens when in season. LOL.

Woe betide any dog that ever tried to mount one of my Akitas back in the day, too, for any reason...they took that as  serious SERIOUS breach of protocol and would attempt to end the dog that did it. They never themselves...mounted tho, they preferred the head over top domination. I think that...is more meaningful. Breedings between Akitas have always been described as a "robust" affair...for good reason LOL.

Kim_MacMillan

I would wager that Bugs knew that the GSD's humping was less about play and more about control,

just for clarification the GSD does the head over the shoulder thing - not humping

all very interesting - dog communication truly amazes me

Yes, right, thanks for that. My bad! Still, the GSD was all about control and the other dog was not so much, by the sounds of it.

Kim_MacMillan

Still, the GSD was all about control and the other dog was not so much, by the sounds of it.

although B has been 'attacked' by humpers quite a few times LOL

There are some neutered males who seem to have a *hump me* tag on their forehead when they go out in public. I know a couple of dogs who seem to be targets for humping, and other dogs almost compulsively try to hump that dog, but not another dog in the vicinity, whether it's personality, communication signals, or scent, I have no clue, but I know a little JRT in particular who seems to bring on this sort of *attention*.

Kim_MacMillan

There are some neutered males who seem to have a *hump me* tag on their forehead when they go out in public.

That's my Molson!!

I had heard that neutering can cause the dog to smell a bit like a bitch, from a pheremone standpoint...not sure where I read that. Makes sense. Males often try to hump lactating bitches or those with UTI too, so perhaps in the absense of "doggy manly" smell it confuses things.

rwbeagles

I had heard that neutering can cause the dog to smell a bit like a bitch, from a pheremone standpoint...not sure where I read that

Ian Dunbar made the same comment at a seminar a few years ago.  Not sure that I agree that all neutered dogs smell like a bitch but I don't have the nose to determine that one way or another. lol

Twister says he'll fight anyone who calls him a bitch or tries to hump him.