[with a video] My dog was playing with her toy - is this normal?

[casper26]

Dear fellow members,
Hope you had a good Armistice day weekend.
My dog is a 5 years old Female Jack Russell Terrier, not sprayed. She didn't mix well with my neighbour's dogs. She has some friends at the dog park, she is typically ok with male dogs, and doesn't like female dogs.

Please see the video below. She has been playing with her soft toy this way for some time. It was funny at first but I am getting worried...
Is this normal? Is this something I should be concerned about please?

 

[JoanneF]

Humping behaviour isn't abnormal, but it sometimes happens when a dog is over-excited, or a bit anxious. Do you know whether either of these could be a cause? What would typically lead up to her doing this?

 

[Hemlock]

Perfectly normal as a stress release. When is her next season due?

 

[casper26]

Humping behaviour isn't abnormal, but it sometimes happens when a dog is over-excited, or a bit anxious. Do you know whether either of these could be a cause? What would typically lead up to her doing this?

Thanks a lot, indeed she always does this after long walk and when she is very happy

 

[casper26]

Perfectly normal as a stress release. When is her next season due?

Her heat is normally January and July

 

[Hemlock]

Probably not hormones then but simple excitement that is causing it. I wouldn't fret about that. Do you make puzzle toys for her? Might be a bit more mental stimulation would help. We have a link about occupational "toys" we can make to exercise a dog's mind.

 

[JudyN]

Here's the link Hemlock mentioned: Mental enrichment for dogs

If this seems to be bordering on obsession, it would be good to have a way of distracting her. Dogs often need to 'decompress' after a walk, and a few minutes ball-throwing or similar could do the job. It would be useful to be able to redirect her to another activity when maiden aunts or young children come round

 

[casper26]

Probably not hormones then but simple excitement that is causing it. I wouldn't fret about that. Do you make puzzle toys for her? Might be a bit more mental stimulation would help. We have a link about occupational "toys" we can make to exercise a dog's mind.

Thanks!
She has been "playing" like this for sometime. I didn't have small children at home, she has plenty of toys to play. I am actually happy to see her to behave this way because I know she was very happy and satisfy after long walk. JJ is my first dog, I asked because I worry this could be an illness or symptom I should be concerned.

 

[casper26]

Here's the link Hemlock mentioned: Mental enrichment for dogs

If this seems to be bordering on obsession, it would be good to have a way of distracting her. Dogs often need to 'decompress' after a walk, and a few minutes ball-throwing or similar could do the job. It would be useful to be able to redirect her to another activity when maiden aunts or young children come round

Thanks! If I interrupt her, she would be happy to stop doing that and play with me. I am actually happy to see her to behave this way because I know she was very happy and satisfy after long walk. I love to see her playing with toys, enjoying her alone time when I was busy with something.

 

[Feverfew]

I would just add that I have occasionally seen this in dogs that have discomfort after eating - all the cases were bitches.

In those cases, it has been resolved by giving the dog something to chew immediately after they have eaten. A big raw bone is ideal. I think possibly this reflects normal eating processes, where dogs in their natural environment eat soft innards first, then muscle, and then end the meal by chewing and licking the bones. I suspect that the saliva produced contains enzymes that are helpful to digestion. Worth a try, perhaps.