My male Gordon Setter Nick has always been very sweet and mild mannered. As an intact male, I was happy that he rarely showed any interest in humping like I hear many males will. My female Gordon Kharma is spayed, and has always been very protective of him.
Last Saturday, I decided to shave Kharma. Since being spayed she has developed that horrible spay coat, very cottony & matts easily, so especially in the summer, she is more comfortable shaved. I left hair on her tail & ears.
AS SOON as she got off the grooming table, Nick jumped on her, humping away. I stopped him, thought it was because she looked different & would soon stop. Almost a week later, it has not. He is constantly after her, humping and licking and will not leave her out of his sight. Kharma, who has never growled at anyone, has begun snapping at him. Even with both of us correcting him, still he humps. At night, she has started actually getting out of bed because he won’t leave her alone, and he lays there next to me and whines and air scents (noisily) for her.
I am at wit’s end. I am getting very little sleep-if I crate him, he howls. She still SMELLS like Kharma, why should her having less hair be acting as an aphrodisiac for him???
Personally I’d fix him. If you don’t mind my asking, why is Nick still intact? Are you wanting to breed him or show him or something?
If fixing him isn’t an option I suggest a squirt gun. Our french bulldog has learned that as soon as mom or dad pick up the squirt gun she needs to go lay down in or next to her crate which has been incredibly helpful in making her stop attacking the cats when she is feeling a bit too playful.
How old is Nick? If he hasn’t been fixed, I’d do it; it’s fairly cheap, routine, and quick. He might have to wear the Cone of Shame for a day or two (which he will NOT like), but it’s no biggie.
Nick isn’t neutered because he IS a show dog, had 9 of the needed 15 points toward his championship, so at this time, neutering is not an option.
However, if he keeps this crap up, an exacto knife & duct tape are looking mighty tempting…
<possible hijack> “… that horrible spay coat …” I have never heard of this concept. Female dogs get a different coat texture after being spayed? </possible hijack>
It can happen. I own a different breed with a double coat and the change in hormones can change the texture of a coat. In my experience one of my males has developed a cotton-y coat, and it’s such a pain to groom (for him as well) that I keep his coat trimmed pretty short.
PapSett let me know if you ever find the cure for The Humps. I have another male who is In Love with one of my girls (all animals in my home are now neutered) and follows her constantly, all the while doing the air hump. Makes my female crazy, and she is frequently putting him in his place, which makes for a pack on edge.
Yup, what moorland reiver said. It can happen to both sexes, I had another male Gordie that I had neutered and his coat changed too. It’s a pain, really makes the coat difficult to keep tangle free.
I have tried a squirt bottle with a teeny bit of vinegar in the water, Nick just looks at me tragically and goes back to humping…
Oh, Og yes! Our neighbours got a retired show dog, and they took her in to the vet and had her spayed. There was an EXPLOSION OF HAIR and the dog looked like an entirely different creature than the one they brought home. She looks like half the dog there used to be. Her fur will grow back. I’ve been told it will be quite lush when it comes in, but right now, she looks like a shaved llama.
