# How do I teach him not to hump me?



## Tulip (Jul 31, 2012)

We met with a trainer last week to work on his dog aggression, and in the first lesson she had me start to teach Kody "touch", to teach him to touch a target so that I can have him do something to distract him around other dogs. I sent this email to my trainer, but I would like some advice from here as well.

I did some work with Kody on "touch" today and he did well, I even started randomly placing treats on the lid and he still ran to it and touched it each time. However, I ended the session with a treat on the lid, and after he did "touch", I told him he was a good boy and started petting him, and when I stopped he jumped up on me and started humping me, which REALLY hurt because of his claws and just his strength in general. We were in the fenced in backyard so I didn't have a leash or prong on him. He used to do something similar as puppy/adolescent- every time I rubbed his belly, as soon as I stopped and stood up, he would jump on me and start humping me and biting me. He didn't bite me this time, but it was one of the worst things he did as a puppy. He very occasionally does the humping now, but doesn't bite anymore. Is he being dominant and trying to tell me I'm not allowed to stop? Honestly, all I can do is scream for someone to come help me because he's hurting so badly and try to get him off, so I'm not really sure what I should be doing. If I use the prong, I feel like he may try to retaliate on to my hand. How should I be handling this?


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

I would start to make a shift in your mentality along with backing it up with your overall assertiveness ( *Assertiveness*_ is the quality of being self-assured and confident without being aggressive. In the field of psychology and psychotherapy, it is a learnable skill and mode of communication.__) _with the dog.....sounds like more time working the obedience training would do the both of you good....

FWIW..watch this video and ask yourself if this 7 year old girl doesn't personify "assertiveness" Start small.. but at the very least ...start.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sn3VghnNEpc

SuperG


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## Mary Beth (Apr 17, 2010)

I agree with SuperG about the assertiveness. Kody is a young dog and I think he just got overexcited and carried away. At that age, on a walk my Sting would get wound up and go in charge mode. He wears a flat collar. I sat down before he could knock me over and when he came at me - I grabbed him by the collar and pulled him down and rolled him and told him to knock it off. Then I had him sit/stay/ and made sure he held it. When he was calm, I continued walking him. What I did after that incident, was to teach him to come to my outstretched hand and sit, that way, I had taught him an alternate behavior when he got excited. I also learned to watch for the signs - since he would first go away then charge back. When I saw that I put my hand out. He would come, sit, and get his treat. So that may help you with Kody. Also, I think Kody could be a dog that effusive praise leads to overexcitement. So, maybe - the treat and a soft "good boy" is praise enough.


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## Tulip (Jul 31, 2012)

I agree with the excessive praise leading to overexcitement possibility. I'll keep that in mind. I usually try to grab his collar and force him off of me, but then he just gets even more wound up and tries even harder. He's a 70 lb dog and I'm a 130 lb girl... he's pretty strong :/. I always make him sit/down/stay after I finally get him off me, but I'm not sure how much it's doing. The trainer emailed me back and said that I should be using the prong collar to correct him when he does this.


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## Blitzkrieg1 (Jul 31, 2012)

A whack upside the head works great..


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

SuperG said:


> I would start to make a shift in your mentality along with backing it up with your overall assertiveness ( *Assertiveness*_ is the quality of being self-assured and confident without being aggressive. In the field of psychology and psychotherapy, it is a learnable skill and mode of communication.__) _with the dog.....sounds like more time working the obedience training would do the both of you good....
> 
> FWIW..watch this video and ask yourself if this 7 year old girl doesn't personify "assertiveness" Start small.. but at the very least ...start.
> 
> ...


Seven year old girl with 10 year old dog. Just fabulous!


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## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

Tulip - I too am 130lb female and my 2 year old female is 85lbs. I have had to use my body to enforce against her exuberance for this or that at least weekly in the last two years. You have intelligence and leverage on your side with your pup. The difference between you and I is my next birthday will be 63 years old. If I can do this, so can you.

If they jump up on you and you want them down immediately, you have several choices.... four come to mind. Lightly step on either back foot you can reach or squeeze either front paw while in your best "Manly truck driver type voice" say "NO-DOWN"!!! (They cannot stand having paws or feet squeezed.)

This dog could crush me in an instant so it's very important I maintain proper leadership and respect and she knows what my displeasure (and correction) is and that all will be well when that "bump" is over You can't let them walk all over you and they will test you in their youth.


