
You left your fur babies for a while…
When you get back, your dog’s humping your cat!
“Well, that’s…new…” you say as you try to evaluate the situation.
If you’re confused, this article is here to aid that…
Continue to discover:
- 5 tips to stop your dog from humping your cat.
- If your dog’s intention is to mate with the feline.
- 5 medical conditions that make your dog hump everything.
- 11 reasons why your dog humps your cat (#9 isn’t what you think it is).
- And much, much, more…
Table of contents
- Why does my dog hump my cat?
- 13 reasons why your dog humps your cat
- #1: Fido’s an awkward social being
- #2: They want to play with your feline
- #3: They seek your cat’s attention
- #4: Your pup’s over-excited
- #5: Vaginitis or balanitis/balanoposthitis
- #6: UTI
- #7: Priapism that can progress to paraphimosis
- #8: Your dog is stressed
- #9: Boredom
- #10: A compulsive behavior
- #11: Your dog’s sexually frustrated
- #12: Humping’s a rewarded behavior
- #13: Resource guarding
- BONUS: Your dog loves your cat
- How do I stop my dog from humping my cat? 5 tips
Why does my dog hump my cat?
Your dog humps your cat as a way to socialize or show excitement, playfulness, boredom, or stress. Your dog might also be humping to relieve pain due to a medical condition. Sometimes it’s resource guarding. Other times your dog could be sexually frustrated, seeking reward, or being compulsive.
13 reasons why your dog humps your cat
Uh-oh…
Your dog might be a socially awkward pup…
In this case, awkwardness is the inability of your dog to properly behave. It’ll take place during social situations.
And so, they hump as a type of interaction.
Your cat won’t be the only target. Fellow canines and other people could receive this behavior, too.
“What led my dog to be socially awkward?”
The first culprit is a lack of socialization in general.
Maybe your dog’s not used to interacting with other beings.
The only people and fur companions they’re used to are you and a few others.
Despite being comfortable with you, they’re still bound to show you misbehaviors. This, too, applies to your cat.
Moreover, your dog may also lack proper early training.
Take it from this paper:
It says here that dogs should be appropriately socialized as puppies. If they are, the dog will less likely develop a behavioral problem.
Let’s dive further…
So, let’s look at this study:
It aims to relate these two factors: early training and behavioral problems.
The study has a sample of 1,016 dogs.
More than half (52%) of the subject dogs didn’t have early training. While the remaining 48% attended training sessions.
These are the behaviors under investigation. Listed with those are the percentage of dogs that show the behavior:
Escaping. | 22% | Fear/anxiety. | 70% |
Humping. | 19% | Hyperactivity. | 11% |
Aggression. | 54% | House soiling. | 78% |
Destruction. | 13% | Excessive barking. | 21% |
Compulsion. | 25% | Problematic jumping. | 22% |
Poop-eating. | 37% | Rolling in repulsive materials. | 42% |
#2: They want to play with your feline
Dogs are highly social animals.
With that, playing with another being is an integral part of their lives.
However, dogs’ show of playful behaviors may vary from one another.
For your doggo, it’s humping.
And so, when they feel like playing with their feline friend, Fido will hump on them.
If Fido aims to play with you, maybe they’ll hump your leg or arm, too.
Your dog may show other playful signs with your cat, like:
- Pawing the cat.
- Staring at them.
- Bouncy movements.
- Headbutting your cat.
- Leaning against them.
- Barking directly at your cat.
- Intense wagging of their tail.
- Running around your feline that they want to play with.
Despite that, dogs don’t always feel playful.
Take it from this research’s data:
Dogs that like to play, but not all the time. | 59.6% |
Canines that always like to play. | 39.2% |
Dogs that don’t want to play at all. | 1.9% |
#3: They seek your cat’s attention
As I just mentioned in the previous reason, dogs are social beings.
Because of that, they’re bound to show attention-seeking behaviors if they’re not getting any.
Some attention-seeking behaviors to also note:
- Pawing them.
- Nibbling your cat.
- Jumping around catto.
