Hi everyone, I’m new to the forum and looking for some advice...
Basically, I have a 5-year-old Japanese Spitz who keeps humping the sofa cushions, the bed, throws, blankets... as soon as we aren't in the same room or if we leave the flat. It happens so often, I’d say about 80% of the time! 😠
No matter how often we catch him in the act and tell him off, it doesn't make a bit of difference – he’s right back at it the next day.
I give him plenty of attention and affection, we take him for walks, he has free access to the balcony all the time, and loads of toys.
He hasn't been neutered yet but we are planning to get him done; we're hoping that might help calm things down a bit.
Thanks in advance for your replies! 🙂
Translated from French
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£170 for a sex toy, even for humans that seems bonkers, let alone for dogs... for those who’ve seen the link, note how "sexy" that ball in question looks. Mind you, Hulia, maybe your cushions are just too sexy?
I highly doubt plain white lounge cushions could be sexy... lol
Right, goal number one: redirecting him to his cushion. I’d leave the cushion wherever he usually tries to do it – on the sofa, for instance. If he starts mounting, don’t say a word, just take away the cushion he’s using and give him his own one instead. If he runs off to hide, it’s because you’ve been telling him off until now (which I totally get, and he’s definitely clocked it too 😅). So, try doing it silently. As for your leg, that’s completely out of order. Give him a firm ‘no’ and then hand him his cushion. He seems to go for your leg when you get up from the sofa or the dinner table, so there’s a trigger there – probably a bit of frustration... "I wanted more cuddles," or "I wanted a bit of that food..." It might be worth working on some frustration management with "leave it" games using treats or toys, or even his food bowl, and practising "stay" while you move away from him, etc.
I’ll give the cushion technique a go, because there’s no way I’m shelling out nearly £175 for a doggy sex toy, thanks very much! 🤪
I don’t know about the Spitz in the post, but more exercise for mine… that’s definitely out of the question 😅.
Doing any more would have other consequences for both of us that would be far more of a nuisance in the long run than his three-minute blanket-humping session in the evening.
Most dogs have some sort of quirk that could be seen as a behavioural issue. To my mind, a sheepdog is a walking behavioural issue in itself 😂.
But at the end of the day, all that matters is whether a dog is happy and settled. And my blanket-humping one seems much more comfortable in his own skin than my 'perfect' dog, who doesn't show any obvious behavioural problems but always has some underlying anxiety.
It’s more of an "overflow" issue, but not necessarily a sign of distress in the way some people might think...
It’s more common in high-energy dogs (a Spitz in this case, a German Shorthaired Pointer in mine), so yes, it is a bit of a quirk, but it's not a major problem as long as it doesn't turn into an obsession.
And when it comes to burning off energy, they can be a bottomless pit.
The more they do, the more they want. An hour or 90 minutes in their bed and they’re raring to go again, so exercise can’t be the only answer for a very active dog.
So activity levels definitely play a part, for sure, but sometimes that just won't be enough.
Personally, I think it’s better to tolerate the behaviour by managing it—to limit how much it bothers us humans—rather than trying to ban it altogether.
First of all, goal number one: redirect him to the cushion.
I’d leave the cushion wherever he usually goes to do it – on the sofa, for example.
If he starts on it, without saying a word, just take away the cushion he’s using and give him his own one instead. If he goes and hides, it’s because you’ve been telling him off up until now (which I totally get, and so does he 😅).
So, try it without saying anything.
As for your leg, now that is unacceptable. So, a firm “no” and then give him his cushion.
He goes for your leg if you leave the sofa when he’s lying next to you or when you get up from the table, so there’s a clear trigger there. Maybe a bit of frustration... “I wanted to carry on cuddling”, “I wanted a bit of food”...
It might be an area to work on – managing his frustration through “leave it” games with treats or toys, his food bowl too, and “stay” commands while you move away... etc.
I honestly don't see where these sudden bursts of energy are coming from, because he does it in the middle of the afternoon as well, even if he was sleeping peacefully just before or if we're just chilling out doing nothing in particular... sometimes all it takes is for me to get up from the sofa while he’s sleeping at my feet and he starts whining, trying to grab my leg and then following me around licking my calf... if I don't tell him off, he then tries to mount my leg... it’s the same when we get up from the table sometimes; he follows us, licking the back of our legs so he can hump us.
Neutering him won't stop this behaviour, but it would definitely reduce it and get rid of the... mess 😅😆. But neutering him just for that would be a shame. One of my neutered dogs does it too; he has his own blanket and he’s only allowed to use that one. For my dog, it’s a way to let off steam when he’s really happy, so it’s usually in the evening when we have people round (real classy, I know) or when we’re playing (he alternates between playing and his blanket) before coming for a cuddle on the sofa... Contrary to what’s been said, it’s not necessarily a sign of distress; it’s just a way to release an overflow of emotions, energy, or excitement... If you can't stop the behaviour, I’d suggest managing it: give him a special cushion and as soon as he starts somewhere else, redirect him to his cushion.
Thanks for your reply!
Yeah, I didn't really want to get him neutered to begin with, it was just the only solution I could think of myself...
I did think about giving him his own cushion, but the problem is I’m worried he’ll then think he can do it to all the cushions? And when I catch him in the act, he goes and hides in his bed with his tail between his legs and his ears down... so I’m not sure how to redirect him? Should I leave the cushion in his bed or next to it? Should I tell him off when I see him doing it elsewhere?
I’m spending all my time washing cushions from all over the house 😐
