humping on male dogs is it pure dominance or just play sex

 Teach him to "leave it". That is a rude behavior. It can cause fights.

Let him hump a dog that won't be humped!  LOL  That's what my friend did.  Our dogs were playing and she told me her male likes to hump.  My dog was taking a break sitting by me and her dog tried to him mine while she was sitting (mine is a GSD so her dog can't really get on her unless she's sitting).  My dog corrected him quickly and meant it, that was that.  No fight, no aggression, just him trying to hump and her giving a big NO! He had kind of a shocked look on his face and looked at my friend who just said "well that's what you get for trying to hump everyone".  He sulked off but a few minutes later they were playing again.  He tried it once or twice more and got denied each time, hasn't tried to hump her since.

Honestly if it's not causing any fights, I'd just forget about it.  Humping is pretty natural for dogs.  If the other dog doesn't want to be humped, he will tell your dog and make it clear, just like your dog does when others hump him.  Some dogs just don't care, others do.

And yeah, train the "leave it!" if you really need to intervene. 

If it was Nora, she would discipline him..... If it was Dessie, the fight is on.  And Nora would jump in to help her big brother.  Dess had the behavior as a young dog.  He lacks confidence and was attempting to assert himself.  I never allowed it to escalte to a fight.  If he humped, right back on lead or a stay by me.  Once he was neutered the behavior stopped for the most part (except when Nora is in season,,, what a pain)

I find it very rude. If another dog does that to Tootsie, she whips around with teeth bared and tells the offending dog where  to go.  

Liesje

Honestly if it's not causing any fights, I'd just forget about it.  Humping is pretty natural for dogs.  If the other dog doesn't want to be humped, he will tell your dog and make it clear, just like your dog does when others hump him.  Some dogs just don't care, others do.

Its not causing fights SO FAR. He's gonna hump the wrong dog someday, that dog is going to lash out and be held responsible for taking it out on her dog. Thats not fair. Especially when it would take little upon her part to teach her dog some manners.

I totally agree with you that it is typical dog behavior but its happening at a dog park which is FAR from a typical healthy, stable dog environment. Its like putting elbows on the table is ok at home but if you wanna go to a fancy restaurant you better learn some manners.

It is very rude and my chocolate is an offender.  I can usually tell when he is thinking about it by his body language and position, then I call him over and give him something else to do.  When he has managed to start the behavior I try to stop it but if the "victim" tells Monroe where to go I certainly don't mind.  I always apoligize to the owners, it's the least I can do.

Thankfully this only happens once in a blue moon.

it bothers people for some reason but it's not "rude". It's a perfectly normal dog behavior like play-bowing and barking and play-biting. Unless the humpee looks miserable and is for some reason unwilling to tell the humper to take a hike I'd just leave them alone.

AuroraLove

Liesje

Honestly if it's not causing any fights, I'd just forget about it.  Humping is pretty natural for dogs.  If the other dog doesn't want to be humped, he will tell your dog and make it clear, just like your dog does when others hump him.  Some dogs just don't care, others do.

Its not causing fights SO FAR. He's gonna hump the wrong dog someday, that dog is going to lash out and be held responsible for taking it out on her dog. Thats not fair. Especially when it would take little upon her part to teach her dog some manners.

I totally agree with you that it is typical dog behavior but its happening at a dog park which is FAR from a typical healthy, stable dog environment. Its like putting elbows on the table is ok at home but if you wanna go to a fancy restaurant you better learn some manners.

To me "lashing out" isn't a fight, and if both dogs fight because one humped and the other corrects, then I don't think either dog belongs at a public park with other dogs.  When Griffon tries to hump Kenya she snaps in his face and that's that.  Five seconds later they are back to chasing and wrestling.  I don't get overly upset that he tried to hump and my friend doesn't care that Kenya corrected.  Both are stable dogs, at least from what we've seen, and can deal with fair corrections from other dogs without their being a fight or the play having to stop. 

