my dog Bella

Question
Hello
My 4 month old female labradoodle did "that thing" to my leg today that I thought only male dogs do. Why would my female be humping me? And can I or should I stop it? It's a behaviour I'm not really fond of, in fact it's one of the reasons I didn't get a male!
Thanks

Answer
"Humping" is a dominance related behavior sometimes demonstrated by bitches.  If a litter is predominantly male, or if a bitch is situated in the uterus between two males, the bitch receives testosterone (which is released to the males in utero) and this can precipitate "doggy" behavior.

"Humping", in a puppy, is a sort of "test" for rank.  If your dog is a confident puppy and shows no fear toward you (approaches you freely with no hesitation) you can easily dissuade this behavior by offering a low throaty growl, then get up and remove yourself from the pup for a few seconds.  This is a simple communication, which would be offered by another litter mate or another dog, that this "test" is not acceptable.  Give your puppy other ways to engage your behavior and be rewarded for doing so by using positive reinforcement training.  Do this in very short, multiple sessions. This will increase trust, improve her problem solving skills, and help to curb any other "doggy" behavior she might (MIGHT) develop.