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My spayed female dog humps pillows. Is this normal behavior for her?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Chihuahua | Female | spayed | 5 lbs

I have a 11 year old Chihuahua she has been spayed but she will occasionally hump the pillow. Why does she do this if she's female and spayed?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on August 5th, 2017

I wouldn't be alarmed by this as it is likely a behavioral problem. Mounting, thrusting and / or masturbation in dogs is a normal behavior. However, excessive amounts of this can be problematic and may need to be addressed by a behaviorist. An occasional episode of humping should not be a cause for concern and neutering does not always fix this 100% of the time. If it becomes excessive, I would research a behaviorist in your area and schedule a consultation. Please feel free to contact me if you have any further questions / concerns

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2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on April 9th, 2017

    Lola is humping toys because she is masturbating. She has learned this behavior feels good which is why she is doing it. I see that she is unspayed, and spaying her can reduce the behavior so I would recommend having her spayed :-)

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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