I guess the bottom line is, I don't really use public parks, at least not with strange dogs.  I know the dogs we play with aren't aggressive and won't get overly pushy or react aggressively when corrected and I know my dogs won't either.  We are lucky enough to have enough dog acquaintances for plenty of play and socialization. 

Our dogs do that to each other, sometimes they hump stuffed animals as well, I saw it in the pups when they were just a few weeks old I think it's a very natural behavior. Possibly a bit rude, but every time I see any of our dogs doing it it always seems to be an over-stimulated/excited/ramped up sort of thing when they're play wrestling rather than an out and out dominance jesture. It's never caused fights between our dogs, sometimes they say "enough" to one another but especially with the pups if Tiny starts to hump Brutus while he's chewing on/being chewed on by Doodle he just falls over and then Tiny chews on his legs and rolls on him. I could see it causing problems between strange adult dogs at a doggie park tho, you might want to be careful and if he's not try having him neutered. Or you could get together with doggie friends of his that have better social skills and will teach your dog nicer ways to play.

My dogs hump at home, and that is fine. They are told to leave it in public, because it upsets some people and some dogs. Nobody's allowed to hump Emma, ever. She has pretty well set arthritis in her left hip and lower back. She isn't the only dog walking around with spinal or hip issues, so I just don't allow it. In groups of dogs that know each other well, it's one thing. In groups of strangers, it's another.

Very rough play is classed the same way. You can do it at home, or with dogs we play with every week. With strangers, you'll be called off.  

Hmmm, let's see.......maybe I could rent Sequoyah out to teach all those humper wannabes a lesson.  No one humps the speckled monstah.
 

Liesje

To me "lashing out" isn't a fight, and if both dogs fight because one humped and the other corrects, then I don't think either dog belongs at a public park with other dogs. 

But thats just my point.....she is at a dog park where......well lets be honest is NOT a place of familiar OR stable dogs.

I'm not typically one to disagree with you Liesje. I WISH more people would allow the dogs to interacct amongst themselves and not interfer but a dog park situation is totally different. Dog park to me =unstable dogs adn owners who arnt paying attention.

Obviously the OP is very attentive to her dog's body language so thats why I suggested she try to halt this behavior

AuroraLove

Liesje

To me "lashing out" isn't a fight, and if both dogs fight because one humped and the other corrects, then I don't think either dog belongs at a public park with other dogs. 

But thats just my point.....she is at a dog park where......well lets be honest is NOT a place of familiar OR stable dogs.

I'm not typically one to disagree with you Liesje. I WISH more people would allow the dogs to interacct amongst themselves and not interfer but a dog park situation is totally different. Dog park to me =unstable dogs adn owners who arnt paying attention.

Obviously the OP is very attentive to her dog's body language so thats why I suggested she try to halt this behavior

I think we are in agreement then.  I don't use a dog park, just fenced fields on private properties where I meet friends and their dogs, dogs I've observed enough to trust (as much as you *can* trust a dog) with my dogs.  I agree about most dog parks, not worth it for me, especially with a GSD b/c like you say, whatever happens SHE will be blamed.

I guess if I were the OP I'd stop going or find some other dogs to play with if other owners are getting upset about it.  To me, interrupting dog's play when there isn't really an issue is confusing and frustrating for the dogs and is a great way to *create* an issue where there is none.  That's why I'd suggest leaving them alone if the other dog doesn't seem to mind the humping or finding another dog to play with that will correct it without starting a fight. 

It may be 'normal' dog behavior but i find it extremely rude -- mostly because I tend to have smaller dogs, elderly dogs, and dogs who don't play rough.

This is also why you rarely if ever find ME at a dog park.  It's not a behavior I condone at home either -- we do pet therapy and it's just not a behavior that is polite in society and I don't have different rules for there and here -- it's just not a behavior I allow and honestly I've never even HAD it happen more than once per dog.  Simply because the pack stays in order and I follow that order pretty carefully in what I respect as well. 

Too much risk of injury and/or frayed tempers here.