STOPPING DOGS FROM MOUNTING YOU

The following is a small section from 277 Secrets Your Dog Wants You To Know
by Paulette Cooper & Paul Noble. (Ten Speed Press;$8.95)

One reason dogs hump human legs is that they can't reach higher than that! Seriously, although grabbing the opposite sex is wrong for people to do, dogs don't view themselves as people so such rules don't apply to them. They think we're big dogs and see us as part of their pack, treating us accordingly.

But we, big dogs, don't act like dogs, because we stop them from doing what comes naturally to them. And we often don't let them do it with dogs either. So they're frustrated -- which is why they go after your leg or anything standing or lying still, including cats, other male dogs, cushions, and, yes, human legs, which are easy for them to get their own legs around.

As for sniffing you or your guests in embarrassing places, Dr. Peter Neville, a top English consultant in animal behavior, writes in "Pet Sex" that "It's all very natural" for dogs to "head for an area where there's lots of scent information to be gleaned. It's like shaking hands in a world that we have so little sensory awareness of. They do things which are natural for them, no matter how rude they may be for us."

 In order to stop this tawdry behavior, it's not a good idea to pick your dog up and put him on your lap, or make a big deal out of the mounting or sniffing. That just gives him extra attention and encourages him to continue the behavior.

While some dog experts advocate hormones, or castration, simpler methods are to divert them in some way, such as spraying something like water or lemon juice whenever they mount or sniff.

Lifting a knee to a large dog's chest to force him to get down also works but it isn't considered a nice thing to do (as if mounting people was).

Isolation is often recommended, that is, putting the dog in a quiet room for a few minutes each time he tries to mount. Be warned! One salacious dachshund had to be isolated eighty-four times the first day this technique was used! But three weeks later, the dog was no longer mounting.

This comes from the chapter, "Embarrassing Habits of Your Dog You've Been Ashamed To Ask Anyone About," which includes discussions (and what to do) about dogs who pass gas, have bad breath, sniff & eat stool, roll around in bird droppings, and have other charming habits.For more info :-  Dogs Behavior