# Prevent humping



## leviwustl (Mar 28, 2018)

My vizsla is 12mo and intact. He is very mild mannered and submissive to other dogs. As a puppy he would get humped at dog parks and the other owner or I would separate it while he’d just stand there. 
The last several weeks, I’ve notice him rather rudely licking female dogs instead of just sniffing their behinds. He has also started trying to mount them. I break this up and for the most can prevent it when I see his warning signs by redirecting him to play with me or work for treats. He’s happy to engage with me instead and forgets about the girls.
Yesterday afternoon he found a girl dog he would just _not _leave alone. Kept licking despite me pulling him away and moving to the entire opposite end of the park. I asked the owner if she was in heat and he said she had just finished two weeks prior. Very pleasant guy, very sweet pup.
Onto the question,
On my dog’s fourth ‘visit’ to this girl dog as her owner was leashing up to head out, mine tried to hump her, was blocked by another male dog, and growled. At the start of the growl I was already on top him pulling him off so it didn’t escalate beyond that, but the only other time I’ve ever heard him growl was at a dog that had once aggressively charged him. 

What’s going on? Normal intact male stuff? Should I have left the park as soon as I noticed him fixating on this girl dog? Do dogs in heat still smell for two weeks after a cycle? Was she possibly still in heat?
My plan is to neuter at 18months so I’m looking for advice how to correctly handle a situation like this going until then.


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## gingerling (Jun 20, 2015)

Can I give my lecture first on the benefits of keeping him intact? Find the Vizsla study which clearly indicates V's left intact live longer, healthier lives.

OK, they do use those parts. So, the humping is usually 2 things: 1) A dominance thing, which will not change with castration, and 2) Finding a receptive female. I think your guy's romance was triggered by a bitch not quite 2 weeks out of heat, and frankly it's as much her (and her person's) fault as your guys. 

When this happens (for either reason), snap a lead on and walk for a bit to refocus him and usually the problem is gone..unless you have a bitch near by who still has those smells.


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## leviwustl (Mar 28, 2018)

Thanks for your reply! I'll be more vigilant in leashing up if I think this might happen again


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