Aa
9 month old bulldog tries to hump my daughter
hey guys!! just the other day i noticed that my female 9 month old bulldog tried to hump my 4 year old daughter. i didnt think female dogs did this. is she marking her territory, or trying to claim dominance? i think its kinda funny, but it needs to stop. its happened 3 times now. any suggestions?
COMMUNITY LEADER
This is brilliant information. I don't want to lose this info. so am collecting all the behavour things you post!
But....I wonder if you can throw some light on my dog's behaviour?
She tries to hump ME! Only about twice a year! I do not stand for it, and immediately 'put her in her place' kindly but firmly, which she does accept, then it's over. But she only EVER does this when she is on heat, and usually in the middle of the cycle when she is at her most sexual. Could this be something to do with the wild wolf/dog thing of only the alphas being able to mate? And she is trying to assert herself over me as alpha in order to have 'mating rights' ??
But....I wonder if you can throw some light on my dog's behaviour?
She tries to hump ME! Only about twice a year! I do not stand for it, and immediately 'put her in her place' kindly but firmly, which she does accept, then it's over. But she only EVER does this when she is on heat, and usually in the middle of the cycle when she is at her most sexual. Could this be something to do with the wild wolf/dog thing of only the alphas being able to mate? And she is trying to assert herself over me as alpha in order to have 'mating rights' ??
My westie dog of almost 3 years now doesn't want much to do with our 5 month old son. We try to get her to participate in almost everything that we do but she doesn't want to be bothered or she'll seem anxious around the baby. Just recently she stood on his back and belly and tried humping him! She also acts crazy around cats now!?! I need to fix this!!
What does this all mean? and will she ever become comfortable with the baby??
What does this all mean? and will she ever become comfortable with the baby??
Your daughter may be the only one in the house the dog feels she could dominate. You need to stop it but not by a timeout in a crate. If you are crate training you never put the dog in it as a punishment. Since you are having a baby crate training might be good if you are not doing it already. This way when you cannot keep an eye on the pup you put them in the crate and at night or when you are away. But never as a punishment. Also its great for potty training. Mostly dogs will not go where they sleep so as soon as you take it out of the crate you take the pup outside give it a command like "Be clean" and eventually your dog will go potty on command and on your timetable. Just make sure to really praise for the right behavior. We have a bulldog and I know they can be stubborn but they are very smart and loyal dogs. Good luck with all it sounds like youll be pretty busy.
Great! Keep us posted on your progress, and don't forget to teach your 3-year-old how to maintain distance when Diva misbehaves. Little kids are smarter than we tend to credit them. :-)
oh wow... that definately sounds do-able. thank you sooo much for your input. i truly appreciate it. im going to get started on this right away.
Sorry I got in late on this one. Things have been nuts in my "real" life lately and now we've got Ike to worry about. Anyhoo.....
Humping in this case is most definitely a dominance issue. Diva is making it clear to everyone in her pack that your daughter is below her in the pack order. NOT a good situation. I don't entirely agree with using the crate as a punishment. One, dogs don't understand the very human concept of "time out"; and two, you want to crate to always be associated with positive things. To correctly use a crate, it should be the place where the dog gets fed and it's also a place to satify their canine need for a den to rest and relax in. Praise the Crate From Whence All Blessings Flow. LOL!
So, what to do? Start with basic obedience training. Something tells me Miss Diva thinks she's the head of the entire pack, not just one level above your little girl. Basic training will help you to understand dog behavior and how to deal with misbehavior in a way that Diva will understand.
To start, you'll have to restrict Diva's access to your daughter unless you're there to supervise. If Diva approaches your daughter with "the look" (head, ears and tail up as high as they can get) that means she's getting ready to dominate. Tell her, NO, and step between Diva and your daughter effectively blocking her view and her path. Then tell her to lay down. If she doesn't know the command, then you have to learn how to assist her into the position. (Basic obedience training can help you a lot here.) Once she is calm, submissive and relaxed, your daughter can approach her and give affection. Affection is Diva's reward for doing what you asked. The only time your daughter can give Diva affection is when she is calm and submissive. For now, no wild playing and certainly no chase games that activate Diva's prey drive. She WILL learn this, but you have to be consistent. No cheating.
When you have your next child, you can use a variation of this exercise as soon as he (she?) comes home. Diva doesn't get to even go in the baby's room without your permission, and only if she is calm and submissive. Her nose will be able to give her all the info she needs about this new pack member, and from quite a long distance. As you hold the baby, picture a 5 foot circle around you. As Diva approaches to that mental limit, forcefully but not yelling, tell her NO and snap your fingers at her. She'll retreat and probably try it again. Do not give up. If you work on obedience training before the birth, you'll be able to just tell her to go lay down. As time goes on, Diva will earn more freedom as she learns that all humans are above her in the pack order. She can then come in the baby's room and sit or lay down quietly while you change a diaper or whatever.
