Sexually driven displaced behaviours

Sexually driven displaced behaviours are normal sexual actions like mounting, humping, licking genitalia, or masturbation that are not motivated by the desire to mate. Instead, they manifest as a way to release emotional energy, stress, anxiety, or high arousal or as a self-soothing coping mechanism for the dog when they feel overwhelmed, confused, or conflicted.

Distinguishing from True Sexual Behavior

True sexual behaviour
Displaced Sexual behaviours
  • Usually involves intact animals.
  • Is triggered by a female in heat.
  • Involves specific "courtship" behaviors (eg: tail up, rubbing /flaunting genatalia).
  • Can be performed by both spayed/neutered and intact dogs,.
  • Often is a, immediate reaction to a stressful event.
  • Courting or affectionate behaviour is not often displayed.

Causes and solutions

Health:

  • Surge in hormones, especially in adolescent unneutered male dogs. While it usually happens in males when other females are in Heat, some female dogs may also mount people or objects during their heat cycle.
  • Anxiety: as an outlet for anxiety, stress or frustration.
  • Can be caused by a urinary tract infection.
  • Can be caused by skin allergies or anything else causing itchiness (flea infestation, etc)
  • Can often be a stress response in older dogs with joint pain or other forms of physical discomfort.
  • Consult a Vet or a Vet behaviourist to identify the potential cause.
  • Use hormone blockers to help young entire dogs.



  • Play, especially in young puppies. Both male and female puppies may mount each other. Mounting can also occur when adult dogs plays with another dog or person.

  • 3. Excitement
  • Humping can occur when dogs are excited, such as during play or after greeting another dog. Some dogs may perform this behavior when they see their favorite dog friend or person.

  • 4. Attention-Seeking
  • Sometimes dogs hump to get their pet parent’s or another person’s attention. After all—it’s difficult for most people to ignore a dog when they are mounting their leg. If you’re sitting on the ground, the dog may mount you from the side or their back.

  • A dog may hump to get your attention because you are inadvertently reinforcing their behavior. For example, your dog may mount you to tell you they want to play. You might push them away using your hands or legs. In your dog’s mind, this strategy worked to get your attention, and you are now “wrestling” with them.

  • 5. Social Status
  • Mounting behavior can also be one way of conveying social status in dogs. Some dogs may mount other dogs to assert their status, but this behavior is usually accompanied by additional social signaling.

  • Most social communication between dogs can occur without it escalating to one dog mounting the other, and it’s less likely to happen in a social context with the pet parent. In most cases of humping, there is another underlying cause.

  • 6. Anxiety
  • Some dogs hump when they’re anxious. This is referred to as displacement behavior: The dog engages in a particular behavior as an outlet for their anxious energy, similar to an anxious person tapping their foot.

What to do

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