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

Hmmm the "touch pad" thing is interesting?? Nothing I've seen done for dog reactivity problems but hey if it works ... paying by the hour I would assume. 

Have a look here, none of it will cost you a dime. :
Teach your Dog to ignore other dogs.  - Boxer Forum : Boxer Breed Dog Forums

The dog needs to be taught to chill, train calming behavior into him and mangement/training will be a lot easier! Training calmness into a dog would look like this:
Teach your Dog to ignore other dogs.  - Boxer Forum : Boxer Breed Dog Forums

And the "humping" thing yeah I can imagine that would be ... "annoying" lots of ways to address it. But if you want to fix it right freaking now! I would recommend the "Pet Convincer":
Amazon.com : Pet Convincer - Dog Training Device - Air : Barking Deterrent Collars : Pet Supplies

Hmm, it seems to have gone up in price?? Well you can also go to a "bicycle store" and get a bicycle air pump because that is what it is. 

Aim it at the dogs shoulders not his face, say "No" and drop the hammer as it were, problem solved. 

As always ask questions.


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## Susan_GSD_mom (Jan 7, 2014)

Blitzkrieg1 said:


> A whack upside the head works great..


 Or, as I was thinking, a claw-hand against the side of the neck (like a bite) grasping hard enough to get his attention, so to speak. I know someone's going to cry against this, but in my mind this is a behavior that requires capital punishment, and if your hand is strong enough, it will be a lasting impression as a consequence for that action!

Susan


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## Mary Beth (Apr 17, 2010)

Tulip said:


> I agree with the excessive praise leading to overexcitement possibility. I'll keep that in mind. I usually try to grab his collar and force him off of me, but then he just gets even more wound up and tries even harder. He's a 70 lb dog and I'm a 130 lb girl... he's pretty strong :/. I always make him sit/down/stay after I finally get him off me, but I'm not sure how much it's doing. The trainer emailed me back and said that I should be using the prong collar to correct him when he does this.


At least you have a weight advantage  My Sting at 9 months when he did the ramming was 104 lbs to my 100 lbs. He matured at 126 lbs. I don't want to get your thread off track, but I am assuming Kody is intact - after his recent behavior, I would suggest having him neutered, unless you plan to use him for breeding. It is spring and his behavior is only going to intensify. It won't solve all the issues and I should know as my Sting was neutered early at 5.5 months, but it should either eliminate or reduce this one considerably.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

If you are outside when this happens you can have someone hose him down with the lawn hose full blast. If you see this happen before it starts you will need to redirect him. I don't know this situation to me is where he would loose his intact privledges.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

Susan_GSD_mom said:


> Or, as I was thinking, a claw-hand against the side of the neck (like a bite) grasping hard enough to get his attention, so to speak. I know someone's going to cry against this, but in my mind this is a behavior that requires capital punishment, and if your hand is strong enough, it will be a lasting impression as a consequence for that action!
> 
> Susan


 I totally agree. This to me would be one of those situations where, if I was at all uncertain of my ability to make an impression, the stick would be coming out. 
Make it quick and make it unforgettable! I am also a 130lb woman, and not a young one. This is one of those things that gets the defending myself treatment.
FYI neutering does not stop humping. More spayed females display this behavior, more females in general. It is usually the result of over excitement in males, in females most often an act of dominance.


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## voodoolamb (Jun 21, 2015)

Considering the OP is concerned a physical correction will lead to aggressive behavior, are the come to jesus type corrections recommended on this thread really that great of an idea??? 



> If I use the prong, I feel like he may try to retaliate on to my hand.


I'm going to take a guess that Tulip knows her dog best and if the thought that he might bite has crossed her mind then, hitting the dog upside the head, grabbing it's neck and bringing out the big stick might escalate the situation into something dangerous. 

Personally, I would be preventing the behavior until I could get a in person session with my trainer. Using a drag line that can be stepped on to prevent jumping up. Not over exciting the dog. Working on developing a higher level of obedience. Etc 

I'm not saying that this dog shouldn't be physically corrected, just that it might be better for that to happen while there is a second experienced person there, maybe with the dog on a long line or something.


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## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

For a while, (landsharking days) I carried a little squirt bottle filled with 1/2 vinegar and water. It worked and freshened the air in my house at the same time....


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## Blitzkrieg1 (Jul 31, 2012)

Rebound aggression and the theory behind it is was proven to be false.
If your afraid of your dog of course he will hump you and do whatever he wants. Testicles or not. Cutting parts off a dog is rarely the solution.