- Constant whining in front of your cat.
Now, your doggo craves catto’s attention…
In this situation, they choose to hump your cat.
Then, your cat might push Fido away. Or warn them with a stern meow…
But, Fido persists.
Yes…dogs can be stubborn.
It’s just that dogs can’t tell the difference between good and bad attention.
Your dog might interpret that pushing as a response to playfulness.
Now, your fur babies might have a misunderstanding.
So, better keep a close watch on them.
Experts want us to remember:
An attention-seeking dog will try and get it by any means possible.
Note: Dogs don’t always enjoy the attention.
From the same study in reason #2, here’s what the data tells us:
Dogs that enjoy the attention, but not always. | 65.4% |
Dogs that always appreciate the attention. | 32.7% |
Canines that don’t like attention at all. | 1.9% |
#4: Your pup’s over-excited
Let’s visualize for a few seconds:
Every morning, you take your dog out for a walk.
Your cat, on the other hand, stays home and despises the activity.
Let’s say today was a short walk only…
Once you get home, your dog immediately runs to your cat.
You turn your back for a little bit…
When you look at them again, you see your dog humping your cat.
“What the…” you react.
Don’t worry…
Your canine is just excited to see your cat again.
Since today’s only a short walk, your dog might have a little energy left.
And so, they have the stamina to greet your cat excitedly.
This isn’t the only applicable scenario for this case.
Another example:
If it’s a rainy day out, it could disrupt your daily walk.
Because of that, Fido’s not able to burn his energy in the usual way.
And so, they see your cat there, and they just hump.
Warning: An overly excited dog isn’t always equal to a happy dog. Frequent overexcitement can lead to aggressive behaviors.
The latter happens when you don’t correct overexcited behaviors in the first place.
Signs that your dog is overly excited:
- Spinning.
- Constant barking.
- Non stop jumping.
- Running around the house.
Also check out: 15 Weird Reasons Why Your Dog Is So Hyper All Of A Sudden
#5: Vaginitis or balanitis/balanoposthitis

Your dog may be humping because of pain in their genitals.
In this case, your cat’s just the nearby target for your pooch.
But generally, Fido would hump anything to relieve the pain that disturbs them.
Your dog could also hump:
- The air.
- Their beds.
- Your arm or leg.
- Nearby cushions.
- Children’s stuffed toys.
What could cause such pain?
Vaginitis
A rare condition that refers to your dog’s vagina being swollen.
Every female dog is predisposed to this condition. It can also happen to both intact or spayed female dogs.
What are the causes of vaginitis? Here’s what VCA Hospital says:
- UTI.
- Tumors.
- Infections.
- Vaginal trauma.
- Prepubertal vagina.
- Foreign bodies in the vaginal area.
- Left out urine or feces around the vulva.
- Anatomical abnormalities in their reproductive system.
Aside from humping, here are other signs of vaginitis:
- Frequent urination.
- Presence of fishy or metallic smell.
- Persistent licking of the vaginal area.
- Abnormal discharge in the vagina. It either has mucus, pus, or blood.
Balanitis or balanoposthitis
When a male dog is aroused, their penis is swelling.
When it keeps swelling after more than an hour, it can be a medical condition.
It can be either of the two:
Balanitis | The penis is swelling. |
Balanoposthitis | The foreskin is swelling. |
That’s the only difference between the two.
They could be both caused by the same things. Experts tell us they’re:
- UTI.
- Dermatitis.
- Paraphimosis.
- Abnormal discharge.
- Penile or preputial trauma.
- Bacterial infection in the prepuce.
- Foreign bodies around the prepuce.
- Abnormal growth of cells or tissues in their prepuce.
#6: UTI
Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common condition in dogs.
It’s painful and can disrupt your poor doggo’s daily life.
It’s caused by bacteria hanging on your pooch’s genitals. Then, these germs travel to the bladder to contaminate urine there.
When your dog has this condition, they might smell unpleasant. It differs from one case to another.
In some cases, the dogs smell like period blood. Other times, the smell is sour.
