My Dog Mounts Other Dogs — Causes

Mounting behaviour can sometimes be puzzling. The truth is that when a dog mounts another, it doesn't always have to be for a sexual purpose.

In fact, dogs don't only mount other dogs or animals; there are dogs who mount a person's leg or even objects such as cushions or toys. Let's look at the reasons and how we can fix it.

Reasons a Dog Mounts

Among the most common reasons explaining why a dog tries to mount another male dog, the following stand out:

1. It's a form of dominance over other dogs. When a dog tries to mount another, it can be a way of marking territory and showing they're the one in charge. This behaviour tends to happen especially when a new dog joins the family. Alongside mounting, they may also try to steal their food or toys.
2. To play. Dogs, especially younger ones, may play at mounting each other. This way they practise behaviours they'll carry out later on, once they grow up and reach adulthood. This mounting is a form of training that happens from 3 or 4 months old until they turn one year old.
3. To release energy when anxious. More active dogs, when overexcited or happy, may mount another dog to release energy or anxiety and return to a calmer state. This way of channelling stress can especially be seen in herding breeds such as border collies, the German Shepherd or the Australian Shepherd.
4. For pleasure. Just like humans, dogs also seek out pleasure. This can explain why they mount cuddly toys or other toys, when it's clear it can't be for reproductive purposes. What can you do! Sometimes they enjoy having their moments of fun too…
5. Out of confusion. In some cases a dog can have trouble identifying the scent of another neutered dog. This can lead them to mistake a male for a young female.

So there are several reasons beyond sexual behaviour that explain why a dog mounts other dogs. The question now is: what do we do — leave them to it, or try to curb this behaviour?

What to Do if My Dog Mounts Other Dogs

Often, when we find ourselves facing this scene, we don't quite know what to do. In principle, a dog occasionally mounting other dogs, or trying to do it with an object, is fairly normal and shouldn't worry us too much.

Even so, when this behaviour becomes a nuisance for other people or animals, it needs curbing. It's not just about avoiding awkwardness, but about protecting the dog from fights or incidents that put their safety at risk. To prevent this, we'll need to try to correct their behaviour. But how? Let's see:

One way to show the dog they shouldn't mount another dog is to say "NO" in a firm voice, or make a noise that grabs their attention. It matters that we act the same way every time this situation happens, so they obey. To be clear: we can't be permissive sometimes and not others. Otherwise, they'll end up not taking us seriously.

Give them a calm environment in another room, or play with them when they start showing this behaviour, to prevent them mounting other dogs or a person's leg. Exercise will actually be your great ally in stopping this from carrying on happening.

Using a short lead to steer them when needed until they learn to hold back this behaviour can also be an effective method.

Lastly, it matters that you never encourage mounting behaviour. Sometimes it can seem funny to us, and we encourage the dog to do it to show someone else. Even so, if you don't want it to keep happening, you shouldn't encourage it. Otherwise, the training will backfire.

By following this advice, you'll work on their obedience and keep the dog away from situations that lead them to want to mount others. If this behaviour continues obsessively, you should then visit your regular vet so they can rule out any medical problem.

If there's no health problem, the next step will be to consult an expert who can help you find the underlying cause and what other techniques can help a dog stop mounting other dogs.