Get Off My Back!


The last few days my one Border Collie has been trying to mount my other one a lot. They are both fixed, so that's not a problem. I'm still wondering what to do. When I see him go to try to "hump" her, somehow I get really irritated and yell at him to stop. She doesn't seem to be as annoyed with him as I am, but she will let him know she doesn't like it, just not as aggressively as if he wanted one of her treats or something. Should I let him do this and let her respond herself?

The only one bothered by this "humping" is you - because of the sexual connotations we associate with the act. To the dogs, it's simply another form of communicating dominance. If she's bothered by it, she'll let him know. I would stay out of it. Yelling at them only confuses the situation. I might send them away in the presence of company but the rest of the time I would ignore it. I know it's a natural reaction to interject yourself but if people can get used to watching their dog poop and then going over to immediately scoop up in their plastic-covered hands the nice warm, fresh pile, you can get accustomed to the occassional dominance humping.

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