Neutered But Still Humping Everything...What's Going On?

During one of our weekly visits to the local dog park (Hound Town), Gigi made friends with a super energetic dog that definitely kept her on the go. They played, yes, but mostly she had to keep running in order to escape his more than friendly advances. 

The owner apologized profoundly even though we both laughed it off because they are after all, dogs. She explained that she'd only had him for less than a year but he was neutered so she didn't understand his behavior, especially since he'd hump just about anything - not just female dogs.

Turns out, this is pretty normal behavior even after being neutered. According to an article I read, there many factors that could trigger a humping session. 

Newly Neutered - Just because the equipment is gone doesn't mean the high levels of testosterone are too. It can take up to six to eight weeks for your pup to simmer down. Also, if your pup is an older fella it may just be a habit of his to go around making advances. Neutering can reduce and sometimes eliminate many of these behaviors, but it's often more effective on dogs who haven't become sexually mature.

Emotion - It doesn't always have to be about sex, it could simply be that he feels overwhelmed (for positive & negative reasons). Dogs occasionally take on humping as a compulsive reaction to frustration and anxiety...I mean, not everyone can have a therapist.

Power - Feelings of insecurity or feeling threatened can possibly lead to your pup using humping as a power play. Neutering can often curb feelings of aggression and dominance, but it's not a given.

Health - Never make any assumptions as to why your dog might be humping, fixed or otherwise, because it could be health related. Some of the ailments that are frequently associated with canine humping are urinary tract infection, allergies, flea outbreak and incontinence. Mounting can be a symptom of any and all of these problems. Bottom line: talk to Vet about any concerns you have about your dog. Always.

Being Playful - He just wants to play, nothing more and nothing less. This is probably the most common in dogs that didn't receive a lot of interactive play experience as puppies.