Do you often find your dog humping away after their food? Wondering: why does my dog hump his bed after eating? There are many reasons why, let’s look at them more closely.
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So you gave your dog his dinner, and you now expect him to take a nap or rest for a while, but he gets up and disappears, and you find him humping his bed!
There can be many possible reasons why your dog humps his bed after eating, with one of the most common reasons being the surge of energy they get from eating their food. Sometimes excitement, stimulation, or boredom are the main culprit behind your dog humping.
While humping is normal behavior for dogs, in some cases, it can escalate to extreme levels to it being downright embarrassing for you as their owner. Read on to find the probable causes of what makes your dog hump and what you can do about it.
Why Does My Dog Hump His Bed After Eating?
People often assume that dogs hump when they are sexually aroused or show their dominance, but that is not always the case. There can be many possible reasons like playfulness, seeking attention, anxiety and even medical conditions as to why your dog humps his bed after eating.
Sexual Desire
Sexual arousal is the most apparent reason behind your dog’s humping. Generally, if your dog is not neutered or spayed, it is more likely to hump things. However, neutering or spaying does not guarantee that your dog won’t hump, as more often than not, sexual desire is not the reason for their humping.
They Feel Energetic
After eating their food, dogs feel a surge of energy. While it is common for dogs to rest or take a nap after eating, that is not the case with active dogs. After they have had their meal, they have an urge to go out and play, and when the craving isn’t satisfied, they resort to humping on their bed to release their pent-up energy.
Comfort
Food makes dogs happy and makes them comfortable. As humans, we like to lie down or read a book after our food; dogs have a different approach and may want to indulge in activities that make them happy such as humping their bed. Humping after eating would be them showing their happiness.
To Get Your Attention
If you are not too busy, try spending some time with your dog and see whether that helps. Dogs love attention from their owners, and since they have seen you scold them whenever they try to hump, they consider humping as an act to get your attention. After your dog has had his food, he may want you to give him a belly rub or wants to cuddle by your side.
To Get More Food
Dog’s appetite can vary depending upon their age, breed, and how active they are. If your dog has undergone a training session during the day, he might be more hungry than usual. Another possible reason your dog might be humping his bed after eating is to demand more food.
It also might be a possibility that you are not feeding a nutritious diet to your dog, and he will be left hungry. Try to incorporate fibers in your dog’s food as they are low in calories and very filling.
Anxiety
In more alarming cases, the reason behind your dog’s humping can be his anxiety which he is trying to calm by displacement behavior. You must have seen people set their hair or bite their nails while feeling anxious or nervous about something.
Humping is considered a displacement behavior in dogs who feel anxious. Their anxiety can result from some noise, separation from you, or being fearful of something.
Self Soothing
Yes, you read it right. Your dog might be humping its bed after eating to soothe himself. You have seen babies sucking on their thumbs and eventually drifting off to sleep. That might be the exact case with your dog.
According to a study, humping is one of the self-soothing behaviors a dog displays. They may hump a toy, bed, or blankets close to them while eventually setting down to sleep.
Medical Condition
One rare but alarming reason for your dog humping is medical conditions like skin allergies, UTI, painful erections, or prostate problems. If you notice any skin allergies or symptoms that your dog might be sick, it is better to get him checked at a vet.
Why Does My Dog Hump Me After Eating?
Your dog might be humping you after eating to get your attention. After eating their food, dogs feel content and happy, and by humping you, they might be showing their affection towards you. Another possible reason would be that he is still hungry and needs more food.
Why Does My Dog Hump His Bed At Night?
It could be because of anxiety or boredom.
If your dog remains well behaved during the day, but you find him humping his bed at night after lights out, you can’t help but wonder why he does so. The possible reasons can be your dog feeling anxious, bored or playful. Another reason would be to get privacy while jumping.
Anxiety
One of the main reasons your dog hump his bed at night is his feeling anxious. He might be apprehensive about sleeping alone or being separated from you. Dogs with separation anxiety hump their bed as a form of displacement behavior.
Boredom
Another reason for your dog to be humping his bed at night will be if he gets bored. Dogs need to have mental and physical stimulation. If your dog does not get enough exercise during the day, he might hump his bed to release the pent-up energy.
Privacy
Your dog might be humping at night to have some privacy, and it has nothing to do with shame or embarrassment. If you reprimand your dog whenever he tries to hump something, then he may hump at night to not get scolded.
Why Does My Dog Hump His Bed?
They may be doing it because they are protective of the bed.
Every dog is different. Some dogs don’t hump at all, while some do it excessively. Some dogs like to hump other dogs, a person’s legs, an object like a pillow, or sometimes their bed.
The reason they hump their bed as it is something they feel very protective about and it belongs to them. Another reason might be that the bed is soft and at the right height and angle for them to hump, and it feels pleasant to them.
Why Is My Dog So Horny?
One of the main reasons your dog is horny is that it is not neutered or spayed.
If you have a female dog, then being in heat is one of the main reasons they are horny. Male dogs can also smell the hormone change in a female dog from their pee, which might be why they are horny.
How To Solve The Problem Of Excessive Dog Humping/Mounting Or Masturbating?
If your dog is starting with humping his bed, then now is the right time for you to put a stop to this behavior. Once dogs get habituated to something, it becomes more challenging to get them to stop.
You can cause some distraction when your dog starts humping his bed. You can try adding a vocal command like ‘leave it’ or ‘stop’ accompanied with some treat when he stops. It is to let him know that he gets a treat if he stops humping them.
Depending upon the reason behind humping his bed, you can also take your dog for a walk or play with him to cause a distraction.
If you feel that your dog is getting aggressive while you command him to stop, it is better to ask for help from a qualified professional dog trainer.
A Few Final Words
Dog humping is quite common but can cause embarrassment for its owners. The possible reason for your dog humping his bed after eating can range anywhere from him showing his happiness, dealing with his anxiety to asking you for more food. While humping doesn’t harm your dog, it is better to train them at the earliest not to do it.
Thank you for reading this article, and we hope that we answered all your questions. If we missed anything, do let us know in the comments section.
We have written other articles related to dog humping behaviors, which can help you further understand what it is and why they do it, such as Can Dogs Have Wet Dreams?, Can Dogs Get Sexually Attracted To Humans? And Do Female Dogs Have Orgasms? Please do read them and give us your feedback.