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

Have you tried walking INTO him so he is thrown of balance backwards and will fall over if he doesn't get off? 

I agree that this is something you stop before it even starts. You should be familiar now with the signs that he is getting over-excited and things are escalating. STOP it there and then! Get control with obedience exercises - re-direct to other activities. 

Stuff like this I see as owner/handler issues, for allowing the behaviour, and being helpless to stop it. You are only helpless to stop it because you THINK that way. As others have said, work on your assertiveness, be a step ahead of your dog, don't even allow him to get to where he THINKS of jumping on you.


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

The "claw hand" was part of my ninja training.....devastating....


SuperG


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

Note to self: Never get on SuperG's bad side . . . (gulp)


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

Castlemaid said:


> Note to self: Never get on SuperG's bad side . . . (gulp)



LOLOL....never used it on a dog....


SuperG


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## Susan_GSD_mom (Jan 7, 2014)

SuperG said:


> The "claw hand" was part of my ninja training.....devastating....
> 
> 
> SuperG



:spittingcoffee:

Susan


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## Susan_GSD_mom (Jan 7, 2014)

Just a bit of horse training wisdom here... When working with new foals, you mix things up a bit, petting, scratching, and gently encircling them with your arms, not enough to frighten them, and you hold them until they are calm, and let them go. Gradually you can work up to restraining them (again, very gently) in your arms and they don't struggle, they are comfortable, and they know that you have control over them, you are stronger than them. You continue this as they grow, and even when they turn into feisty yearlings, they will still have the impression that you are stronger than them, struggle is useless, and it's no big deal because throughout all this they have learned to trust you. That way when you have a horse that's 800-1000 lbs or more, he will still believe that no matter what, you are the stronger (albeit benevolent) one.

Works with canines, too. I used to jokingly tell a couple of the wolfdogs I had that no matter how big they got, I would always be stronger than them (shades of "Mommy Dearest"!). 

Now that the OP's dog is already bigger and stronger than her, however, different measures are needed. And, not knowing her size or strength, she may need someone to spot her. But she is going to have to overcome her fear and instill some respect in that dog. He's looking for boundaries and not finding any, so he does as he pleases. Time for a great meeting of the minds with him. People have given her some good advice here, she must pick what she thinks she can manage, and do it with confidence.

Susan


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## voodoolamb (Jun 21, 2015)

Blitzkrieg1 said:


> Rebound aggression and the theory behind it is was proven to be false.


Do you happen to have a link or remember the name of the study?

I found the studies on aversive training methods eliciting aggressive responses from UPenn and NTNU to be rather convincing, so I would be interested to see a study that came to a different conclusion.


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## Mary Beth (Apr 17, 2010)

Stonevintage said:


> For a while, (landsharking days) I carried a little squirt bottle filled with 1/2 vinegar and water. It worked and freshened the air in my house at the same time....


:thumbsup:

This article PawLux.com:. a day in the life of an eco-dog: Tips on How to Make Your Dog Stop Humping & Mounting mentions the spray bottle and also other non-violent ways.
I do understand the OP's concern and I personally would not want to use any "weapon" in this situation.


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## Tulip (Jul 31, 2012)

Blitzkrieg: I'm not going to whack my dog upside the head... for moral reasons, as well as for the retaliation reason.

Stonevintage: The paw pad thing is interesting. I may try the stepping on one of his back paws next time. Not sure how well it would work thought because it might just freak him out and wind him up more.

Chip: I thought the touch target training was an interesting way to go about working on his dog aggression as well, but she said that it's a more engaging thing to make the dog do to distract him from other dogs. She said it has worked very well with her with an extremely dog aggressive Malinois she has recently worked with. I definitely agree with needing to train him calming signals. I actually signed up for bowwowflix last night and already added a calming signals video to my queue.

Mary Beth: He is intact and I am planning on using him for breeding.

Blitzkrieg: I am also curious about this study done on false rebound aggression. Kody has been this way since he was a puppy. As a puppy, the breeder told us to put his lip under his tooth whenever he was biting us, but I started out trying to teach him to use a soft mouth at first instead. After being frustrated with this not working at all whatsoever, I tried the breeder's method, which didn't work either because he would get MUCH more wound up and try to bite even more.

Castlemaid: I always try walking into him lol. But he's so strong and I'm so short that it doesn't really work.

Susan: Interesting about the foals! I'm sure the same could be applied to a young puppy, but idk about an adult dog?

Thank you for everyone's replies!!


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