My cousin came over for dinner yesterday and my Chihuahua, Lily, has never met him before so she was barking at him all evening. After dinner, we sat in the living room and Lily joined us with her plush toy. In the middle of our conversation, my Chihuahua started humping her toy. My mom said Lily was stressed out from being in a stressful situation and this is a way to help ease her nerve. This got me very curious and I’m sure other dog owners are as well, which inspired me to write this article.
Do dogs Masturbate? Yes, dogs do masturbate. Male or female, intact or fixed, masturbation is common among dogs. In puppies, it simulates a vital life skill: mating and reproduction. In older dogs, it is a way to get sexual release.
My Chihuahua is now in her senior year and is too old to breed so when she started humping again, I was really confused. However, after thorough research on this subject matter, it all makes sense. If your pups are masturbating or humping, this article will answer all your questions.
Table of Contents
Can dogs Masturbate?
Yes, dogs can masturbateâboth males and females. While it is natural among intact (fertile) dogs, young neutered or spayed dogs please themselves too. Some people get appalled when young pups hump their siblings, not understanding that this is an essential life skill, not something done out of lust.
Many dog owners treat their dogs a little too much like children. To them, such behavior may seem shockingly lecherous. We need to understand that dogs are simple animals driven by their nature.
So, does that mean dogs can jack off just like us? Letâs find out.
Can dogs jack off?
Yes, dogs can jack offâeven those who have been neutered. However, because they only have paws, they donât jack off as we do. But they have other ways to relieve themselves when the urge strikes.
Why do dogs Masturbate?
Dog owners often think that getting their dogs neutered or spayed will take care of their sexual urges and stop them from masturbating. However, spayed and neutered dogs masturbate tooâdespite having no sex drive.
There is more than one reason for your dogâs masturbating habit. It stems from dogsâ simpler minds and the inability to hide their emotions. While we know the rights and wrongs associated with sexual arousal, dogs canât make that distinction. So here are eight reasons for your dogâs masturbation.
8 Reasons for Dogs Masturbating
1. Physical need
The most obvious reason for your girl or boy dog masturbating is because their bodies need it. Heat cycles in young females and libido in young males compel them to seek sexual release. A lack of sexual activity during a fertile dogâs pubescent years can cause frustration and lead to other behavioral issues too. So if you donât plan on letting your dog mate, itâs best to get them neutered or spayed.
2. Memories of pleasure
Although neutering or spaying rids dogs of their sexual impulses, they may still retain memories of the pleasure associated with sex and masturbation. This behavior is most common among recently spayed or neutered dogs. The memory fades eventually, after which they stop masturbating.
3. Boredom
Dogs often resort to pleasuring themselves just because thereâs nothing better to do. Make sure your dog has enough toys to keep them entertained in your absence and give them plenty of exercise throughout the day to burn off their excess energy.
4. Asserting dominance
Humping and mounting other dogs is how canines assert their dominance. This behavior isnât limited to males, and female dogs do that too. Although the act isnât sexual, it can be arousing, and itâs normal for a dog to get an erection during it.
5. Over-stimulation
Dogs are simple creatures who canât distinguish their emotions very well. Sometimes when theyâre excited, theyâd confuse this feeling with arousal and attempt to mount and hump the thing, dog, or person causing the excitement.
6. Playing
Seeing young pups hump each other during play comes as a shock to many dog owners, but to young dogs, thatâs normal playtime behavior. Note that a puppy doesnât get aroused when play-humping. However, some adult dogs with poor social skills may get turned on when playing with other dogs.
7. Force of habit
Some dogs may hump things just out of habit. The thing about habits is that your dog may be doing it involuntarily. So if your dog canât stop humping all the time, you should call a behavioral expert or train them to drop the habit.
8. Stress
Dogs sometimes use masturbation to relieve stress. Stressful situations can make a dog anxious, and he may try to ease his nerves by doing a pleasurable activity like masturbating. Acclimate your dog to unfamiliar conditions, socialize your puppies, and build their confidence to fix this issue.
Do female dogs Masturbate?
Yes, female dogs do masturbate. Especially when female dogs are in heat, they will experience sexual urges too. But thatâs not their only reason to masturbate. Spayed female dogs who experience no sexual desires do this as well.
Most females who were spayed as adults keep the habit of masturbation. Dogs retain the memory of pleasant activities, which is why your female dog will continue to hump or lick her privates for a while after being spayed.
How do dogs Masturbate?
As weâve mentioned above, dogsâ masturbation methods may differ from ours, but the principle is the same: rubbing their penis or vulva against something until they climax.
Despite different anatomies, both male and female dogs have pretty similar methods to get off. Letâs explore their techniques in a bit more detail.
How do female dogs Masturbate?
