Did you just catch your beagle puppy masturbating on a pillow or his toy? If it’s your first dog, then it might be shocking to see your beagle puppy hump on things. You might be even disgusted if your pooch has started humping on your leg. But why do Beagle puppies hump?
Beagle puppies start humping when they reach their puberty, which is between the age of 6 to 8 months. Humping gives them pleasurable feelings and helps them release excess energy. Humping or masturbating is perfectly normal in both male as well as female beagle puppies.
Further, in this article, we will look into various reasons behind its humping and how to stop this behavior.
Is Humping Normal?
Humping is perfectly normal in beagle puppies. Humping in dogs is equivalent to masturbating in humans. Humping once or twice a day is fine and nothing to be concern about.
Reasons why Beagle Puppies Hump
Apart from sexual drive, there are various reasons why beagle puppies hump. It is crucial to know about these reasons to understand this behavior.
Sexual
This is, of course, the most apparent reason why a beagle puppy might hump. Beagles reach their sexual maturity when they are as young as 6 to 8 months old. To satisfy their sexual drive, a puppy may hump pillow, toys, or even other dogs or puppies. This is completely normal and common.
Excess energy
Beagles are an energetic breed, and they require daily exercise. Beagle puppies are more energetic and active when compared to adult beagles. They need proper exercise daily to drain their massive storage of energy. In any case, if you fail to provide sufficient exercise to your pooch, he may use humping as a way to release his excess energy.
Stress or Over Excitement
Some puppies start humping when they are in stress or get over-excited. For instance, whenever my neighbor’s puppy use to meet a new dog, it uses to get excited and would try to hump on that dog.
Beagles are prone to separation anxiety; they get anxiety and start stressing out when left alone. Some beagles who are facing separation anxiety, start humping when left alone.
Playfull
Humping is normal, but they don’t hump while playing. But some poorly socialized puppies get aroused while playing with other dogs or people. This is because the owner has done a terrible job of teaching his pooch to socialize and play with others. In such cases, it is advised to consult a dog behaviorist.
Compulsive Disorder
If a puppy gets used to humping to either release his energy or deal with stress, he will soon start relying on it. Humping will become his compulsive habit.
Show Dominance
Another reason a beagle puppy might hump on other dogs or people is to show his dominance. In such a situation, it is necessary to teach your dog the proper hierarchy. Every dog needs to learn that their place is below everyone else’s in the hierarchy.
Medical Problem
If you notice your beagle puppy is humping excessively then, it could be a sign of possible health problems. Other concerning behaviors may include licking, chewing, or rubbing of private parts on the floor excessively. In such a case, consult a vet immediately. Health concerns associated with such behaviors:
- Urinary incontinence
- Tract infection
- Skin Allergy
- Priapism
How to Stop this Behavior
It’s not really necessary to stop this behavior. But if you are feeling disgusted about your puppy’s humping or your pooch has started humping on people, and it needs to stop, there are few things that you can do:
Use Distraction
Beagles usually lick or rub their private parts before humping. When you suspect that your pooch is about to anticipate humping, distract him immediately. You can distract him by showing him a toy or give him some basic commands like sit or ask him to do a trick. In this way, you are correcting his behavior.
Exercise Daily
In most situations, puppies hump to release their excess energy. So make sure you are giving your pooch an ample amount of exercise to drain his energy. I always say ‘An Exhausted beagle is a Happy Beagle.’ Take your pooch for a walk, play with him, make him run. Here are 12 ways you can exercise your beagle.
Note: Do not overdo with exercise; your pooch is still a puppy.
Use Time outs
If you notice that your puppy has been humping on you or other people a lot, then you need to teach him that it’s not okay to do it. When he starts humping on you, gently push him, and say ‘No.’ If your puppy continues to do it, put him in his crate or a room alone for a few minutes and let him calm down. Repeat this process until he stops doing it.
Neuter / Spay
You can neuter or spay your beagle to reduce its sexual drive. However, it won’t completely stop your beagle from humping. Male and female beagles continue to hump sometimes even after they are the surgery.
Teach ‘Stop’ command
If your beagle puppy gets excited and starts humping when he sees other dogs, then you need to teach your pooch to Stop it on your command. Not every dog will prefer to get humped and can react negatively. This can be dangerous to your dog. Supervise your beagle puppy when he is with other dogs, and if you suspect that he is anticipating to hump, stay ‘STOP’ and get him out of there. Repeat this every time and reward him with a treat when he stops doing it on your command.
Dealing with Stress-Humping
If you notice that your beagle humps when he is under stress, then try to avoid such a situation as much as possible. Try positively dealing with his stress and do not force it. For instance, if your beagle has separation anxiety, leave him for a short span and slowly increase the time gap.
Things not to do
Do not scream or punish your beagle pup for this behavior. You have to understand that its a natural thing to do for dogs. Punishing your pooch will just make things worse.
Final Thoughts
I still remember when I first saw my adorable little beagle puppy hump on my pillow. Yes, I was shocked, and a bit disgusted because he was doing it on my pillow, lol. But we have to understand that its a NORMAL thing. I won’t recommend you to stop this completely. Teach your pup the correct place and correct thing to do it on.