Humping Labby

My 6yr old male lab has had a nasty habit of humping other dogs (mainly male), he has been like it since we have had him; since he was 6months old.
I have been told its a dominance thing, but he is neutered and has been since 8months old.
It is so imbarrising! i try to get him on a lead when i see a dog but then people think he is nasty! and he is the opposite, a complete softy and loves other dogs, he doesnt hump dogs he knows, like our other dog or my aunts pup or my nans dog!
Can anyone give me any pointers on this? i am frustrated with it and cant relax when he is off a lead!
Thanx

Hi - this has nothing to do with dominance. Dogs hump because they enjoy it. I expect he got excited and did it one day and rather enjoyed it and now it`s a habit.
I would work on your recall, especially around other dogs. You could walk him with a trailing line and then it`s easy to get him away from other dogs when necessary.
Good training books for recall and other issues is The Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson or Idiots Guide to dog training by Pamela Dennison.

He has now practised this behaviour for 6 years, I am amazed that you have not stopped this before.

I am also amazed that your dog has not been given very short shrift by other dogs, he certainly would not be able to do this with either of my two dogs.

You need to keep him on a LONG line or lead so that you do not endanger your dog or others!

I certainly would not find it amusing if I had an elderly, handicapped or post operative dog and your dog came charging over to hump it!

I mostly keep him on a lead, but dont think its fair when my other dog is running, he crys and gets very distressed as he wants to join in the fun.

I am always very aware of other dogs that are around and avoid areas that are popular with other dogs. I wish all dogs would tell him off so he might learn his lesson but very few do!

He is brilliant at re-call and is whistle trained like my other dog, but something seems to come over him and he is more interested in other dogs than what i'm doing.
I met a man with a lab who gave my dog a taste of his own medicine and he also had the same problem as me and cannot get his dog to overcome the problem.

My vet is useless and cant seem to suggest anything.

Thankyou for your advise, he is very good at recall but doesnt really listen when there are other dogs around. i am getting fed up of putting him on a lead and really need to think of other ways i can keep him interested so he can keep his freedom.
We had one successful day last week when we used sausage as a distration and used the "watch me" training that he is good at, but he has a short attention span and gets bored! I am trying to be more fun than everything else! apart from this he is the most perfect dog! :0(

If your dog does not recall when other dogs are around then he is not "very good at recall".

If he was whistle trained properly he would not do it.

What is your other dog that is whistle trained?

What happens when your Weimaraner starts doing the same thing?

I would not allow my dogs to tell your dog off, I would be doing that myself and you can be sure he would not repeat the experience on my dogs!

I dont think its very fair to say he isnt very good at recall, you dont even know him!
Its a behaviour that he has and i'm asking for advise and trying to deal with it in a different way i am not asking for someone to state they will make sure my dog does not repeat it!
It don't think that is a very nice thing to say, especially coming from someone who is (i would of thought!) a dog lover!

Why let him off the lead to start with if you know he's going to do this...?

My dog is rarely off lead because we are still working on his recall. So I really understand what it's like not to be able to relax and enjoy yourself when your dog is off leash.

I suggest you get him back on a lead and maybe use a long line or a Flexi lead to give YOU some control and him a bit of freedom.

Because one day he may try and hump the wrong dog and get more than he bargains for...!


EDITED TO ADD:


Sorry, I think SMOKEY BEAR is spot on.

If your dog will not come when called at the time when you MOST NEED him to, then that's hardly a 'good' recall, is it???

And trust me, you really do not want other dogs 'teaching' your dog a lesson! What if your dog races over and tries to hump a dog that has aggression issues? You do realise what could happen to your lovely Lab, right?

I have a Lab too - so I TOTALLY get what you say about 'something' seems to come over them, especially around other dogs. That is why my Lab is always on a Flexi at present UNLESS we are specifically training recall, which I do when I know the other dogs around are friendly and won't respond badly if the recall goes to pot and Dexter goes thundering across the park to them.

I would advise you to consider calling in a good dog trainer or behaviourist to give you some strategies. And meanwhile for YOUR DOG'S OWN SAKE, keep him on a lead!!!

I think it is perfectly fair to say he is not very good at recall as you have stated that he does not come back when other dogs are around. Therefore he is not very good at recall.

On top of that he goes and molests other dogs.

BECAUSE I am a dog lover I want to protect my dogs from dogs like yours.

Personally I would prefer to give irresponsible owners lessons they would not forget, but unfortunately owners who have insufficient control over their dogs are usually too far away from their dogs for me to do so!

The only way to deal with your problem which you have allowed to occur for 6 years is to prevent him from doing it.

So that must be achieved either by a solid recall or stop or keeping him on a lead.

You have a Weimaraner that will no doubt start copying him, so what will you do with TWO dogs that have no recall?

My other dog that is whistle trained is my weimaraner bitch, she is 8months old now and fantastic. We were lucky enough to get Beau from a pup so have trained her from a pup, as for my labby he had an awful puppyhood and was in a terrible house when we got him, Locked in a concrete back garden! I do not blame this behviour on him at all!