Humpty dumpty humped on the floor…
Humpty dumpty humped near the door…
Humpty dumpty, your male pooch, exhibits sexual behaviors.
It alarms you because they look stressed due to frustration.
As their dog parent, how can you help?
Read to learn:
- 7 ways you can ease a sexually frustrated male dog.
- How to deal with your dog’s anxiety due to sexual frustration.
- 1 thing that can arouse and cause sexual frustration to your male dog (it’s subtle, so take note).
- And much, much more…
How to relieve a sexually frustrated male dog?
To relieve a sexually frustrated male dog, you have to keep him active and stimulated. You should also separate him from female dogs. The utmost way to relieve him could be neutering. Other methods are giving timeouts, keeping the place urine-free, and using anxiety medications.
What are the signs for a sexually frustrated male dog?
If your male dog is aroused, a rise in testosterone production will take place.
That occurrence creates a more reactive dog.
Experts say that when a dog undergoes sexual maturity, their human becomes secondary. Their social focus will shift to other dogs, especially female canines.
Need to assess your dog’s behaviors even further?
Here’s a list of behaviors Fido can exhibit when he’s sexually frustrated:
- Humping.
- Noncompliance.
- Offensive growling.
- Constant pacing and whining.
- Exhibiting a more territorial behavior.
- Digging and scratching. Which can be an attempt to escape.
7 best ways to relieve a sexually frustrated male dog
#1: Exercise
Notice that your male pooch keeps humping everything?
Oh, he needs to be taken out.
By that, I don’t mean like a date with a cute female canine…
You should take him out for exercise.
A dog who constantly humps is in distress. That’s because he has a lot of energy to dispense.
Help your pooch by keeping him active. Doing so will help relieve his sexual frustration.
Go on a long walk with him. Let him sniff and sniff around.
Or you could take him somewhere open. One where he can run around or play fetch with you.
Anywhere will do, as long as:
- He makes use of his energy.
- There are no female canines (especially those in heat) that are around.
Once you get home, your dog can immediately fall asleep, which is great. Sleeping can take Fido’s mind off his sexual frustration, too.
Not only that, a physically active dog is:
- Happier.
- Easily relaxed.
- More attentive.
It sounds like a great way to relieve him, right?
However, there are still things to watch out for.
Fido might have a lot of energy to get rid of, but he has his limits. He’s bound to get tired after a long day of exercising.
That’s why it’s important not to over-exercise him.
Over-exercising can cause:
- Muscle strain.
- Panting and drooling.
- Sore muscles and joints.
- Tearing on the paw pads.
- Loss of interest in further activities.
So how much exercise does your dog really need?
An adult dog requires at least 30 minutes of exercise per day.
However, it still depends on their breed and size.
Some dogs have high energy levels, like Belgian Malinois and Border Collies. These breeds require more physical activity.
On the other hand, Bulldogs, Pugs, and Shih Tzus have low energy.
#2: Give him ‘timeouts’
Fido keeps misbehaving…
No matter how much you call him out to stop humping, it doesn’t work.
That’s because a sexually frustrated male dog is noncompliant.
If your canine’s misbehavior persists, the moment calls for a timeout.
What’s a timeout?
It’s a negative training method that socially isolates your dog.
By negative, it doesn’t mean it’s bad.
It’s called that because it takes away something that your dog likes.
This method proves to be effective in reducing unwanted behaviors in your canine.
How to use timeouts properly
Step 1: Timing. If you decide that you’ll give your dog a timeout, do it immediately. After Fido displays the behavior, put him on timeout right away.
Even a short period (say, 2 seconds) can give the wrong idea to your dog. They will not make the connection between the timeout and their unwanted behavior.
Step 2: Consistency. If your pooch shows the behavior again, then put him again on timeout.
Do you have a lot of dogs?
If ‘yes,’ then apply a timeout to every dog that shows misbehavior and disobedience.
You should do this not to confuse all your dogs.
If they get confused, then timeouts will not work on them.
Step 3: Timeout place. Put him in the most boring room in your house. If you put him in a room with something fun, the timeout will be useless.
#3: Keep him stimulated
Redirect your dog’s energy and frustration to a desirable stimulation.
This means to keep him distracted enough.
You can do so by providing him with interactive toys.
That type of toy can challenge and distract your doggo for a certain time.
Did you know? Playing with exciting toys can be equal to a good exercise for dogs. 15 minutes of good mental stimulation is similar to 30 minutes of physical activity.
You can provide him with puzzling toys. Those that can keep him busy and thinking.
One example is this Dog Tornado interactive puzzle for dogs.
If you think that’s too intermediate for your dog, you can also try this: Wobble bowl fun feeder. All that your dog needs to do is rock the bowl, and it will dispense their treats.
Take note that dogs can easily make a change of heart.
A study tells us that dogs lose interest if they play with the toy too frequently.
They get accustomed to certain things. After a while, it gets repetitive and boring.
But this doesn’t mean that you have to keep buying toys for your canine.
Here’s what you can do for your dog:
Make your pooch play with one toy at a time. You should keep other toys out of his sight while he plays with one.
The next day, you can make him play with a different toy.
The goal is to rotate between his knickknacks.
If you do this strategy, you can keep him from getting tired of his toys quickly.
Read also: 9 Reasons Why Dogs Bring You Their Toys (To Greet You)
#4: Avoiding female dogs in general
Male dogs don’t undergo any heat cycle. Only female dogs do.
