The Humpty Dance - All about humping

It’s embarrassing, one minute your dog is playing the next they’re humping their friends. But why do our dogs hump? Is it because of dominance? Is it because of stress? Well we’re here to tell you all the reasons why your dog humps.

Oh My God Becky Look at her butt….

Humping is a natural behavior in all dogs of all ages. Whether spayed/neutered or not any dog can have the propensity to hump. While people usually think of it as “dominance” that’s just not the truth. Believe it or not your dog is not out to show you “who’s boss” or trying to dominate you. Despite what people may say humping has nothing to do with dominance. The term “dominance” when speaking about dogs refers to access to a resource such as bones, toys, food, or any other thing that can be viewed as a resource.

i mean, her butt, it’s just so big

Dogs hump for a variety of reasons and over-stimulation is one of the most common ones. When a dog gets over-stimulated some may do zoomies, some may bark and others will hump. It just means that they have reached a level of excitement and this is how they handle those types of situations. If your dog is humping in a social situation like our meetup it may just mean that they need a break. It’s okay to exit the meetup to give your dog a second to cool down.

I like big butts and I cannot lie

Some dogs hump because they’re anxious. Anxiety in dogs can often create displacement behaviors. Which means when they get anxious they feel the need to hump something. It’s a way for dogs to relieve that anxious feeling. If you have an anxious dog who humps it’s okay to let them have this time for themself. If you are really uncomfortable with your dog humping then try to find another outlet for stress relief like enrichment. If you’re not sure what enrichment is you can check out our posts on all things enrichment here and here.

Baby got back

Sometimes humping is just a form of play. Dogs play in many different ways. Stalking, chasing, biteyface, wrestling and humping are all forms of playing in dogs. When dogs play they often mimic behaviors that they would do in real life situations. Stalking and chasing are hunting behaviors, biteyface and wrestling are fighting behaviors while humping is a sexual behavior. It is thought that dog play is just practice for when they’re in the real world.

has your girlfriend got the butt?

Sometimes it just feels so darn good. While it definitely isn’t “dominance” sometimes there isn’t always a reason for humping other than it feels good. If you have a dog that humps then there is no reason not to let your pup have a little time alone. So long as it doesn’t create a problem. However, if they’re humping humans then you might want to redirect them to a toy or a chew.

Adopting from Korea - Interview with Victoria of twolittlepigpigs

Milo from @twolittlepigpigs

Here at BTB we’re huge fans of rescue and while we understand it’s not for everyone we do know that some people really want the chance. With the increase in demand for Boston Terriers it’s getting harder to rescue locally. That is why we wanted to bring you this interview about rescuing from Korea. Right now there are two rescues that adopt Boston Terriers and French Bulldogs from Korea, one is Paw Paw Boston Terriers and the second is With Frenchbulldog. We interviewed Victoria mom of Stella and Milo of twolittlepigpigs about her experience adopting her dog Milo from With Frenchbulldog.

How did you find out about them?

Just searching on Instagram. I found PawPaw first, and after inquiring about one of their dogs and it not working out, I just started searching for other rescues in South Korea. Finding with_frenchbulldog was truly fate because they had JUST posted Milo’s picture, he was 12 hours away from being euthanized and they were trying to get a foster. Since I was interested in him the rescuer pulled him and just figured it out, thankfully!

How do you get in touch with them?

First, by messaging on both the Korean and English accounts expressing interest. Then our conversations continued with PM on Instagram, eventually moved to the KakaoTalk app.

Do you speak Korean? I noticed that their posts are all in Korean?

I don’t. I used the translation button on Instagram but it really isn’t great. The rescuer put me in contact with a rescue partner she works with out of NY. That person messaged me and became a third party contact person who helped translate. Eventually I downloaded an app called KakaoTalk which was SO MUCH easier and the translation was way better. I still keep in contact with the rescuer through that app or Instagram messenger.

Where did you pick your pup up?

So that’s building 77, all the way to the left like where that stop sign is, is where customs is.

I picked him up from JFK airport. Building 77, it doesn’t seem like you would pick up a dog there. It’s where all the goods come in and are put on trucks etc. I have pictures of the buildings, so that I can help others in the future because I pretty much had to figure it out on my own and that was difficult. When the dog lands there is paperwork attached to the crate, you have to get that (they will make you wait a few hours for it) and bring it to customs to get stamped off on. You will need your drivers license, some people have also been asked for a passport. You will also need a $100 money order. There is a post office nearby if you happen to forget. As of January 2021 this process has changed a bit. Please see adoption fees section for the most up to date information.

