Confuse-a-dog
February 1, 2006 3:44 AM Subscribe
Explain my dog's strange behaviour.
Every now and again, one of my dogs acts very strange. He's a desexed male border collie x german shepherd. It only happens, say, once a month or so, usually after I've given him a good pat or a hug. His tail will go between his legs, his back will arch, and he'll start humping the air for a while (note - no "red rocket"). After a few seconds he'll stop humping the air and just stand there, frozen on the spot, back arched, tail between his legs, looking very confused and concerned.
He's a very active dog. He'll usually follow me every where, jump up to get a pat if I tell him to, chase my other dog around, try to sneak inside the house when I open the door. But when he's like this, he doesn't do anything like that. He just stands here, looking worried. The last time he did it (about 10 minutes ago) he bit hold of one of his back legs and started hopping around in a circle on the other. Is this some strange sexual urge still present in him? Some kind of nervous twitch? The sign of some health problem?
Every now and again, one of my dogs acts very strange. He's a desexed male border collie x german shepherd. It only happens, say, once a month or so, usually after I've given him a good pat or a hug. His tail will go between his legs, his back will arch, and he'll start humping the air for a while (note - no "red rocket"). After a few seconds he'll stop humping the air and just stand there, frozen on the spot, back arched, tail between his legs, looking very confused and concerned.
He's a very active dog. He'll usually follow me every where, jump up to get a pat if I tell him to, chase my other dog around, try to sneak inside the house when I open the door. But when he's like this, he doesn't do anything like that. He just stands here, looking worried. The last time he did it (about 10 minutes ago) he bit hold of one of his back legs and started hopping around in a circle on the other. Is this some strange sexual urge still present in him? Some kind of nervous twitch? The sign of some health problem?
Best answer: It could be a number of different things (from anxiety to a skin problem to a seizure disorder to just an attack of the humpies), but I would definitely get him to the vet for a thorough examination (try to film him doing this so you can show it to your vet). The "standing there looking confused" thing could mean that this is a kind of neurological problem (possibly a seizure).
posted by biscotti at 5:28 AM on February 1, 2006
posted by biscotti at 5:28 AM on February 1, 2006
I think every dog my grandparents ever had did this. They were all male, so I don't know if it's something female dogs do too.
posted by crabintheocean at 5:58 AM on February 1, 2006
posted by crabintheocean at 5:58 AM on February 1, 2006
My female, fixed border-collie does this. I asked the vet and he said unless it happens near-daily we weren't to worry about it. He did not expressly explain what it was, though, I don't think.
posted by dpx.mfx at 6:21 AM on February 1, 2006
posted by dpx.mfx at 6:21 AM on February 1, 2006
In some dogs, it's kind of like a tic - I had a dog who would get the phantom humps when he was watching a squirrel through the window. I think it's the equivalent of a shiver of excitement.
Humping is not primarily sexual. Even when they hump other dogs, it's part of the dominance dance. If they happen to be humping at a female in heat who becomes receptive, then it's sexual. Occasionally, their little walnut brains get overstimulated, they randomly hump, and then it passes. I have seen that weird hopping before and always wrote it off as part of the overall process, but it wouldn't be unheard of in seizure behavior either.
If there's always stimulus, like you've just blissed him out with a good rub, I wouldn't be too concerned, but you could talk to your vet about the possibility of seizures if you're worried.
posted by Lyn Never at 7:46 AM on February 1, 2006
Humping is not primarily sexual. Even when they hump other dogs, it's part of the dominance dance. If they happen to be humping at a female in heat who becomes receptive, then it's sexual. Occasionally, their little walnut brains get overstimulated, they randomly hump, and then it passes. I have seen that weird hopping before and always wrote it off as part of the overall process, but it wouldn't be unheard of in seizure behavior either.
If there's always stimulus, like you've just blissed him out with a good rub, I wouldn't be too concerned, but you could talk to your vet about the possibility of seizures if you're worried.
posted by Lyn Never at 7:46 AM on February 1, 2006
We we told that it was something like pressure on a nerve in our dog's back. He's a long low dog, a mix between lab and corgi and he's overweight. The idea I got was that the sway in his back from the extra weight would occasionaly trigger the humping. He doesn't appear to be in pain, it just looks weird because it is uncontrolable. The more we exercise with him, the less it happens. I can 'stop' it when it happens by massaging the area between his legs and waist. It only lasts 15 or 20 seconds when I don't do anything and it lasts 5 or 10 seconds when I do, so it isnt' that much of a difference.
posted by tayknight at 7:55 AM on February 1, 2006
posted by tayknight at 7:55 AM on February 1, 2006
My spayed, female GSD occasionally does this as a dominance show over our male cat. gotta love dogs.
posted by bradn at 7:56 AM on February 1, 2006
posted by bradn at 7:56 AM on February 1, 2006
Judging from what I see at the dog run, humping seems to be a pretty universal expression of not only dominance (as Lyn points out) but also irrational doggie exuberance. He's probably blissed-out and overstimulated.
The post-hump daze is a bit more unusual. It's overwhelmingly likely that it's just a random harmless tic, but there's a very small possibility that it could indicate something more serious. I like biscotti's suggestion re filming an episode to show your vet, since your dog will never do it at the office. And keep track of how often it happens, or if it starts happening without stimulation.
But mostly, don't stress out. Humpage looks bizarre to us, but it's pretty standard in dog-world.
(I like "red rocket" -- the phrase, you guttersnipes! A friend calls it the "pink crayon.")
posted by vetiver at 8:06 AM on February 1, 2006
The post-hump daze is a bit more unusual. It's overwhelmingly likely that it's just a random harmless tic, but there's a very small possibility that it could indicate something more serious. I like biscotti's suggestion re filming an episode to show your vet, since your dog will never do it at the office. And keep track of how often it happens, or if it starts happening without stimulation.
But mostly, don't stress out. Humpage looks bizarre to us, but it's pretty standard in dog-world.
(I like "red rocket" -- the phrase, you guttersnipes! A friend calls it the "pink crayon.")
posted by vetiver at 8:06 AM on February 1, 2006
Our neutered male Lab usually humps one of his stuffed toys whenever we have company. I've always put it down to burning off general over-excitment.
posted by timeistight at 9:01 AM on February 1, 2006
posted by timeistight at 9:01 AM on February 1, 2006
My soon to be fixed 6 month old female Boxer has a tenancy to hump for no apparent reason.
She's stopped humping me, but seems to use it to try to assert herself over my girlfriend.
It's pretty noticeable what she's up to before it starts as her eyes kinda glaze over and she seems to be on autopilot. She doesn't get 'stuck' like you're describing, but she definitely seems a bit out of it after the fact. Our vet and the trainers we've talked to about all said that it was normal and not to worry unless she gets aggressive or seems to act more oddly then she usually does.
posted by cryosis at 10:18 AM on February 1, 2006
She's stopped humping me, but seems to use it to try to assert herself over my girlfriend.
It's pretty noticeable what she's up to before it starts as her eyes kinda glaze over and she seems to be on autopilot. She doesn't get 'stuck' like you're describing, but she definitely seems a bit out of it after the fact. Our vet and the trainers we've talked to about all said that it was normal and not to worry unless she gets aggressive or seems to act more oddly then she usually does.
posted by cryosis at 10:18 AM on February 1, 2006
Response by poster: Filming it when it happens again is a great idea, so if it does continue or get more frequent I can show the vet (why didn't I think of that). Thanks for the suggestions!
posted by Jimbob at 12:52 PM on February 1, 2006
posted by Jimbob at 12:52 PM on February 1, 2006
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Dreama at 5:09 AM on February 1, 2006