With that, let’s first understand a female dog’s heat cycle.
It’s called the estrous cycle.
Note: It has 3 phases, but only one phase allows mating. That phase is called the Estrus period.
During this whole cycle, a female dog releases discharge. This latter has a unique smell.
That distinctive smell is caused by the pheromones they release. The pheromones are different from when a female dog is not in heat.
When a male dog is around, they’ll be able to tell that the female canine is up for mating.
And that’s why your sexually frustrated male dog should avoid a female dog in heat.
The distinctly smelling pheromones arouse him.
But, I understand that you can’t tell from a quick look if a female pooch’s in their season.
Therefore, the adjustment will have to be done by your male pooch.
An example would be:
To put your dog on a leash whenever you go out for a walk. Doing so will prevent him from wandering around.
It also prevents your dog from being in trouble with a female dog.
Why?
Remember when I said that their estrous cycle has 3 phases?
Well, the first phase, the proestrus period, is the phase where they don’t allow mating.
A female dog may be in heat, but they’re not always ready to mate.
How about if you have a multi-dog household?
Adjustments will be necessary again.
You would have to separate your male pooch from their canine companions.
Don’t worry, it will only be for the time being.
Until he has exhausted all his sexual energies, it’s best to isolate him.
You can put your male pup in a crate. While your female dog should be kept in a different room.
Yes. Even when your male dog’s already in a crate, you should still put them in separate spaces.
If you have a friend that will happily dog sit, that’d be wonderful, too.
With that, you wouldn’t have to put your poor male pup in a crate.
#5: Neutering
Let me present to you a common dog parent’s mistake:
It’s providing sexual fulfillment for their frustrated male dog.
Why it isn’t the best way to deal with your dog’s sexual needs:
Breeding your dog can let him know what they’re missing.
With that, next time your dog feels sexual, his needs are elevated.
If that happens, you can also expect his misbehaviors to be more problematic.
So what’s the best that you can do?
It’ll be neutering your dog.
Fido can undergo this process before the onset of their puberty. It’s usually around 6 to 9 months of age, AKC says.
On the other hand, neutered adult dogs might experience different benefits. Regardless, the process will still be effective.
Here’s what to expect from a neutered dog:
- Less desire to roam.
- Reduced behavioral issues.
- Decreases aggressive behavior.
- Risk of developing testicular cancer is eliminated.
The global benefit of neutering
As of now, neutering is one of the main parts of responsible pet ownership.
It lessens unplanned litter and can decrease the number of euthanasia.
Did you know? Approximately 660,000 shelter dogs get euthanized each year. That’s 20% of the 3.3 million dogs that enter the shelter annually.
With neutering, that number can decrease.
Hesitating to neuter your dog
Thinking twice about whether you shall neuter your dog?
I understand.
Neutering has many benefits. Even for you as a dog parent.
However, you should strongly consider your dog’s age first.
A study tells us that there are risks for large breed dogs. Examples are Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and German Shepherd.
Dogs in the study developed:
- Lymphoma.
- Hip dysplasia.
- Mast cell tumor.
- Elbow dysplasia.
- Cranial cruciate ligament tear or rupture.
But, this only happens when they get neutered within 6 months of age.
To help you with your decision, ask your dog’s veterinarian. Have Fido assessed to make sure what age he should be neutered.
#6: Keep your place dog urine-free
Of course, this is essential for a clean home with dogs.
However, it’s very vital if you have a male dog who’s sexually frustrated.
You have to maintain your place urine-free as much as possible.
If there’ll be urine, make sure to clean it thoroughly.
To be certain, you can use enzyme formulas. These are specifically made to remove odors and stains from your dog’s urine.
How enzyme formulas work:
The presence of good bacteria helps break down odor and stains.
One example is this Nature’s Miracle Advanced Stain and Odor Eliminator.
Now, why is this all necessary?
That’s because your female dog (who can be in heat) will ‘urine mark’ your place.
“What is urine marking?”
It’s when a female pooch urinates and leaves their distinct ‘in-heat’ smell.
She does this to attract male canines to mate with her.
Your male pooch, on the other hand, will be highly aroused by her urine.
Not only that, but he will also respond by peeing back.
After that, their arousal leads them to show sexual behaviors.
#7: Anxiety medications
You want to help your dog as much as possible. But you also want to be a responsible dog parent.
It’s great for you to consider all the possible options for your dog.
You should remember: you’re to choose what’s best for your pooch.
But you feel like you’ve done everything you could. And you still don’t know where to stand regarding neutering.
So what can you do?
Don’t feel pressured.
There’s another option to choose from. And it can help ease Fido.
I’m talking about considering anxiety medications for your dog.
“What for?”
A male dog can get so sexually frustrated, it could lead to stress.
These are the signs of a stressed dog:
- Pacing.
- Panting.
- Whining.
- Yawning.
- Isolation.
- Shedding.
- Crouched body posture.
However, if these signs persist, it may be time to visit the veterinarian.
Your canine’s vet will tell you whether medications are necessary.
If it is, here are medications to expect:
- Sertraline.
- Buspirone.
- Diazepam.
- Paroxetine.
- Lorazepam.
- Alprazolam.
- Clomipramine.
Warning: Some of those meds are over-the-counter but consult your dog’s vet first.
By doing so, you’ll be told of the correct dosage for your pooch.
So for your dog’s safety, again, please consult a veterinarian first.