Did you have to meet them at the airport?

Yes, your name is on the paperwork to pick up the dog so you have to be there, give your ID and social security card.

Which airports do they fly into?

New York, Seattle and Los Angels.

Is there an official application that you have to fill out?

Yes, once they have a good feel for your true interest they will send an application. They also ask for pictures of your house since they obviously can’t do home visits.

How long did the process take?

Milo was rescued on August 6th and we picked him up October 15th. Once a dog is pulled from the shelter they bring them to the vet to get checked out and updated on shots, usually a spay/neuter too. If the dog doesn’t need any other care (not heartworm positive, no leg issues etc) they can leave the country 30 days after the rabies shot. If they need more care, they will keep them in long term foster until they are fully healed and healthy. They also don’t fly smush face dogs from July-early October because of the heat so we had to wait that out. They will give you some date options and work with their pet cargo company to try to get your preferred dates as much as possible. The pet cargo company doesn’t fly on the weekends so it has to be a weekday.

Does With Frenchbulldog work with any US rescues?

With_frenchbulldog also works with the rescue Road Dogs out of LA, she will send a handful of dogs to them to help free up her fosters to she can grab more from the shelters. They also are working with Hurley’s Heart Bulldog Rescue out of New York who are bringing in several dogs in October and November.

When did you first see your dog?

At the airport! After all the paperwork was processed (I can provide more info on that too), they let me in the area where they were holding him and I was able to get him out of the crate and take him home! I recommend bringing scissors, so you can cut the plastic wrap off of the crate. I also recommend making sure you open the crate in an enclosed area. Apparently a lot of dogs will run right out of their crates and if they’re not in a secure place, apparently a lot of people lost their dogs that way. JFK told us that directly. Milo ran right into my arms.

What are the adoption fees like?

My rescuer told me, when others were interested, that the fee is anywhere from $1200-1700 depending on the size of the dog and where they are flying to. They do charge an adoption fee but lately they’ve been waiving it because they know the cost of shipping is so high. With_FrenchBulldog is truly just trying to save as many dogs as she can. They hope that you will donate to them in the future so they can continue to pull dogs from shelters. They have to pay to take them from the shelter, then for all of their vet care, and then while they’re in foster for however long. The other thing is they can fly with sponsors, if their weight plus the crate is 15 pounds and under. This is a cheaper way to get them here but because of covid no one is traveling so they have to be sent via cargo. There is also a broker fee of $250. As of January 2021 “people aren’t allowed in the cargo area”. If you are picking up from JFK, call Asiana Cargo ahead of time to make sure they have the documents they need/get in touch with a broker. The broker takes care of everything and so people don’t have to go from building to building like was the case previously.

This is some info the rescuer shared with me, to share with others who may be interested in adopting:

• DM @with_frenchbulldog, they will provide list of available dogs;

• They will discuss basic info and reason for adoption;

• They will send an application for adoption by email;

• If they think you qualify they will reach out for additional information;

• Adoption fees depend on your location. They are only charging cargo service fees for overseas adoption. Cargo fees vary, but it is usually between $1100 to 1700;

• After they receive the adoption fee they will send the adoption agreement and schedule for cargo.

• The air bill will be emailed to you for your reference.

CANADA:

There are only 2 airports they can transport to: Toronto and Vancouver

-Cost is usually over $1700, because limitation of airline

-Can only fly on Lufthansa airline

Useful Information Not in the Interview:

• Victoria tries to make herself available to anyone interested in adopting overseas so feel free to DM her on Instagram (twolittlepigpigs) or email twolittlepigpigs@gmail.com.

• There are SO many Bostons (and other breeds!) over there in these shelters it’s heartbreaking. Some shelters are outside, so dogs come in severely malnourished or with hurt legs.

• They also sent weekly pictures and videos while he was being fostered and kept Victoria up to date with his weight gain etc

• With Frenchbulldog does adopt to people with children but they do try to be careful and make sure it’s a good fit.

• As far as single people, Victoria believes they don’t have an issue with that either. When she first started looking some of the adoption update pictures she saw some single people.

• Unfortunately, rescuing these dogs is expensive! It was at least $300 to pull Milo and get him vet checked and neutered, and they waived that fee for Victoria.

Help My Dog Is Reactive!

Now we’ve already talked about the importance of proper socialization here and we’ve talked about how to find a trainer here. In this post we’re going to be talking about reactivity and ways to help your pup who might be struggling.

What is Reactivity?