According to vets, these are the symptoms of UTI:
- Fever.
- Lethargy.
- Pee strain.
- Weight loss.
- Peeing a lot.
- Bloody or cloudy urine.
- Urine has a strong odor.
- Nonstop licking of their genitals.
- Sudden excessive drinking of water.
- Whining while they urinate because it’s painful.
#7: Priapism that can progress to paraphimosis
This time, it’s more bothersome.
That’s because while humping your cat, your dog’s lipstick is out.
And so, you scold your dog to stop what they’re doing.
Throughout the rest of the day, you still notice that your dog’s penis is still out.
“Bow-wow, what’s happening? Put that back in!”
If it’s been that long, Bow-wow might be struggling to do so.
The reason could be a rare condition called priapism.
In this condition, the penis is constantly out and erect. It happens even without sexual stimulation.
Then, that unusual erection would last for more than 4 hours.
These are the causes of priapism as stated by the MSD Vet Manual:
- Medications.
- Penile masses.
- Injury in the spine.
- Trauma in the penis.
- Abnormalities in their vascular system.
- Other times, vets admit that the case is idiopathic. This means that the cause is unknown.
Paraphimosis
This condition could be a progression of priapism.
In paraphimosis, your dog’s fully unable to put their penis back in. There’s a struggle to put it back in the foreskin.
According to experts, here are the causes of paraphimosis:
- Injury in the penis.
- Foreign bodies around the penile area.
- Hair blocking the opening of the prepuce.
#8: Your dog is stressed
Dogs are capable of being stressed, too. And when they do get stressed, they’re prone to develop peculiar behaviors.
Those practices are meant to be a release for them.
It’s like biting your nails when you’re nervous – or tapping your foot repeatedly.
For dogs stress-related behaviors can be:
- Pacing.
- Jumping around.
- Barking uncontrollably.
- Scratching, themself or anything nearby, like carpets and cushions.
Well, for your dog, it’s different. It’s humping on anything they can reach.
That aside, let’s look at the causes of stress:
- Loud noises.
- Crowded places.
- Unforeseen changes.
- Inconsistent daily routine.
- Visual stimuli, like uniforms or mirrors.
- Unfamiliar or alarming people or environment.
When your canine is constantly exposed to these, they’ll get continuously stressed. With that, they might reach their limit.
And you know what happens once a being reaches their limitation…
They burst and release their pent-up feelings.
So, sorry, catto, you’re Fido’s stress release now.
To help you assess even further, here are signs of a stressed dog according to vets:
- Whining.
- Shedding.
- Lack of appetite or overeating.
- Yawning when their stressor’s around.
- Running away from a stressful situation.
- Hiding behind you or any object to protect them from their stressor.
#9: Boredom
Remember what I said in reason #2?
I said that dogs are social animals.
That’s what makes them a being with high energy.
And so, stimulation should fill your dog’s routine. Both for their mental and physical well-being.
What if it’s not filled with it?
Then, you risk your dog feeling bored.
And once Fido gets bored…
Uh-oh…
Expect that your dog will make their own fun. Starting there, your dog will develop behaviors to fill their boredom.
And in this situation, your dog chooses to hump your cat.
Note: Boredom doesn’t only create problematic behaviors. You also risk your dog becoming unhappy.
But what exactly causes a dog to get bored?
Here’s what AKC tells us:
- Inadequate training.
- Not enough exercise.
- Insufficient amount of mental stimulation.
- Lack of socialization with other canines or people.
If your dog experiences those, they can show signs of boredom like:
- Jumping.
- Digging dirt.
- Restlessness.
- Rhythmic barking.
- Pawing you or your cat.
- Going through the trash.
- Being destructive with your belongings.
Moreover, this research tells us something about this humping situation:
It says that boredom can increase sensation-seeking behaviors. That explains why your pup chose humping to aid their humdrum.
The study tells us your dog will also show:
- Avoidance.
- Drowsiness.
- Sleep-deprivation.
