Puppy “mounted” By Other Dogs At Dog Park

[LuccatheLagotto]

I took Lucca, 5 month old puppy, to the dog park yesterday and there were about 7 or 8 other dogs there. All the dogs were polite and Lucca did really well greeting and playing with the other dogs.

Though, two dogs mounted Lucca but he wriggled away and was then play wrestling with them. Is this normal? Did I mention that Lucca is male?!

[persephone]

Dogs do mount each other during play , and as a sign of who thinks they are top dog ...

[Cosmolo]

I would not allow this behaviour, particularly with a young puppy and unknown dogs

[denali]

It is unfortunately quite common.

Is he desexed? its usually worse for undesexed males. They are mounted more often.

My boy is ALWAYS mounted. Dont know what it is about him. He is desexed.

I hate it with a passion. So many people just let their dogs do it

I always have to push them away.

I wouldn't let them do it.

[Staffyluv]

I would not allow this behaviour, particularly with a young puppy and unknown dogs

I totally agree with Cos..

Not a behaviour that I would allow to happen.

Zig is nearly 4 years old and there is one dog that comes to our leash free park who insists on mounting him - Zig usually lays down when it starts but I walk over, remove the offending dog and take Zig elsewhere to play (in another part of the park).

One owner tells me that they are only playing but like I said to her, 'Zig has hip dysplasia and that sort of 'play' is not welcomed, unless she wants to pay the $70 a month chiro fee'..

I have had the same conversation with her a few times now but it doesn't sink in.

Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do, for your own dog.

[LuccatheLagotto]

Thanks everyone for your responses.

Good point Staffyluv about hip dysplasia – I hadn’t thought about that but Lagottos are prone to it.

Since going to the dog park that first time when it happened, he hasn’t been mounted again. Maybe he has become more confident and it is coming across in his body language? But if it does happen, I will be pushing those dogs off!

[Frisbee]

It's a dominance display. I had 3 dogs from the same litter: the alpha male and female, and the 'runt' female. The alpha female would constantly mount her weaker sister. She grew out of the behaviour as they got older (but did adopt subtler bullying tactics such as a super soft growl or the "stand over").

[BC Crazy]

I'm another who wouldn't allow this behaviour. Not good for a young dogs confidence to be happening a lot & with unknown dogs as things could escalate & turn nasty very quickly.