Credit: Pooch Parenting

These are dogs that may lunge, bark, whine, growl, snap, or display other "aggressive" looking behaviors. Reactivity may be due to lack of socialization, frustration, or physical conditions, but it is usually embarrassing to the owner who may not understand their dog’s behavior. Some people will say oh my dog has big dog syndrome or PTSD, or any other multitude of ways to describe their dog’s reactivity. Unfortunately, it’s just plain old reactivity and that’s okay. Reactivity is your dog’s way of saying what I see in front of me scares me.

Credit Lil Chin

What does reactivity look like with some dogs?

This can manifest in a multitude of ways. It can mean dogs lunge and bark while out on a leash towards all dogs or even towards certain dogs. It can mean that dogs lunge and bark at humans wearing baseball hats or just humans in general. The basics of what reactivity looks like is the dog is acting in what some think is aggression. A lot of people think reactivity is aggression but aggression and reactivity are two separate and distinct things. Dog’s who lunge and bark almost always do this out of fear. They are fearful of the trigger (dogs, people, other animals) and they think if they lunge and bark then whatever is scaring them will go away.

WHAT CAUSES REACTIVITY?

There’s no one thing that causes reactivity. Some people will tell you that their dog became reactive after it was attacked by another dog and is now fearful of other dogs. Others will tell you that their dog just decided that it doesn’t like other dogs. In some cases a senior dog just needs more space. Most of the time it’s due to undersocialization. Which is why when you have a new puppy it is so important to socialize your puppy in the best possible positive manner with the right positive reinforcement trainer.

Credit Lili Chin

what about using a “training” collar?

ABSOLUTELY NOT! A prong, shock or choke collar used on a reactive dog (let alone a non-reactive dog) is the worst thing you could ever do. What people don’t realize is that by using these so called “training tools” not only do you change the bond you have with your dog but you also can change your dog’s behavior for the worse. Using any sort of aversive on a reactive dog will not help their reactivity, they actually only make it worse. By using aversives with reactive dogs you are showing your dog that other dogs cause them pain and fear and so therefore they only become more reactive.  A dog that pulls to people or dogs and feels the discomfort of the prong collar is at high risk of creating a negative association to what it is looking at. It's called "learning preparedness." Physical discomfort ties to something in the environment. It is easy to be fooled by the dog that runs to the prong or shock collar and assume the dog likes it and thus it's okay. It is not. Especially not for a fearful dog.

what about board and train?

Unfortunately, a lot of those board and train places use aversive tools (as suggested above). There’s no other way they can get the results that they promise in the short amount of time they have your dog. They usually use fear and intimidation to get your dog to behave which have been proven to be ineffective and downright dangerous. There are quick ways to get a certain result, usually they are harsh if not cruel.  The problem is, the results are only temporary because the dog has not learned the correct way to do something, instead it was forced. So in the long run, the dog finds other ways to compensate and get around this new forced behavior or action, resulting in new and compounded issues later on. The truth is aversive methods change behavior quickly so people want to use them. What they don't realize is that they are just suppressing the underlying problem which could come back to haunt them later. The dog is only behaving differently to avoid pain/fear. Don’t fall for the trap that the “trainer knows best” because that’s not always the case. Dog training is an unregulated industry and not all trainers are created equal. I’ve seen first hand how a normal dog went to board and train and came out reactive.

i’ll just exercise my dog more…

Exercise is not a cure for reactivity. A tried dog is just that a tried dog.  By physically exhausting your dog, you’ve solved nothing and may make them less able to cope with everyday stressors. Think about it in terms of humans, when you’re tired you’re not likely going to be happy. I for one know that when I’m tired I’m less likely to want to be nice to people.

I’ll just send my dog to daycare for more socialization…

Unfortunately if your dog is older the socialization period has already ended and there is no way to go back in time. Plus by sending your dog to daycare you run the risk of trigger stacking them. They literally have no time to decompress. Tigger stacking is defined as ‘Stress accumulation due to exposure of multiple triggers, either simultaneously or close enough in time that the dog’s reactivity has not returned to normal.’ (Grisha Stewart, BAT 2.0). It may seem like your dog likes daycare but the reality is they’re doing everything in their power just to survive.

Okay so what do I use instead?

There’s no magic cure all for reactivity. With positive reinforcement and counter conditioning you can learn to manage your dog’s reactivity. This takes time, patience and LOTS of treats. You have to change the way your dog feels about its trigger (other dogs, people, skateboards). Using any form of force, frustration or flooding on fearful dogs makes the problems worse. That means there is no special collar, no special harness, no special tool whatsoever that can cure reactivity. There are a lot of trainers out there that will tell you they can cure your dog’s reactivity and all you have to do is strap on a certain collar on your dog. Unfortunately, that doesn’t cure reactivity and those trainers aren’t telling you about the potential fallout from such aversives. There are some really great ways to help your dog through reactivity like Leslie McDevitt’s pattern games (see video below) and the engage and disengage game (pictured right).

