[Broughty]

Hi everybody!

We are not 100% sure but we think that Alfie has started humping already He is only 15 weeks old!!!!

What age do they start? He has this big cuddly elephant and 4 or 5 times now we have said that he really looks as though he is trying to hump it! And then my husband took him out the other day and it looked like he tried to hump another dog.

Surely they don't start this young?! Our vets like to wait until they are 1 year old to neuter them so if so this could be a very long 8 months. Or a new vet!!

Sarah

 

[tessybear]

Dexter was a terrible humper. We had him done at 8 months and he has thankfully never humped since. My vet is of the opinion of the earlier the better and wanted him done at 6 months. To be honest I don't really know why I waited!

 

[kendal]

I was once carrying a frinds 8 week old puppy. we were out on a xog walk so were were all getting a cuddle so she sind have to carry him the hole time. anyway with 2 of us he started humpping our arm so yes they an start that young. i would try to discurige it now rather.than just letting him get on with it or it will just be constent.

i have a problem with my bitch echo humping delta she didnt start it till she was over a year old but its a dominance thing with her it started when my brothers girlfriend got a new dog she was very atteched to totts but when they got amber she would stop them playing then hump totts like mad. the ontinued when we got delta. its very anoying and rather imbaresing.

so try very hard to discurig it.

 

[Turi]

I wouldn't worry - our two male neutered cats hump regularly!

And, Saffi humped her cow last week at eight weeks .

 

[Janev1000]

Female and male puppies naturally hump each other and their toys as more of a dominance thing than real mating. We had a huge teddy bear and Biscuit would hump it at every opportunity! - but not anything else. However, at almost 6 months, he did this and it turned into more than we thought! - so we've now hidden it away!

I would say at 15 weeks it is just a play thing and not to worry!

 

[designsbyisis]

our vet nurse said it was normal but to ignore as if you make a song & dance and laugh point etc they see it as attention seeking !

 

[Dextersmum]

My Dexter who is 7 months old has regularly humped his cushion from about the age of 10/11 weeks! We are really not worried about it and don't make a fuss. He tends to have a little humpy time after his meals,then has a nap

 

[Broughty]

Female and male puppies naturally hump each other and their toys as more of a dominance thing than real mating. We had a huge teddy bear and Biscuit would hump it at every opportunity! - but not anything else. However, at almost 6 months, he did this and it turned into more than we thought! - so we've now hidden it away!

I would say at 15 weeks it is just a play thing and not to worry!

Oh my god!!!! Hope I don't have to deal with something like that!

Phew. I didn't realise male and female puppies humped! I won't worry about it then! Thanks everybody.

 

[maplegum]

I have also read that it is a form of stress release too, like when they get over excited and don't know how to channel their energy. It could be true cause I notice Ruben does it when he gets excited playing. I just don't make a big deal about it, it's usually over and done with quick enough

 

[Blaablaa]

Bit late as usual, but this did make me laugh as my Alfie also has a big squidgy elephant which he sometimes humps! (Yours didn't come from Ikea too, did it?!)
However, I wouldn't say it's constant or even a problem, and certainly not anything to panic about. Interestngly, he seems to do it more when certain people are about, for example my boyfriend's teenage daughter or other younger relatves, and I wondered if it could be some kind of pheromone thing perhaps.
As people have already said, female dogs & cats and neutered ones too have all been known to do it - it's just one of those things.

 

[loobylou]

Charlie has humped since the first day we had him
However he only does it when he is playing with his toys, particularly ones that are larger than him !

 

[Broughty]

Well I feel much better now!! Also we went to puppy classes today and a rotweiller the same age as Alfie was "air humping" which was quite funny. Trainer said it is not sexual, he probably has no idea why he is doing it!

Barbara it is a London Zoo elephant! I got him a penguin too but he is not so keen on that.

 

[Janev1000]

our vet nurse said it was normal but to ignore as if you make a song & dance and laugh point etc they see it as attention seeking !

That's what I tell the boys - we don't want it becoming a 'party trick'!!