"My dog wants to cross my leg, what does that mean?" Everyone knows that canine behavior is full of peculiarities. But there are some attitudes - such as a dog riding on the leg - that, in addition to being somewhat embarrassing, cause a lot of curiosity in the guardians. After all, what is the explanation for a dog wanting to cross on the leg of others? And when it comes to afemale dog riding, is this normal? Next, Paws of the House clears up all these doubts!

Is a dog wanting to cross people's legs normal?

Seeing a dog riding on the leg of others is something that generates some discomfort, especially when it happens with visitors. But is this normal, or can it represent a problem with the pet's conduct? First of all, it is important to understand that mounting is part of dogs' sexual behavior, but it does not always have this connotation.

Several factors can cause an animal to have the urge to mount on a person's leg or arms. To begin with, it can, yes, be something caused by excess hormones, especially if the dog has just reached sexual maturity and is ready to crossbreed. However, other possible reasons are:

1) Euphoria and excitement - When dogs get too excited, they may end up humping the leg of anyone nearby. This is because all the energy needs to be "vented" somehow, so while some dogs jump and bark, others hump.

2) Anxiety - The lack of stimulation in the animal's routine, coupled with the accumulation of unspent energy, can leave the dog riding on the legs of others. An anxious and bored dog can adopt various compulsive behaviors, and mounting is one of them.

3) Playing - Sometimes riding is seen as a game for the pet, whether adult or puppy. The dog riding, in these cases, is equivalent to the fighting games between children. However, it is good not to encourage the attitude and direct the animal to other types of toys.

4) To attract attention - If the dog has mounted the leg a few times and the owner has promptly tried to get him off with treats or other distractions, he may use this trick to get the owner's attention again. The best thing to do in these cases is to try to ignore the behavior until it stops.

The female dog riding on other female dogs demonstrates a dominance relationship

Why does a dog ride on her owner's leg?

Seeing a dog humping another dog's leg is usually common for males, but can females also develop this behaviour? The answer is yes! But why does a female dog hump her leg (and even other dogs)? It usually has to do with high levels of stress, anxiety and lack of attention. The animal has a lot of energy built up and sees humping as a way to release it all.

It's also something that may have to do with sexual maturity. As she reaches puberty, the female dog may get into the habit of stimulating her genitals with mounting. Another reason female dogs mount is to establish a dominance relationship - but this usually only happens with other pups in the house.

Castration helps inhibit male or female dog behavior by mounting

If you have a dog humping your visitors' legs and you want to put an end to it, dog neutering can be a good alternative! In addition to preventing female dogs from becoming pregnant without proper planning, several diseases can be prevented and some behaviors - such as humping - are inhibited. However, it is good to keep in mind that this will only work if the reason for the dog humping is excessivenessof hormones or if the behavior is more frequent with the bitch in heat.

If the reason is different, it is important to assess the needs of the animal. Dog training can be a good idea, but it is also important that the dog receives daily physical and mental stimulation with walks, toys and all kinds of environmental enrichment possible.