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My neutered dog still humps his bed. Is this normal behavior?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 1 year old

My dog is neutered but he still tries to hump his bed and blanket. Why does he do it?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on September 10th, 2016

Oliver is masturbating, which is a normal behavior in dogs. Even though he's neutered, he's likely continuing the behavior because he has learned that it feels good. If this behavior bothers you, I recommend trying to distract him from doing it. It's best to get his attention before he starts masturbating. If you see him starting to act like he is going to masturbate, throw him a toy, start playing with him, or ask him to perform an obedience skill (i.e. sit, stay, etc.).

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35Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Other Answers

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    Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    If he was neutered recently or anytime after he reached sexual maturity (at 6 months of age), there is a high chance that he will continue with unwanted sexual behavior out of habit. Which is why we try to stress getting the pet neutered before this occurs. If he hasn't been doing the humping for very long and you recently got him neutered, then there is a chance he can stop this behavior on his own once his testosterone levels decrease to suboptimal levels, which generally takes about 1-2 months post neuter. It is a very slow process unfortunately for hormone levels to decrease in the bloodstream.

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    29Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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