[El Tigre]

I know neutering/spaying can be a touchy subject with people so let me start this by saying my dog is scheduled to be neutered late next week. We are not leaving him intact - just waiting for the appointment.
Now on to the issue. Our dog is 5 years old so humping may not cease after he is neutered. When it is just my fiance and I at home Tigre minds very well. He waits when he is told to, when we tell him no he stops. He's a very good listener and he doesn't even attempt to hump a person/thing. When my son is home it's like he has tunnel vision. The only thing he can think of is trying to mount my son.
I try telling him no, pulling him off, and putting him on his leash. All of these things just make him more excited and he stops listening completely. The more we try to get him to stop the more determined he gets. My son is 3 and is very gentle with dogs. We're trying to get him to tell the dog "NO!" more firmly...but he's convinced that saying this makes him mean!
It's gotten to the point where we can't have my son and our dog in the same room together. It's pretty stressful for everyone involved. My son cry's because he wants to pet the doggie. The doggie whines because he wants to be in the same room. We get anxiety because nothing is peaceful!
Any suggestions on how we can change this behavior?? I would love to be able have my entire family in the same room! :frusty:

 

[Amaryllis]

Oh, humping! He's 5, so neutering probably won't help much, but it's not a bad idea.

I would contact a behaviorist who uses positive reinforcement techniques, especially because there is a small child involved. Humping's not like biting by any means, but if everyone is stressed out and your kid is getting the brunt of it, it's time to call in the big guns.

 

[El Tigre]

Oh, humping! He's 5, so neutering probably won't help much, but it's not a bad idea.

I would contact a behaviorist who uses positive reinforcement techniques, especially because there is a small child involved. Humping's not like biting by any means, but if everyone is stressed out and your kid is getting the brunt of it, it's time to call in the big guns.

Thanks! I agree. We've been rewarding him with little treats when he's able to be calm around my son but sometimes it's like he just can't help it. He gets so determined to hump that he can't see/think/hear anything else! It doesn't even bother my son...when I have to make Tigre leave the room, my son keeps telling me how good the doggie is being and how he just wants to say hello! I suppose the whole thing could be slightly amusing if I wasn't so frustrated!
I hope a behaviorist can help because I have a feeling getting neutered won't make a difference at all!

 

[Amaryllis]

lol! Your son is such a gem, being all patient like that. He'll make a lucky dog a great owner one day.

 

[El Tigre]

lol! Your son is such a gem, being all patient like that. He'll make a lucky dog a great owner one day.

Aww, haha thank you! I think his future pet will be VERY spoiled!

 

[hanksimon]

Teach him to sit on cue. Then, watch him closely, you will be able to anticipate when he is going to hump. If you tell him to sit, first, you may break that cycle... although not the behavior. If you can teach the 3 yo, you can have the 3 yo say No!, Sit! , before the humping starts... but the 3 yo has to anticipate, also. Once the dog starts the process, you can't easily stop it in mid-process.

My dog was neutered at 6 mos. He learned to hump female dogs at 8 years! However, he is not aggressive, and anyone strong enough, can easily remove him.... he may go back again, but he is completely non-aggressive. Your dog may be this way, too. ... Anticipation is the key.

 

[El Tigre]

However, he is not aggressive, and anyone strong enough, can easily remove him.... he may go back again, but he is completely non-aggressive. Your dog may be this way, too. ... Anticipation is the key.

Sounds just like my dog. After reading that I realized we don't really say anything to him until he's already jumping up. He does know sit on command as well as get down..so, I'll have to try telling him to sit or get down before he jumps up. Seems pretty obvious, I don't know why I didn't even think about it! :redface: Thank you!

 

[El Tigre]

BUHHHH. It seemed to work the first 3 or 4 times. I told him "NO!" and "Get Down!" and he did. He was able to stop himself and calm down. After that it's like he suddenly went deaf. He could care less about what command we give and doesn't even care if we walk him away from the situation - he's right back at it. Unless my son is sitting still on the couch (obviously that rarely happens) he's trying to jump on him. He gets so excited and crazy! It's the only time he barks or whines. Honestly, he acts like a totally different dog! Here goes another stressful night....

 

[doxiemommy]

How long have you had this dog? Sorry if you already said, I didn't catch it.

I would keep up with the interrupting BEFORE it starts. There is something called "extinction burst", which is when there is a "burst" of the behavior (more of it) before it actually starts to diminish (become extinct). Basically, this can happen anytime you're trying to eliminate a behavior. From the dog's perspective, he's been able to get away with this, now you're trying to change that, and he's trying really hard to keep doing the behavior. Kind of like a last ditch effort to be able to do it.

So, keep at it. You may also consider keeping him on a leash inside. Just a short one. That way, if he doesn't respond to you interrupting him before the behavior starts, you can remove him from the situation.

 

[El Tigre]

How long have you had this dog? Sorry if you already said, I didn't catch it.

I would keep up with the interrupting BEFORE it starts. There is something called "extinction burst", which is when there is a "burst" of the behavior (more of it) before it actually starts to diminish (become extinct). Basically, this can happen anytime you're trying to eliminate a behavior. From the dog's perspective, he's been able to get away with this, now you're trying to change that, and he's trying really hard to keep doing the behavior. Kind of like a last ditch effort to be able to do it.

So, keep at it. You may also consider keeping him on a leash inside. Just a short one. That way, if he doesn't respond to you interrupting him before the behavior starts, you can remove him from the situation.

We've had him for about a month now. Thanks for the encouragement! We're going to keep at it and I've been putting a leash on him as soon as my son walks in..if my son isn't here he doesn't do much more than sleep! Something about my 3yo just gets him excited. At least it's just humping and not anything super aggressive!

 

[hanksimon]

Teach him a specific cue: Sit! When he listens, give him a tiny treat.

Go back to anticipating again, and give him a treat, when he Sits! on cue. The idea is to find a way to distract him or interrupt him before he humps.

Also, if he starts to ignore you, then you can leave room, putting him into a timeout...