Lastly, repetitive episodes of boredom can lead to…
#10: A compulsive behavior

Humping could be one of your dog’s compulsive behaviors.
How to describe a compulsive behavior:
- Unusual.
- Repetitive.
- Out of control.
This time, you caught your dog humping your cat.
You’d have to observe for other instances. Your cat’s not the only recipient of this behavior.
You’re not safe from humping as well. And if it isn’t you or something else, it can just be the air.
Plus, as I described it, this behavior is unusual. That means that this happens out of context.
There’s no sexual stimulation or excitable event that caused this.
For your dog, they ‘have’ to hump. And once they do, it’s out of control and hard to stop.
Note: Compulsive behaviors are a concern. It can disrupt you and your dog’s daily life.
According to the MSD Vet Manual, it begins with a display of displacement behaviors.
Such behaviors are described as out of context. It usually stems from a contrast of two feelings.
For example, your dog is struggling between fear and aggression. They want to defend their belongings, but they’re also scared of the threat.
Other causes of compulsive behaviors:
- Conflicts.
- Recurring anxiety.
- Unattended arousal.
- Changes in their environment.
- Unpredictable consequences for the same misdeeds.
- Lack of predictability in their daily routine. Or no daily routine at all.
Moreover, VCA Hospital gives us the common behaviors in a compulsive dog:
- Pacing.
- Circling.
- Sucking.
- Fly snapping.
- Sniffing the air.
- Chewing random objects.
- Polydipsia or excessive drinking.
- Constant barking with a regular tone.
- Running around to chase unseen objects.
- Licking, which can lead to acral lick dermatitis.
#11: Your dog’s sexually frustrated
When a dog humps, it usually gets related to sexual behavior.
That’s why as you see your dog hump your cat, you may have been confused.
So, let’s make it clear:
No, they’re not trying to make a canine and feline hybrid…
Note: That’s also biologically impossible. It’s because dogs and cats belong to different species.
Going back, your dog may indeed be sexually frustrated.
It only happens that your cat is the most nearby being to your dog.
If it isn’t your cat, your leg can receive the behavior, too.
This happens because dogs have the instinctive drive to reproduce.
That’s why during periods of arousal, dogs are driven to find another canine to mate with.
And if they’re unsuccessful, they show behaviors due to frustration.
So, let’s learn further about this by looking at it from both perspective:
The sexuality of a female dog
Vets say that a female dog’s first heat occurs between 6 to 15 months of age.
Typically, unspayed female dogs have 2 heat periods per year. However, its occurrence still depends on the age and size of the dog.
A female dog’s season is called the ‘estrous cycle.’
Following the MSD Vet Manual, it has 4 phases:
Phase | What happens in this phase |
Proestrus | – Beginning of heat period. – It lasts for about 7 to 10 days. – Swelling of the vulva and flowing of blood happens. – Dogs don’t allow any mating to occur in this phase. |
Estrus | – This is the mating period. – Its length is 5 to 10 days. – Blood flow is lessened and will stop. – Dogs accept mating to occur in this phase. – Ovulation takes place about 2 to 3 days after mating. |
Diestrus | – After the heat period. – It can take 10 to 140 days. – In this phase, your dog is either pregnant or resting. |
Anestrus | – This is the resting period that happens between diestrus and the next estrous cycle. |
In the estrus phase, your female pooch is most likely to get sexually frustrated.
As it says in the table, it’s the phase where they allow mating.
And if there aren’t any male dogs around…
Uh-oh…
Your poor catto will take the fall.
Continue reading: 15 Reasons Why Female Dogs Hump Stuffed Animals + 3 Tips
The sexuality of a male dog
Unlike female dogs, male canines don’t have a heat cycle.
Fido getting sexually mature can happen in 6 to 9 months of their age. Starting then, your male pooch is fertile.
So, how can a male pup get sexually frustrated?
It starts with them detecting a female dog in heat.
What I didn’t mention in the female sexuality section are the pheromones.
When a female pup is in proestrus and estrus, they excrete unique-smelling pheromones.
Now, that odor is what invites and arouses male dogs.
