Why Does Your Dog Mount Other Dogs?

Typically, when a dog mounts another dog, it is not sexually motivated.



Dogs constantly try to dominate each other - both female and male dogs. It is the instinctive behaviour. When two dogs meet each other, they will first size each other up through eye contact. If one surrenders by lying down then leadership is settled. If not, the battle for dominance begins by the dogs trying to mount each other until one roll over submissively and turns his eyes away. Until the eyes have completely turned away, surrender has not happened as the ‘losing’ dog may launch a sneak attack against the other.

When complete surrender is achieved, the mounting behaviour becomes a dominance display – the one on top reminding the other who is in charge. As the head is the highest part of the dog, when one dog brings the head of the other dog down, it’s a show of who is higher and in control.

Another reason why dogs mount each other is because they know each other well and may have been separated for some time. It is a form of bonding and is not solely associated with males trying to flirt or breed a female.

It is also not uncommon to find that a male dog may even unsheathing his penis to release his scent on the other dog to proclaim to other dogs that he has won the battle over the dog he is mounting on.

As this is the instinctive nature and behaviour of your dog, the behaviour should not be discouraged. Rather it is better to leave the dogs alone.

The only time when this behaviour is abnormal is if a female has some vaginal discharge indicating some sort of infection, which smells as if she is in season. In that case, other dogs will not leave her alone, and a visit to the vet is appropriate.

So the next time when you see two male dogs trying to mount each other, there is no such thing as a ‘GAY DOG!”



And remember to praise your dog abundantly when he does the right thing
To your success in dogtraining