My 11 month old TT bitch is suddenly showing different behaviour when playing with my other girls who are 14, 10 and 5 . The baby is the only one not spayed. I understand that baby is now a juvenile and to expect a regression in behaviour but not seen this previously with my other girls. She demands play, mainly from the five year old who, up to now has been happy to play, as is the 10 year old. Now she starts to play then becomes sort of hysrerical  and humps whoever she is playing with in a frantic way. She is not due in season as her first was at 11 months. Now, both her playmates are loathe to play with her and the 10 year old is actually terrified and seeks me out when she starts this behaviour. It's such a shame as they all got on really well and loved their play sessions together. Any advice on what best to do Please?

Sorry not 11 months. Now 13 months old.

I have certainly found some of my entire girls will hump several weeks after their seasons have ended, or just because they are excited/to get a reaction.

You do realise that 'most' of this behaviour is domination, getting over-excited, and not to do with sex.   However, on the odd occasion it can be and all I can suggest is you either go ahead and get her spayed asap, or gently, but firmly correct this behaviour with the others.   If she has to be separated as soon as this begins, she might get the message that she needs to stop this.   Eventually you may find a big fight starts and as so often is the case, once bitches fight, there is no way back.  She may have to be rehomed.   Dogs fight to mate - bitches to survive.  Normally.

I would just say that provided it doesn't deteriorate into a fight situation, it can be marginally better for the ones being attacked to tell her off.  Quite often mine will listen to the others, more than me.

Yes I do realise it's a dominance thing but just wanted advice as how to deal with it. Thankfully I seem to be doing the right thing by gently disuading her. She is being told off by the 5 year old and fights are not happening although in 15 years of having feisty TTs I don't agree that the odd fight will lead to having to 're home a bitch. Maybe in some breeds it will be a problem. Thank you for your help.

Dominance really ? Why do you believe it is dominance? Most humping is either misplaced hormone driven(levels of hormones fluctuate during a bitches cycle as her body readies itself for pregnancy) or it is pleasure driven, in other words the dog humps because it enjoys it.

You can observe puppies under 4 weeks in the litter humping each other, to your way of thinking these puppies are trying to "dominate"the others ?

A truly dominant dog does not need to hump other dogs & it is the subtle body language that reveals dominance. Dominant dogs are few & far between because there is no need for the behaviour. They don't have to hunt for food nor fight for it.

Distraction is better than punitive treatment & perhaps a house line to gently tug if she starts & instant reward when she stops& gives you her attention

> Now she starts to play then becomes sort of hysrerical  and humps whoever she is playing with in a frantic way

This is your reason... she is excited & the reason she humps..NOT dominance.
Carry on with what your doing
You say she is now 13 months & was in season at 11 months....I'm sure your realise she would have high hormones, as now would be the time she would whelp, had you mated her.. keep your eye out for false/phantom pregnancy...you may already know/be doing this

Yes of course, I should have realised that. It would be time to whelp. Yes have had experience of phantoms so will watch out for that. 12 years ago with my first girl and inexperienced I was playing ball with my girl. She started whining every time she picked the ball up. I thought she had hurt her mouth. Then she took the ball inside and put it in her bed. It was then the penny dropped! In her head I was chucking her "puppy' around the garden. Poor girl.

Thank you all. I will tear the article up suggesting this was dominant behaviour. Feel relieved and grateful for all your help.

I'm sorry, but having been around my hounds for well over 40 years, when this happens, IT IS DOMINANCE and NOT ( often) SEXUAL.   The dog doing this doesn't have to a A DOMINANT DOG.   Just a dog who feels he has to exert his DOMINANCE over others and in that he may actually be and feel 'inferior' and needs to establish himself within a pack.    Yes, of course it CAN BE sexual if the dog is an overly sexual sort and turned on by being around a bitch in season but this is far from always the case.    Bitch on bitch behaviour like this isn't sexual - it's one trying to dominate the other - and more often than not it ends up in a fight.

I do believe that when puppies do this, they are expressing canine behaviour in the best way they know at that point and again isn't anything remotely to do with sex.   I also believe with babies, it has to do with 'trying out the equipment'.   But again NOT NECESSARILY.

You can disagree with me as much as you like, and are entitled to be doing so, but MOUNTING IS MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, DOWN TO DOMINANCE .  The one dog trying to establish his 'superiority' in the pecking order.

I remain firm in this belief.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/canine-corner/201107/why-does-my-neutered-dog-mount-other-dogs

Certainly not often sexual, and I don't believe it is here.  But also not often dominance, although yes, sometimes it can be a young teen trying out strategies to improve their place.  But it can also (far more often IME) be excitement, nerves, play, distraction, displacement behaviour, a coping mechanism for stress.  In this instance, it sounds like she is trying to play and being rebuffed and being a young teenage dog who up to now has been responded to, doesn't know well how to handle the frustration of her advances being stopped so her excitement at being revved up for play is coming out as humping.  Not uncommon at all - "I don't know what to do here, but that feels good so I'll do that!"

I do agree that it can end up in a scrap though, as indeed it can between two dogs of any gender when the humpee is not appreciative of it!  So I would distract her, put her in short timeouts (10-15 seconds) if need be, if she won't stop, and reward her for not going back or for stopping herself in the first place, so she learns how better to deal with frustration.

Oh boy! Or girl in this case ha ha. Well I've read all the posts and was confused but I find the answer which seems to be closest to the behaviour I can see before me is Nikitas. Thank you. I will follow your advice and let you know how it goes.

> n this instance, it sounds like she is trying to play and being rebuffed and being a young teenage dog who up to now has been responded to, doesn't know well how to handle the frustration of her advances being stopped so her excitement at being revved up for play is coming out as humping.  Not uncommon at all - "I don't know what to do here, but that feels good so I'll do that!"

My very immature three year old still does this exactly, especially with my middle oen who is now 10.

All the others are veterans except for her 6 year old Mum.

Just to bring this up to date. The humping has stopped now and proper play has resumed. I did persuade her gently not to do it and it and excluded her for a very shott time. Thank you all for your help.