Once Fido is near a female dog in heat, they’d detect the pheromones. Then, they’d get aroused.
When Fido doesn’t get a chance to mate with that female dog, that’s where it happens. They’d get sexually frustrated.
And yet again, their poor feline friend receives the consequence.
Oops…not just your cat. Everyone could be affected by this frustration.
Here are other sexually frustrated behaviors of male dogs, as experts say:
- Growling.
- Noncompliance.
- Constant pacing.
- Nonstop whining.
- Displaying a more territorial behavior.
- Attempting to escape by digging and scratching doors.
Last but not least:
Both intact and neutered dogs can still show humping behavior.
That’s because castration doesn’t inhibit the brain centers for sexual sensations.
Read more: 11 Effective Ways To Relieve A Sexually Frustrated Male Dog
#12: Humping’s a rewarded behavior
For dogs, treats aren’t the only rewards in their life. Add the fact that dogs differ from one another.
And so, some dogs will enjoy a good-boy pat on their head, while others don’t like it.
Now, how do dogs respond to rewards?
Once a dog is repetitively rewarded for a behavior, they’d continually show the practice.
That’s why rewarding good behaviors could be a cornerstone of training dogs.
So, how could you have rewarded their humping?
One of the most important rewards for them is your validation.
Like I said in reason #3, dogs can be stubborn. They can’t tell the difference between negative and positive attention.
And attention is one reward for dogs.
Maybe when they showed this humping behavior, you mistakenly rewarded them.
Your response was the prize for Fido. And it’s picking them up away from your cat, then sitting them next to you.
Maybe you also used treats to divert their attention from humping.
Now, Fido’s learned to associate humping with receiving treats.
And so, Fido seeks treats and praise…
With that, they hump your poor catto and take advantage of the situation.
#13: Resource guarding
Oh no…this case screams trouble…
That’s because your dog might be resource guarding against your cat.
It’s trouble because it might show that your dog’s willing to be aggressive.
Note: It’s not a display of any status issue that indicates dominance.
Resource guarding is an innate behavior for dogs.
In the wild, ancient dogs had to protect their limited possessions. Failure to do so may cause them to starve or barely survive.
This behavior is the cause for such advice like:
- Never disturb your dog while they eat.
- Don’t try to grab a dog’s toy directly from or near their mouth.
Dog parents should note those.
Why?
It’s because you never know how your dog will respond.
Now, going back to humping and its connection to resource guarding…
It could be a message for catto to stand down.
Maybe your dog is that type of pup that doesn’t like to be disturbed. Your cat, on the other hand, might not care about what Fido prefers.
Here are other example scenarios:
- Your cat walks near your dog while the latter’s eating.
- Your feline is trying to take a share of your canine’s toys.
- Poor catto just wants to sleep near your dog. However, your dog’s territorial with his sleeping spot.
Aside from it being innate, the MSD Vet Manual says 1 cause of this could be:
That it’s a learned behavior.
From experience, your dog learned that showing aggression will make you back out. And so, they do it in every scenario applicable.
For further reading: 15 Weird Reasons Why Dogs Hide Their Treats, Toys & Bones
BONUS: Your dog loves your cat
The hostility between our feline and canine friends is overemphasized.
But they, too, can learn to love each other. They can co-exist in peace. Some might even be the best of friends!
However, other dogs aren’t likely to get along with cats. Those dogs belong to the hound group in dog breeds.
That’s because the hound group is trained to hunt, and even kill. If they see your cat running, they might chase after the catto.
But, don’t fret…
As I said, the two species can learn to love each other.
Moreover, experts say that it’s achievable through training. It’s more obtainable if your dog is correctly socialized since they’re a pup.
Lastly, there are specific dog breeds that are thought to be good with cats. They are:
- Pugs.
- Collies.
- Beagles.
- Bulldogs.
- Basset hounds.
- Golden retrievers.
- Labrador retrievers.
With that, your dog shows this behavior to your cat.
Take reasons #2 and #3. Your dog humps to engage and get your cat’s attention.
