We brought Firefly home from the shelter five weeks ago today and the adjustment has been painless for all of us because she and Primo are both such good dogs that there hasn’t ever been any doggie bullshit like fighting over food or attention. About two weeks ago, they started really romping in the back yard for hours every day, which is when I think they truly bonded, but whenever that bond happened, apparently it made Primo decide he was okay with Firefly humping him constantly because for the last week or so, she has been exploring all the possibilities to that fine art. The other morning I looked out the kitchen window and she was doing this for so long and he was tolerating it so patiently that I was able to get my camera from the other room, switch it on, and record the final moments of the crime.
Don’t feel sorry for Primo. This is karmic retribution for all the dogs back in Italy who he did that exact same thing to while playing in Parco Valentino. I’d seen puppies face-hump older dogs but Primo was the first adult dog I’d seen do it, and the dogs he did it to always seemed startled and confused, and apparently even in Europe such things are odd because more than a few of the Italian humans present seemed rather appalled. But also amused because come on, if you don’t think that’s funny, at least a little funny, then I don’t know what you possibly could find funny on this planet. I mean it is a dog humping another dog’s face. It’s obviously not sexual and therefore it’s not creepy or dangerous, it’s just straight-up funny.
Here’s a classic performance of the hump-craft from 2001, Sunny and Digger:
In other words, “payback’s a bitch”, literally.
I’m laughing hysterically at this. I’ve been around dogs my whole life and have never witnessed a face hump.
I love the way he just matter-of-factly picks up the ball after she’s done. “Dum de dum dum, having my face humped, now go play with my toy, de dum dum.”
They’re social critters–the so-called “wolf in your living room”. They’re simply establishing lines of dominance. Besides, if Primo and the lady-dog were two-leggers, do you think it would trouble him that his new roommate makes a practice of … of … you know, this?
@RG:
Ok that was a coffee snort!
So we’re reduced to dog porn now, huh? Well, okay, but it will be a sad day when Firefly shows up as the centerfold in Playpup, or maybe working the fire hydrant at the local gentledogs’ establishment.
I was in a band called Face Hump. It wasn’t a band that you’d want to hear anyway. Actually…no I wasn’t, it just sounded funny. I might name my next band Face Hump. Probably not though.
Waaaaaaait. It’s…..not sexual? Then why the heck would she or he do it ever ever? I realize they’ve been fixed, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have, um, stimulating feelings in that area?
I have now already spent too many brain cells and keystrokes on this.
The fine art of Face Humping.
Firefly humped, leaving me stumped,
searching for something to say.
Sunny and Digger, on a scale a bit bigger, can still bring joy to your day.
I’m laughing so hard at this!
Why would a female engage in male mounting behavior? Was she fixed so early that adult female behaviors never set in? I fixed my male cat early enough he never got territorial or humpy with the female cat.
I understand this behavior, and I will explain it. First Primo did it and now Firefly, and it is a way for a dog to say to another dog: LOOK UPON ME AND SEE THE HYUMAN I HAVE ACQUIRED!!! FEAR MY POWERS OF HYUMAN SELECTION! I am SUCH A STUDMUFFIN!!! I will now DEMONSTRATE MY STUDLINESS TO YOU!!!
Dougman,
Nicely done!
Between my two boys and a girl, the girl gets humped the most, but the boys hump each other more than her. Front, side, rear … doesn’t matter.
Right now though, the older boy is VERY disturbed by the mineral block that showed up in the western pasture that’s on the other side of the electric fence. He’s never seen one of those before, and ‘den! we’re going through the learning curve of introducing three dogs who’ve never had cattle on *their* property to the three new heifers we just acquired.
It’s going to be an interesting week…