Do Dogs Masturbate?

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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.

Can dogs Masturbate?

Yes, dogs can masturbate—both 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? Let’s find out.

Can dogs jack off?

Yes, dogs can jack off—even those who have been neutered. However, because they only have paws, they don’t 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 too—despite having no sex drive.

There is more than one reason for your dog’s masturbating habit. It stems from dogs’ simpler minds and the inability to hide their emotions. While we know the rights and wrongs associated with sexual arousal, dogs can’t make that distinction. So here are eight reasons for your dog’s 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 dog’s pubescent years can cause frustration and lead to other behavioral issues too. So if you don’t plan on letting your dog mate, it’s 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 there’s 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 isn’t limited to males, and female dogs do that too. Although the act isn’t sexual, it can be arousing, and it’s normal for a dog to get an erection during it.

5. Over-stimulation

Dogs are simple creatures who can’t distinguish their emotions very well. Sometimes when they’re excited, they’d 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, that’s normal playtime behavior. Note that a puppy doesn’t 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 can’t 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 that’s 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 we’ve mentioned above, dogs’ 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. Let’s 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?

male dog masturbation — Canine masturbation could be due to health reasons

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 can’t 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 dog’s excessive masturbation and prescribe the appropriate treatment and medicine to fix the underlying condition.

It’s 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, it’s 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: It’s 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 isn’t just embarrassing for the owner, but it’s also bad for the dog’s health.

For instance, humping random objects all the time can take a toll on a dog’s lower back, whereas rubbing their genitals too frequently can irritate their skin and cause a rash. If your dog’s self-pleasuring habit is getting out of control, here are five ways to stop them.

5 Ways to prevent your dog from Masturbating

dog masturbate — Dog masturbating on my leg, is that normal?

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 don’t plan on having your furry friend breed, get them neutered early or spayed. Getting dogs fixed doesn’t 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 shouldn’t, take them to an isolated room without toys and leave them for a couple of minutes. Don’t 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 isn’t effective at stopping your dog from masturbating, it’s 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, don’t 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 they’re neutered or spayed. Masturbation isn’t a social taboo among dogs, and they won’t 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 dog’s masturbation habit under control.