And that’s because it’s your catto that Fido wants to play with. Lastly, it’s Kitty who they run to for attention.
Also read: 5 Reasons Why Your Dog Is Obsessed With Your Cat + 5 Tips
How do I stop my dog from humping my cat? 5 tips
#1: Make timeouts a consequence
Giving your dog timeouts could be an effective way to get rid of the behavior.
Especially if your dog’s reason is sexual frustration. It helps because they’re non-compliant when they’re frustrated.
Note: Giving timeouts is a form of negative reinforcement. However, that doesn’t mean that it’s a lousy method.
Negative reinforcement methods aim to take something from your dog. Taking away something they like can reduce unwanted behavior in a non-threatening way.
However, you should use this method correctly.
What happens when you don’t?
Your dog will fail to see the connection between the timeout and misbehavior.
With that, here’s how to give your pooch a proper timeout:
Immediate timing
Once you catch your pup humping catto, give them a timeout immediately. Don’t wait another second.
Immediately lead Fido to their timeout place.
If you wait for more than 2 seconds, your dog might fail to associate the wrongdoing with the consequence. With that, the timeout will be useless.
Stay consistent
If you give Fido a timeout once, continue doing it every time they show the behavior.
This increases the association between the misdeed and the discipline.
Plus, do you have other dogs in the house?
If ‘yes,’ then apply this rule to every dog. If another dog shows humping behavior, put them on a timeout, too.
Not doing this may result in all your dogs getting confused.
Choose the right timeout place
You have to pick the most boring corner or room in your place.
Think about it as sending a child to their room. In the child’s room, all their toys are there. With that, you aren’t really able to put the child into a punishing timeout.
The same goes for your dog.
Put them in the laundry room. Where no one walks in on that much.
There, they just face boring washing machines.
It’ll help more if you let them face a blank wall. Tell your dog to ‘stay’ or ‘sit.’
Don’t return the hostility
Never drag your dog to take them into the timeout place.
Instead, lead them gently into the room or corner.
If your pup is small, carry them carefully to the place.
Don’t chase your dog
Chances are, your dog will learn when they’ll get the punishment. That’s why they’ll tend to run away from you.
Don’t run and chase them!
Doing so will let your pup think you’re playing with them…
Instead, lure them in with treats. But once you do, don’t give them any.
No long timeouts
A brief 1 minute of timeout is enough.
Any longer would be meritless.
How?
Your dog will just take it for a change of scenery. Plus, there’s a risk they might forget the reason they’re there.
However, if they’re barking, scratching, or whining, leave them be. Wait for them to stop.
#2: Stimulate your pup
This tip’s aim is to redirect your pooch’s energy that causes this behavior.
You have to answer your canine’s stimulation needs regularly.
Doing so might cure their boredom. It can also lessen the stress they’re feeling.
Moreover, it can decrease the instances that your dog bugs your cat.
Play engaging games with your dog
You improve your relationship with Fido when you play with them. Plus, games are fun and energy-burning for your canine.
Here are some examples to try this weekend:
- The staple: fetch. A dog and dog parent favorite! Let your dog collect or catch the ball or frisbee that you threw.
- A game of ‘chase the prey.’ Have your dog chase something they find interesting – a stick or a toy. Tie it on a rope and drag it around for Fido to chase.
- Treat hunt – this one’s indoor. Hide treats around the room or whole house for your doggo to hunt. Make sure to guide them to ensure all treats will be found.
Interactive toys do the trick, too
Dog puzzles are meant to sharpen your dog’s mind. They’re also great mental exercises for Fido.
These are recommended interactive toys for your pup:
- Pet Zone IQ Treat Ball – This dispenses treats for your dogs when they play with it.
- Dog Brick interactive puzzle – This toy has exciting obstacles. Each puzzle is different and reveals treats.
- ZippyPaws – Woodland Friends Burrow – A hide-and-seek toy that has cute chipmunks. Each of those creatures makes different noises that might make Fido’s head tilt.
#3: Regularly exercise your canine

Dogs are consistent beings with high energy.