I taught a 4 year old neighbor girl how to enforce her imaginary forcefield with neighborhood dogs. Her family has never had pets and she's very fearful of dogs in particular. The very first time a dog came into her "protected area" she stomped her foot at him and said NO. The dog looked surprised and immediately swerved away from her. Next thing you know, she's showing the technique to her parents and other neighborhood kids. Well, that little girl was just tickled with her newfound power, and is now friendly with most dogs in the neighborhood. Learning that she had the ability to control a dog situation eased her fear. Pretty cool, huh? :-)
Humping in this case is most definitely a dominance issue. Diva is making it clear to everyone in her pack that your daughter is below her in the pack order. NOT a good situation. I don't entirely agree with using the crate as a punishment. One, dogs don't understand the very human concept of "time out"; and two, you want to crate to always be associated with positive things. To correctly use a crate, it should be the place where the dog gets fed and it's also a place to satify their canine need for a den to rest and relax in. Praise the Crate From Whence All Blessings Flow. LOL!
So, what to do? Start with basic obedience training. Something tells me Miss Diva thinks she's the head of the entire pack, not just one level above your little girl. Basic training will help you to understand dog behavior and how to deal with misbehavior in a way that Diva will understand.
To start, you'll have to restrict Diva's access to your daughter unless you're there to supervise. If Diva approaches your daughter with "the look" (head, ears and tail up as high as they can get) that means she's getting ready to dominate. Tell her, NO, and step between Diva and your daughter effectively blocking her view and her path. Then tell her to lay down. If she doesn't know the command, then you have to learn how to assist her into the position. (Basic obedience training can help you a lot here.) Once she is calm, submissive and relaxed, your daughter can approach her and give affection. Affection is Diva's reward for doing what you asked. The only time your daughter can give Diva affection is when she is calm and submissive. For now, no wild playing and certainly no chase games that activate Diva's prey drive. She WILL learn this, but you have to be consistent. No cheating.
When you have your next child, you can use a variation of this exercise as soon as he (she?) comes home. Diva doesn't get to even go in the baby's room without your permission, and only if she is calm and submissive. Her nose will be able to give her all the info she needs about this new pack member, and from quite a long distance. As you hold the baby, picture a 5 foot circle around you. As Diva approaches to that mental limit, forcefully but not yelling, tell her NO and snap your fingers at her. She'll retreat and probably try it again. Do not give up. If you work on obedience training before the birth, you'll be able to just tell her to go lay down. As time goes on, Diva will earn more freedom as she learns that all humans are above her in the pack order. She can then come in the baby's room and sit or lay down quietly while you change a diaper or whatever.
I taught a 4 year old neighbor girl how to enforce her imaginary forcefield with neighborhood dogs. Her family has never had pets and she's very fearful of dogs in particular. The very first time a dog came into her "protected area" she stomped her foot at him and said NO. The dog looked surprised and immediately swerved away from her. Next thing you know, she's showing the technique to her parents and other neighborhood kids. Well, that little girl was just tickled with her newfound power, and is now friendly with most dogs in the neighborhood. Learning that she had the ability to control a dog situation eased her fear. Pretty cool, huh? :-)
thanks guys. yes Diva is spayed, and yes i am expecting a baby anytime. i will definately do what you recommended. thank you very much for your help.
This IS a Dominance issue. Is she spayed? You must get this stopped! Do not allow it any longer. A firm NO (And loud hand clap) each time you see it will be a good start. Maybe a timeout in a crate immediately after. Make sure it's immediate (So the dog knows why she's being punished). Do it everytime till the behavior is stopped. You are expecting a baby and this could turn into a dangerous situation if left untreated. Your dog needs to know that she is Not the leader of the pack.....Good luck... sk123 is correct. Jaybay will know more about how to handle this situation.....She will respond.......Karla
I think this is a show of dominance. Your bulldog wants to show your daughter who's boss and where she falls in the pecking order. My dog Bianca will do this to her sister Sorcha when she thinks Sorcha is out of line. Of course, being that their both dogs, I'm okay with how they want to determine their own pecking order. I'm not sure how you would establish the correct pecking order between your daughter and your dog, though. Jaybay will probably know.
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Dogs Community
Members of our Pet Communities share their Halloween pet photos.
Like to travel but hate to leave your pooch at home? Dr. Carol Osborne talks tips on how (and where!) to take a trip with your pampered pet
Ooh and aah your way through these too-cute photos of MedHelp members' best friends
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