Like male dogs, female dogs can often be seen humping objects or other dogs. However, they usually relieve themselves by licking or rubbing their privates. Sometimes they hump humans or other dogs to show their dominance, which may be mistaken for masturbation.
How do male dogs Masturbate?
A male dog would use any object he can rub his private part against for sexual relief. He would hump a toy, shoe, furniture, pile of clothes, another dog, or even your leg until he gets off. Some dogs also use their mouth or tongue to do it.
Do dogs Masturbate due to health reasons?
Yes, dogs do masturbate for health reasons. Certain medical issues can cause your dog to bite, lick, or rub its privates. As long as some infection or disease bothers your furry friend, no amount of behavioral therapy will stop them from masturbating.
A visit to the vet is necessary if your dog canât stop touching their privates, and none of your methods is having any effect on them. The vet will best diagnose the real reason behind your dogâs excessive masturbation and prescribe the appropriate treatment and medicine to fix the underlying condition.
Itâs also important to watch out for other symptoms like frequent shaking, fever, shivering, excessive urination, whining, difficulty peeing, crying, and discoloration of the genitals. Before trying any behavioral therapy, itâs best to rule out any of the following medical problems first.
Medical Problems to Rule Out
- UTI: A Urinary Tract Infection is a very uncomfortable condition common among both male and female dogs. The affected pooch may lick their genitals to ease their pain, which may look like masturbation.
- Priapism: Itâs a prolonged and painful erection in male dogs which occurs without sexual stimulation. A dog suffering from it would repeatedly try to soothe his penis by masturbating.
- Skin allergies: An allergy to the penis or vulva will cause itching and discomfort, prompting your dog to lick, bite, or chew at the area constantly.
- Bacterial infection: This can happen due to unsanitary conditions and poor hygiene, among other reasons. Discoloration, pimples, and swelling of the genitals are signs of a bacterial infection.
- Bladder stones: Bladder stones can make urination very painful, and your dog may show symptoms similar to UTI.
- Urinary incontinence: Urinary incontinence is when the dog loses control of its bladder and urinates involuntarily. Excessive licking of private parts is one of the symptoms of urinary incontinence.
What to do when your dog Masturbates excessively?
It is normal if your four-legged friend licks himself once or twice a day to get sexual release. But excessive masturbation isnât just embarrassing for the owner, but itâs also bad for the dogâs health.
For instance, humping random objects all the time can take a toll on a dogâs lower back, whereas rubbing their genitals too frequently can irritate their skin and cause a rash. If your dogâs self-pleasuring habit is getting out of control, here are five ways to stop them.
5 Ways to prevent your dog from Masturbating
1. Distraction
If you see the dog getting ready to mount, distract them by giving them something else to do. Throw a toy, start a game, or command them to do something else.
2. Neutering and spaying
If you donât plan on having your furry friend breed, get them neutered early or spayed. Getting dogs fixed doesnât just cull their sex drive; it also prevents many behavioral issues and health complications.
3. Exercise
Pent-up energy and boredom can compel dogs to masturbate and hump things. Regular exercise and playtime rid the dog of excess energy while giving them the stimulation they would otherwise seek from masturbation.
4. Training
Teaching your dog commands and tricks can also help you distract them from masturbating. Command your dog to do something else when he is about to hump, and praise him with pats, encouraging words, and treats when he obeys.
5. Time-out
When your dog starts humping something they shouldnât, take them to an isolated room without toys and leave them for a couple of minutes. Donât show any anger when you bring them back, and repeat it whenever the dog attempts humping.
When should you contact the vet?
If your training isnât effective at stopping your dog from masturbating, itâs time to get expert help. A vet will make sure no health issues are prompting this behavior and prescribe medicines to treat if any such condition does exist.
If your pups are intact, a vet can safely neuter or spay them so that their sex drive stops driving them crazy. However, donât go for this option if you plan on breeding your dogs or letting your pups have kids.
So, do dogs Masturbate?
Yes, both male and female dogs masturbate, even if theyâre neutered or spayed. Masturbation isnât a social taboo among dogs, and they wonât mind doing it on inappropriate occasions and places.
While it is normal for dogs to masturbate sometimes, excessive masturbation can be a problem that you must look into. With training, exercise, and mental conditioning, you can get your dogâs masturbation habit under control.
Related Questions
Yes, dogs can get turned on by specific actions of the opposite gender. Excitement, playtime, joy, and physical stimulation can also turn dogs on.
Yes, humping random objects can fatigue your dogâs back, and the friction can injure their genitalia. Spay or neuter your dogs to calm their libido, and give them behavioral training to stop humping everything.
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The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional veterinary advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your veterinarian or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Resources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6162565/
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0196284
I’m a pet lover who has years of pet sitting and grooming experience. I thought it would be a great idea to share my experience with all pet owners so they can also keep their canine companions healthy, happy, and clean!