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Why is my spayed dog still humping after surgery? When will it stop?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Australian Cattle Dog | Female | spayed | 1 year old | 30 lbs

My female blue heeler was spayed a month ago, she keeps “humping” my other female and male dog. How long does it take for this to stop after being spayed?

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on December 9th, 2017

Humping is not only a sexual behavior but it also a dominance behavior. It is most likely that she is trying to assert her dominance over the other dogs. This is a link to an article that may answer more of your questions:

https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/7_3/features/Mounting-and-Dominance_5615-1.html

My recommendation is to get an in-home professional dog trainer to help you. Trying to correct this behavior can be dangerous if you don't know what you are doing.

Hope this helps. Best wishes.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Dr. Elizabeth
Veterinarian
Published on July 15th, 2019
Most of the time this mounting behavior is not related to sexual urges. It is more commonly related to dominance or excitement in general. It could be that she is settling into the house and now trying to figure out where she fits in the pack. Give her lots of daily exercise and set boundaries and rules if this is not acceptable behavior. This will generally work itself out. I hope this helps.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Elizabeth
Veterinarian
Published on January 22nd, 2020
Humping is not always sexual in nature and is a normal dog behavior. This link may help:
https://www.petcoach.co/article/mounting-behavior/

https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-weird-dog-behaviors-explained/

I hope this helps.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on June 2nd, 2019
Two possible reasons:

1. The hormones of the female dog do not go completely down until 30-45 days after the surgery. So she may still smell like an intact female dog to him.

2. Humping behavior is often a play for dominance and has nothing to do with sexual behavior.

So, he is either trying to assert dominance or she still smells like she is in heat.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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Related Questions

My spayed female dog humps and bites. Is this normal behavior?

Humping behavior is not restricted to male dogs and we often see females performing this behavior. It can be a result of excitement or stress but in some instances can be a form of dominance or aggression. You can try to distract/discourage your dog by offering a toy or play when your dog starts this behavior, or teaching your dog the "leave it" command and applying it to other dogs she may approach. If the behavior is excessive or becoming more aggressive then a consultation with a veterinary behaviorist is recommended. Here is an article with a little more information on ideas to deal with this behavior: https://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/poodles_embarrassing_greeting_behavior/

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Training & Behavior

Can neutering stop my male dog from humping our spayed female?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your question. It is never a guarantee that this behavior will be corrected by neutering but in many cases it does help quite a bit. Many times this behavior is because the male dog is establishing dominance over another animal. Other times, this is breeding behavior and is corrected by the drop in testosterone after neutering. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

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Training & Behavior

Why is my spayed dog humping, scooting, and showing aggression?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is not a reason to be concerned. Humping can be an ongoing behavior that may happen from time to time and it is not necessarily due to her being spayed. The scooting could be due to anal gland issues. If she continues to do that, I recommend that you have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment. Best of luck!

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Training & Behavior

My neutered dog still humps other dogs. What can I do to stop it?

This could be a dominance behavior or may be due to an abnormal production of hormones such as cushings disease. I recommend a full vet check and bloods especially if there are any additional symptoms such as altered appetite and or coat changes

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Why is my neutered dog suddenly humping and acting aggressive?

Humping is not only a sexual behavior, it can also be a dominance behavior, a stress response, etc. Any new changes lately - new pet in the home, any major changes in his routine or in the house? I suggest you refer to this article for more information. Hope this helps. ( https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/common-dog-behavior-issues/mounting-and-masturbation )

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Training & Behavior

My neutered dog just started humping. Is this normal behavior?

No, there is nothing wrong with the surgery. Dogs hump for other reasons like dominance behavior, play behavior or excitement. I suggest you refer to this article linked below: ( https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/common-dog-behavior-issues/mounting-and-masturbation )

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My spayed female dog humps pillows. Is this normal behavior for her?

I wouldn't be alarmed by this as it is likely a behavioral problem. Mounting, thrusting and / or masturbation in dogs is a normal behavior. However, excessive amounts of this can be problematic and may need to be addressed by a behaviorist. An occasional episode of humping should not be a cause for concern and neutering does not always fix this 100% of the time. If it becomes excessive, I would research a behaviorist in your area and schedule a consultation. Please feel free to contact me if you have any further questions / concerns

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