Dogs have their own way of expressing themselves, using body language when communicating their mood or perceptions about the environment. As guardians, it is also our responsibility to know and respect canine nature, as well as learn to communicate more effectively with our furry ones.
However, some behaviors of dogs can be especially curious and even uncomfortable. One of them is, without a doubt, the habit of riding the leg of his guardian or other people, either at home or even on the street.
In this article on our site we will solve your doubt about why my dog wants to mount me, showing you the main reasons that explainwhy does my dog ride my leg . Keep reading!
Why is my dog riding my leg?
Before we continue, we need to clarify that there is no single reason that explains why a dog mounts a person, another dog or to an object. The body language and behavior of dogs are complex and diverse, so the same behavior or action can have different meanings and causes, depending on the context in which it develops and the characteristics of the individual who performs it.
If you want to know why your dog mounts people or even your own leg, you'll need to pay attention to his attitude, his expressions and the posture in this specific context, as well as observing the stimuli present in his environment at that time, to try to identify what motivates him to mount.
To help you, we will summarize below the causes that can lead a dog to want to mount his guardian, other people or foreign objects. However, we also recommend reading our complete guide on dog postures and their meanings to learn how to interpret your best friend's behavior and improve communication between you.
Your dog does not mount you as a sign of dominance
First of all, it is essential that you stop believing in the myths related to dominance in dogs. Your furry doesn't mount your leg to show that he is "the dominant one", because dominance is intraspecific, that is, it only occurs between individuals of the same species.
Trying to extrapolate the behavior of dogs to people not only makes no sense, but is also wrong. This can lead to the application of inappropriate, even dangerous, theories and methods that have a negative impact on the dog's behavior and he alth, as well as on the bond with the guardian
Nor should you believe that the "dominant dog" is one that behaves aggressively with other dogs, animals or people. In fact, a dominant dog stands out for being confident and balanced.
Canine aggression is one of the most serious behavior problems in dogs, which can be associated with different causes, such as poor socialization or diseases that affect the senses and have a negative impact on the dog's behavior. Therefore, it should not be ignored and needs to be treated with the guidance of a properly trained professional.
On the other hand, dominance is part of the social behavior and language that dogs learn from birth and that are essential for hierarchical organization and interaction between two or more members of a community. The expressions and behaviors associated with dominance occur when a dog engages with one or more dogs, that is, during an interaction with individuals of the same species.
Likewise, dominance is dynamic, like the interactions themselves A dog can exercise dominance in relation to some dogs in certain circumstances, but it will not necessarily always be the dominant one in relation to all the dogs it encounters throughout its life. Therefore, dominance cannot be understood as a trait of a dog's personality.
In short, your dog is not showing dominance to himwhen he tries to mount you or other people. It makes no sense and is very dangerous to use abusive or aggressive methods to "show your dog that you are the dominant one". First, because you are misunderstanding his behavior that has nothing to do with dominance. And second, because punishments are circumstances of high stress that subject your dog to negative emotions, such as fear and anxiety, which can affect his he alth, facilitate the development of behavioral problems, as well as harm the bond with you.
Reasons why a dog mounts a person:
Now that we know that a dog does not mount his guardian as an attempt at dominance, we can list the main causes of this behavior. Let us begin:
1. Stress or boredom
These are the most frequent causes that would explain "why my dog wants to mount me". A dog that experiences a sedentary routine and/or lives in a negative environment can easily develop symptoms of stress and boredom. If you don't offer him walks and positive activities through which he can spend energy, your dog will try to find alternative ways to release tension, which may eventually be riding your leg, a stuffed animal, other dogs, etc.
If your dog shows a constant drive to mount you, this may be a sign that he is stressed or bored with his daily life, so we advise you to increase the frequency or duration of his walks and consider starting him in some canine sport, in addition to presenting him with intelligence games and enriching his environment to provide him with positive and appropriate ways of entertaining himself.
two. Discovery and sexual self-stimulation
The sexuality of dogs continues to be a taboo in our society. It is still often thought that sex in animals appears only in terms of reproduction, which is a serious mistake. Although it is an uncomfortable topic for some people, talking about self-stimulation and sexual discovery in dogs is necessary to understand their behavior and nature.
Dogs too can masturbate or self-stimulate to obtain pleasure or relief, as well as to discover their own body and freely express their sexual desire. Of course, this does not mean that they are perverted or have psychological problems, but that it is the pure and spontaneous expression of the sexual behavior of their species.
If a dog mounts another dog or the leg of its guardian, for example, it does not mean that the animal is homosexual or has a problem with its sexuality, it simply needsrelieve your body's need to feel better, or that you are growing and want to explore your sexual desire, which is essential for your physical and emotional development.
Like babies, puppies go through several stages throughout their sexual development before reaching adulthood, and it's totally normal for them to feel like exploring their own body, especially their reproductive organs.
3. Your dog mounts you as a sign of some disease
Stress, anxiety and behaviors associated with over-arousal can also appear as symptoms of certain he alth problems in dogs. In these cases, the behavior of mounting usually appears suddenly and can be repeated excessively in the daily life of the dog, who will probably want to mount practically any object or person who appears in your environment.
Hormonal problems and autoimmune diseases are the conditions most commonly associated with this type of behavior, but it is also possible that the repetitive and exaggerated execution of the mounting movement tries to relieve pain caused byurinary tract infections and bone pathologies that affect the posterior portion of your body, such as hip dysplasia.
For this reason, it is essential to go to the veterinary center to confirm the cause of this behavior and prevent the progression of its symptoms.
4. Mounts her as a socialization problem
A dog may also want to ride her guardian or other dogs as a result of poor socialization, which has led him to assimilate this behavior as a way of interactingwith other individuals. This problem can also appear frequently in animals that have a history of physical and emotional abuse, so if you have recently adopted a dog, it is important to be aware of the development of these irregular mounting habits.
Likewise, it is possible that some dogs mistakenly assimilate the mounting behavior as a game, being able to carry it out with their guardian, with dogs and even with other animals. In addition, mounting can also appear during a very active play session or in situations that generate overstimulation, especially in puppies and young dogs.
5. When montage becomes stereotypy
If your dog tries to mount your leg or people and objects compulsively, you may be facing stereotypy, which is of a serious behavior problem (similar to OCD in humans) and that can even lead to self-mutilation due to the incessant repetition of certain behaviors.
Stereotypies generally appear when animal welfare is already seriously compromised, and/or when there is a history of abuse. For this reason, this type of alteration in the behavior of our dogs should not be ignored and be attentive to their needs. And if you notice any strange behavior, do not hesitate to seek the help of a canine ethologist.
What to do if my dog mounts me?
As we have seen, mounting in dogs has different reasons and, to know how to act against this behavior, you will need to identify its specific cause in your furry. First of all, we advise you to take him to the vet to rule out any he alth problems that could be related to this behavior.
With possible pathological causes ruled out, you will need to pay attention to the routine that you provide to your best friend, especially physical activity and mental stimulation. In our site, we offer you some tips to help you reduce stress in your dog, and we also advise you to know the 5 freedoms of animal welfare that every guardian must respect to provide a happy and dignified life for your dogs.
Likewise, if you notice that the habit of mounting is intense and/or generates problems of coexistence at home, we recommend that you request the professional help of a canine ethologist or educator, who will help you to identify the cause of this behavior in your best friend and establish appropriate guidelines to treat it.
