Dogs are weirdos. Your dog has probably shoved its nose in your crotch and taken a good inhale or humped your leg more times than you can count. If you find this behavior awkward and perplexing, you’ve probably asked yourself, “Can dogs get sexually attracted to humans?”
Dogs can’t get sexually attracted to humans because the two are biologically incompatible. Sexual attraction is different for dogs and they aren’t lured by beauty, behavior, or other social cues. Instead, dogs are only aroused by Methyl p-hydroxybenzoate, a pheromone released by female dogs in heat.
Buckle up as we dive into facts about canine reproductive instincts. We will also analyze how the dog-human bond works and clear some common misconceptions about awkward dog behaviors. Keep reading!
Can Dogs Get Sexually Attracted to Humans? Canine Reproductive Instincts
Dogs are social creatures and prefer the company of humans or other dogs. In the case of reproductive isolation, it’s common for them to do some public displays of what a human would describe as inappropriate, shameless, or straight-out immoral interspecies sexual perversions.
In truth, these are merely displays of your dog’s natural reproductive instinct. Canine behavior is typically a blend of instinct and environment.
Like all other mammals, dogs are born with a range of innate characteristics—some that are evident from birth. Although sexual drives and desires are absent during the early stages of a canine’s life, they grow intense during puberty and early adulthood, especially for intact pets. Males in specific can engage in sexual play and mount stuff or hump them as early as five weeks!
Although these behaviors seem awkward to a human’s refined senses, they’re instinctive and a way for your dog to release some of the pent-up sexual energy. They have nothing to do with your dog having the “hots” for you.
Let’s explore the topic in more detail.
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Understanding Natural Mating Behaviors in Dogs
The timing of sexual maturity is often dependent on a dog’s size and breed.
On average, male dogs are sexually mature at five months and females at six to nine months. Although they are not ripe for mating until they’re physically mature at around 12 months, they may begin to show signs of sexual maturity.
For females, hitting sexual maturity means the start of heat cycles. On the other hand, male dogs start lifting one leg when urinating to mark their territory. They may also mount furniture or your legs, especially when overexcited.
Usually, male dogs are sexually active all year round and ready to sire puppies whenever the opportunity presents itself.
On the contrary, females are only sexually active when in heat. If a bitch is not in heat, it cannot have intercourse because its reproductive system won’t open to allow penetration.
This brings us to our next topic; dog sexuality. Let’s explore the things that make canines aroused and ready for intercourse.
The Role of Pheromones and Scent in Sexual Attraction
Unlike humans, dogs don’t engage in sexual acts for pleasure. Mating is motivated by biological factors and they only engage in intercourse for reproduction.
Generally, they don’t rely on social and emotional cues and are instead attracted to each other through scent. The only thing that can sexually arouse a male dog is a whiff of chemicals and hormones produced by a female dog in heat.
Female dogs in heat produce a sex pheromone called Methyl p-hydroxybenzoate. It is a vaginal secretion produced during estrus that attracts and arouses male dogs. Think of it as a chemical that advertises the gender of a female dog and informs potential mates that it is ripe for mating.
Based on the role of pheromones and scent, male dogs are by design exclusively attracted to females of their species.
Sexual arousal can only happen when a female dog goes into heat and produces Methyl p-hydroxybenzoate. However, dogs enjoy an overload of oxytocin when mating, hence their capability of reacting awkwardly to people or situations that trigger the release of the same hormone.
Dog-Human Bond
Dogs and humans have had a special connection for thousands of years.
You can tell that your furry friend has a genuine soft spot for you based on how it interacts with you. Although your pet’s love for you is beyond reproach, this doesn’t suggest the attachment can get sexually motivated.
In the next section, we’ll dig further into the topic to understand the bond between canines and humans.
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Exploring the Deep Emotional Connection between Dogs and Humans
Dogs have an outstanding ability to understand human actions, gestures, and emotions. By design, they’re deeply ingrained to interact with humans and even form cooperative teams.
For centuries, humans have used dogs for herding, war, police work, rescue assistance, etc.
The bond shared between a dog and its owner can vary in intensity. Sometimes, the attachment is so strong that it resembles the bidirectional bond between a mother and her infant.
Some of the science-based reasons dogs swiftly form bonds with humans include.
- Both dogs and humans enjoy a genetic makeup that makes them social and outgoing
- The pair forms a mutually beneficial relationship
- Dogs, like humans, can distinguish between friend and foe
- Dogs can understand human speech, especially commands & words of praise
- Dogs, like humans, have unique ways of showing affection (e.g., maintaining eye contact)
The Effect of Bonding on a Dog’s Behavior
The bond between dogs and humans is mutually beneficial.
Although the motivation behind forming a long-term association remains largely unknown, experts believe that oxytocin plays a significant role in modulating the social behavior of canines.