Because of that, canines need constant exercise. And they require it to be a routine.
Did you know? That a regularly exercised dog is:
- Happier.
- Relaxed.
- Obedient.
- Extra attentive.
Regularly exercising can also prevent your dog from developing unwanted behaviors.
Now, there might still be a burning question in you:
“How much exercise does my dog really need?”
The amount of exercise your dog needs depend on their:
- Age.
- Size.
- Breed.
- Physical capability.
Despite that, here’s a table. It aims to help you work out (ahem) the right amount of exercise your dog gets:
Puppies | The general rule is: You have to exercise puppies per 5 minutes of their month of age. Then, whatever it’s equal to should be done twice daily. So a 3-month puppy should get 15 minutes of exercise twice per day. |
Adult dogs | It ranges from 20 to 60 minutes per day, depending on their breed. Want to make sure? Take notes of their reaction and performance in different lengths of exercise. |
Senior dogs | Since your dog may be facing medical issues, it’s best to ask their vet. Don’t stop exercising at this age. As long as it’s gentle and it’s length is adequate, it’s healthy for your old Fido. |
Warning: There’s a danger in over-exercising your dog, too.
According to PetMD, here’s what can happen if Fido is over-exercised:
- Strains.
- Sprains.
- Joint injury.
- Sore muscles.
- Paw pad tears.
- Over-exhaustion.
- Behavioral changes, e.g., reluctance to exercise anymore.
#4: Discourage their overly excited behavior
Have you seen a situation where a person is excited? Then, that excitement is infectious. That’s why the other person with them gets excited, too.
The takeaway: excitement is contagious.
With that, to calm your dog down…
You have to calm down, too.
That’s why you should avoid shouting at your dog to stop them.
Instead, use a gentle voice.
Also, avoid any exaggerated or bouncy movements.
Now, why is this necessary?
It’s because your dog might interpret it wrong. Your shouting or bouncy movements may be seen as an exciting behavior, too.
And since excitement is contagious, your dog’s thrill will only increase.
To add, tips #2 and #3 can help decrease excitement as well.
Redirect your dog’s enthusiasm in their interactive toys.
Regularly exercise them, too. With that, they’ll have less energy at home.
#5: Assess and treat
Some of the reasons for this behavior require medical attention.
Each condition has to be taken seriously.
Seek a vet’s help regarding your fur baby’s condition.
Here are specific details to expect for the processes and treatments:
UTI
The vet will need a urine sample from your dog.
The sample will also need to be sent for culture. Such is essential to identify the specific bacteria that caused the UTI.
Plus, knowing the bacteria will help the vet prescribe the right antibiotics.
Warning: A study suggests that the bacteria that cause UTIs are evolving. These pathogens increasingly become resistant to antibiotics.
Vaginitis
Your pooch will have to undergo these tests:
- Urinalysis.
- Vaginoscopy.
- Sensitivity test.
For the treatment, antibiotics and vaginal douches are to be expected.
Balanitis and balanoposthitis
Treatments to anticipate for both conditions:
- Antibiotics, if infection occurs.
- Using mild antiseptic to flush the prepuce.
- Trimming hair around the prepuce. Starting then, it must be kept short to avoid recurrence.
Priapism and paraphimosis
A DIY treatment is available for you to try.
You have to push your canine’s penis back in with the help of a lubricant.
Gently massage it until it comes back inside of the foreskin.
If it doesn’t work, then you have to take Fido to the vet.
Here are procedures to anticipate:
- Retrying the first method (lubricating).
- Applying pressured cold compress in the area.
- Using a hypertonic solution (sugary solution) to flush the prepuce with.
If the condition persists, opening the prepuce may be necessary.
It’s done to make sure there are no foreign contaminants inside the foreskin.
Then, if the condition’s severe, amputation may be the remaining way.
Compulsive behavior
For this one, an animal behaviorist may be necessary.
The professional will help you:
- Assess the behavior.
- Understand the behavior’s nature.
- Create a response to control the practice.