Some super awesome inspiration for reactive dogs

Here are some super amazing dog moms crushing it with their reactive dogs and force free training. Anyone who tells you positive reinforcement didn’t work for their dogs either didn’t know what they were doing or the trainer they hired didn’t know what they were doing. Kayla from the_toby_project who has made huge progress with her reactive dog and Jen down in New Zealand with her reactive dog dax_theangrydog.

Resources:

If you are struggling with a reactive dog and need help we recommend getting help from a qualified positive reinforcement trainer. Please reach out to us as we will help connect you with the right trainer in your area. In the meantime here are some resources to start working on your own:

Reactive Dogs Group on Facebook

Leslie McDevitt’s Control Unleashed, Book

CARE for Reactive Dogs

The All Important Puppy Socialization

So you got a new puppy. That’s so awesome, everyone loves puppies. They’re so cute and squishy, I mean what’s not to love about puppies? But did you know that it’s so important to socialize your puppy the right way during the right time? Well we’re here to explain all about the ever important role of puppy socialization.

What is the critical socialization period?

The critical socialization period is from 3 to 16 weeks of age in puppies. This is where puppies are most vulnerable and learn all about the big scary world. It is critical for puppies to experience things in a positive way during this time. Their minds are like little sponges and a fearful experience can haunt them for the rest of their lives and create a fearful reactive dog.

It’s okay I’ve raised dogs before, I know what I’m doing.

Ugh I can’t tell you how many times we’ve heard and seen this before. That’s great that you’ve raised dogs before but it definitely doesn’t make you an expert on dog behavior. Do you know what it means if your dog is yawning for no reason? Can you tell when a dog is stressed just by looking at their face? There are many subtle signs of stress that often go overlooked and end up hurting the dog as a result. Would you be comfortable with any other professional that said something similar? Maybe a doctor who said they played doctor when they were a kid so they know what they’re talking about? Of course not!

I watched some YouTube videos, I totally know what I’m doing.

Ummm yeah that’s right up there with I’ve raised dogs before. The reality is there are sooooo many bad dog trainers and people with bad advice on YouTube. It’s really hard to know what you’re looking at if you don’t know. It’s great for little training tips, but when it comes to helping your pup become the best version they can be we would definitely not suggest YouTube.

Okay so I’ll just sign my pup up for doggy daycare?

Yeah we’re not a big fan of those either. There are usually a lot of dogs and not enough staff per dog. Plus they won’t take dogs who aren’t totally up to date on their vaccinations and you definitely don’t want to put an unvaccinated dog into a situation like that. We’ve heard some horror stories about doggy daycare and personally would never use one for our pups.

So what can I do to ensure my pup is going to turn out okay?

There’s actually tons of stuff you can do. You can sign up for puppy preschool. Places like The Pet Republic have a puppy preschool for puppies 8-20 weeks old. You can sign up for private lessons with a trainer like Jenny Eifomva of Dogminded. We highly recommend professional force-free positive reinforcement training. We really feel like it is absolutely the best way to ensure your pups are getting the much needed socialization and proper training they need. Please note that not all trainers are created equal. If your trainer suggest a prong collar, an e-collar, or choke collar please find a new one. We’d be more than happy to help you out. A good trainer trains without pain.

What can I do at home to help my dog?

There are so many things you can do at home. While some veterinarians will tell you that you can’t take your dog out before they’ve been fully vaccinated we’re here to tell you that’s actually bad advice. By the time your pup is fully vaccinated the critical socialization period will be over. Now we’re not saying go out and take your dog to a dog park, we definitely would not advise that at all. But there are plenty of safe things you can do. You want to expose your dogs to novel sights and sounds all before 16 weeks while pairing them with some really yummy things like cheese or boiled chicken. You can go to Home Depot and hang out in the parking lot, you can get in the car and go to as many places as you can. Keep in mind that all experiences must be kept as positive as possible. Puppies should also be encouraged to explore using interactive enrichment toys and different surfaces and sounds.

Things to keep in mind…

During this critical time you want to make sure to keep all novel experiences as positive as possible. You want to bring lots of yummy treats with you. If your pup seems scared that’s okay, just move back to a place where they aren’t scared. Do not try to force your dog into any situations, that can create a negative impression on your puppy’s brains and can make your pup fearful for life. For more on puppy socialization see the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior’s position statement.