Studies show that when dogs and humans interact positively during play, bonding, and grooming sessions, both experience a surge in oxytocin. Oxytocin, commonly known as the love hormone, triggers a positive emotional state.
So, what does oxytocin have to do with your dog humping your leg or prized furniture?
There are numerous reasons behind such behavior, although the most prevalent is overstimulation.
For starters, dogs experience an oxytocin overload when mating. Even intact pets may show sexual behaviors during situations that trigger an oxytocin surge.
For instance, if you share a strong bond with your pet, a simple hello after a few hours of being apart can cause overstimulation. Your furry friend may opt to lick your face and mount your leg because it’s having a hard time processing all the excitement, joy, and love emotions triggered by an oxytocin overload.
Misinterpretation of Dog’s Behavior
Sexual attraction in dogs is pretty straightforward. Unlike human sexuality, which is influenced by a ton of factors, including the appearance, culture, and political or social class of a prospective mate, dogs only depend on hormones and chemicals to motivate them to engage in sexual acts.
Unfortunately, canines can also show awkward behavioral patterns that are easily misinterpreted by their human companions.
3 Common Misconceptions and Anthropomorphism
Has the question, “Can dogs get sexually attracted to humans” ever crossed your mind? You’ll be pleased to know there is scientific backing to prove that this cannot happen.
In the next section, we will clear out three common misconceptions and anthropomorphisms about canine behavior.
1. Crotch-Sniffing Is a Sign of Sexual Attraction
It’s natural to feel violated and question whether your dog has a sexual urge for you, especially if it sniffs your crotch.
Although it seems awkward and annoying, your pet sticking its nose up your private parts has nothing to do with sexual attraction.
On the contrary, your pet is merely investigating you and using its strong olfactory senses to gather more information about you.
Although humans don’t have pheromone receptors, they produce pheromones in bodily secretions such as urine and other fluids.
The apocrine glands around the groin area produce the most concentrated pheromones. This explains why your pup would fish for scent-based information from your crotch.
2. A Male Dog Can Get Turned On By a Female Owner
Irrespective of how good you look through the human lens, your dog will never view you as sexually attractive.
Canine sexual attraction is motivated by chemicals and pheromones.
Moreover, it’s common for male dogs to display weird sexual behavior, especially when they get a whiff of concentrated pheromones. Usually, a woman’s apocrine glands produce higher levels of pheromones when menstruating, after sex, and right after childbirth.
3. Dogs Mount and Hump Things Only When Sexually Aroused
The tendency to mount and hump things is instinctive and not necessarily sexually motivated.
Even puppies mount and thrust away to practice what they’ll do in future sexual encounters. The behavior is normal and typically caused by situations that cause over-excitement.
Signs of Affection vs. Sexual Attraction in Dogs
Dogs are not wired to be sexually attracted to humans. Although it may seem as though your furry friend has misidentified you as a potential mate, this can’t be further from the truth.
Its actions or behavior is likelier, a result of sexual instincts triggered by oxytocin and refined through centuries of evolutionary success.
Bitches in heat looking to attract a male mate of their species show signs like a red and swollen vulva and red, yellow, or brown discharge from the private part. Moreover, they smell different, and although humans can’t catch a whiff of pheromones, male dogs from miles away can!
On the other hand, intact male dogs show the following behavioral changes when aroused by the scent of a bitch in heat.
- Frequent spraying of urine around your home to mark his territory
- Aggressive behavior toward other male dogs
- Roaming around or attempting to escape and find its mate
- Mounting and humping things like furniture or your leg
Usually, an aroused male dog’s sole focus is on finding a mate of its species. Humping your leg may suffice if your pet can’t leave your compound and feels sexually frustrated.
The signs of affection toward a human caregiver are quite different and include the following.
- The dog jumps, wags its tail, and gets over-emotional when it sees you
- Your pet is happy to gift you its favorite items, like a toy it loves
- A dog yearns to spend time with you and constantly “checks” on you.
- It follows you around and even wants to sleep with you to protect you
- Your furry friend likes giving you a loving gaze
Final Thoughts
Has your furry friend ever offended your leg by mounting on it and thrusting away? If so, this may have resulted in the question, “Can dogs get sexually attracted to humans?”
However, you’ll be pleased to know it was just a case of mistaken motives. The poor thing has no lustful compulsions for you and lacks the chemical and cognitive equipment to be into you like that.
If you’ve been at the front line of seeing lewd conduct perpetrated on you by your trusted furry companion, I hope this post puts your mind at ease. I’ve laid down the facts to help you understand why dogs can’t possibly get sexually attracted to humans.
The love between you and your dog is merely platonic. Your pet liking your face and gazing affectionately into your eyes doesn’t imply it finds you sexually attractive. The only bone it wants from you is the one it can chew or chase after when playing fetch.
