Mounting and Behavior

[simon'smom]

I haven't come across any threads about this, but just googling has confused me to no end.
Perhaps you all can shed some light on this subject.
Simon tried to mount my little one's head the other day. I separated them and shushed Simon. I believe he got the point.
Everyone is okay.
I am a struggling with misconceptions and facts here-
Is this sexual or dominant behavior? Or both?
One article I read stated - if he wanted to engage in sexual behavior- he would not miss his target. Mounting the head is an attempt to gain dominance and overpower his opponent.
If that is the case- then more attention needs to be done with showing Simon he is the low man in the house. Definately a correctable issue.
If it is sexual, as another article indicated- he needs to be CASTRATED? meaning all genitalia removed??

That was disturbing-
What are your thoughts on this?

Thanks.

[houndlove]

EDITED because I'm talking about two dogs here and now realize maybe you are talking about a human child here? I'm confused. Anyway, my view on two dogs and mounting is as follows:

Castrating is the same as neutering, removal of the testicals. And yes, intact male dogs tend to hump more, and if you have an intact female and an intact male in the same house at some point things are going to get sexual for real.

But mounting is very normal dog behavior--for males, for females, intact and desexed. They mount in all kinds of weird ways when it is not sexual behavior (from the side, the head as you saw, from the back). I always get slammed for saying this, but sometimes mounting is just a play activity. It does not always mean "dominance". Especially from a puppy. Of my two dogs, one is in to mounting (and being mounted) and the other isn't all that interested. They are both neutered males. My guy who is in to mounting enjoys being mounted by another dog just as much as mounting because for him (and for many dogs) being mounted is an invitation to play. It's a prelude to wrestling. It's totally harmless.

When you have to watch out is when you get a dog who is very pointedly targeting another dog, mounting continuously and obsessively, and not taking the other dog's various signals to please knock it off (a growl, an air snap, trying to run away and ignore--these are all forms of dog communication). That very well may be a dominating behavior and the dogs should be seperated and play ended.

A little bit of mounting during play where both dogs seem fine with it, where they take turns being the mounter and the mountee, where tails are wagging happily and no one is growling or snapping or trying to escape, I am fine with. It's just play.

Be careful though with trying to micromanage your dogs' hierarchy. Humans generally mess that up royally because we misinterperate the dogs' signals to eachother, we don't always get it right about who is where in the social standing and when, and all modern scientific evidence points towards domestic dog hierarchies being fluid and situational (ie, they change, and often depend on the situation the dogs are in; outside vs. inside, feeding time vs. nap time, humans around vs. humans not around). It is not your job to place the dogs in to certain hierarchical slots. They do that just fine on their own if they need to.

FURTHER EDIT Sometimes puppies get confused with the humping of humans. Neuter, redirect to another form of play...how old of a puppy are we talking about? Little puppies do get confused, overstimulated, overenthusiastic, but they are rarely dominant. Once they start to hit sexual maturity (after about 6 months of age), however, they get less of a pass in these departments.

[girlbuffalo1]

I definitely think if it was on the head it was a dominant behavior....I would be willing to bet that pretty much 100% of the time between neutered pets it is dominance.

Honey is a 6lb spayed female and she likes to occasionally hump our 16 lb neutered male......I definitely don't take it as anything sexual!

Most of the time the dogs seem to figure it out themselves if you don't intervene--unless you have a habitual humper (a dog humping other dog constnatly every day)....then I would be worried!

[malmo]

I'm worried -- Simon humped your "little one's" head. By this do you mean Simon humped your son's head? I am concerned because you have posted other threads about your St. Bernard showing aggression (either play aggression or actual aggression) toward your children. Were you able to find a trainer or a behaviorist? I could be overreacting -- and if I am missing something, please accept my apology.

[simon'smom]

well- Simon is 4.5 months old (56 lbs too!)and it was my 18mo daughter.
She is the one who constantly wrestles with him- which I am constantly trying to stop.

[malmo]

I am very concerned that your puppy is treating the 18-month-old like a littermate. Of course he is! The girlbaby is acting like a puppy! But, that dog already outweighs her and could inflict some serious damage.

Both the baby and the puppy need major training and should NOT be unsupervised together. A baby wrestling a big puppy might be inadvertently reinforced because it's "cute." DANGER DANGER DANGER.

Please seek some professional help. I know you are overwhelmed with 3 kids and one on the way, but this is a potentially very dangerous situation that has already led to an injury once.

[squirtsmom]

Good advice Malmo. hang in there Simon's mom. I am sure you will get some more good advice.

[houndlove]

Yes Malmo, that's exactly what I am thinking as well now that I've actually got all my facts straight.

[Xerxes]

Just out of curiosity, do you speak to the child and the dog in the same tone of voice?

[simon'smom]

yes I do as a matter of fact. Not good huh? So far, I am only able to control his actions with "NO" and with her, I say stop, get away, do not (fill in the blank) the puppy. Sadly, Simon is more apt to listen to me than she is.

[simon'smom]

I am very concerned that your puppy is treating the 18-month-old like a littermate. Of course he is! The girlbaby is acting like a puppy! But, that dog already outweighs her and could inflict some serious damage.

Both the baby and the puppy need major training and should NOT be unsupervised together. A baby wrestling a big puppy might be inadvertently reinforced because it's "cute." DANGER DANGER DANGER.

Please seek some professional help. I know you are overwhelmed with 3 kids and one on the way, but this is a potentially very dangerous situation that has already led to an injury once.


I agree- it's not cute anymore- she needs to leave him alone, or only pet him in the same manner we do with us.
No one wrestles with him- not even my husband.