Content
- Animal sexuality, taboo and self-stimulation
- Dog can be gay: truth or myth?
- Why does my dog ride another of the same sex?
Dogs maintain their own language, in which their body is the main vehicle of communication. Unlike us humans, who prioritize orality to express our thoughts and emotions, dogs communicate their moods and relate to their surroundings mainly through their postures, actions and facial expressions.
Eventually, it's possible that some of your dog's behaviors may seem a little strange. If you've ever “caught” your dog riding another individual of the same sex, you may have wondered if there is a gay dog.
Homosexuality in the animal world is still a controversial issue that raises many doubts even for scholars. However, in this new post of the Animal Expert, we will explain if a dog can be gay.
Animal sexuality, taboo and self-stimulation
Animal sexuality is still a tabooin our society and talking about topics like self-stimulation can make many people feel uncomfortable.However, to understand whether or not homosexual dogs exist, it is essential to learn to deconstruct some myths and prejudices about canine sexuality.
For several centuries, traditional evolutionary theories led us to believe that animals only interacted sexually to generate new offspring and ensure the survival of your species. In other words, sexual desire was only “awakened” in animals during the breeding season. According to this line of thought, homosexual behavior in animals seemed to have no logic, since sex would only be practiced for reproductive purposes.
However, in nature, it is quite common to observe animals mating or stimulating with others of the same sex, a behavior that, from a human perspective, could be labeled as homosexual. In recent decades, many scholars have been dedicated to observing, documenting and expanding scientific knowledge about sexuality and sex between animals.
Although it may seem surprising, these supposedly "homosexual" behaviors are present in more than 1500 species., from small intestinal parasites to large mammals such as primates and canids. Furthermore, these investigations also allowed us to observe that the relationships between animals of the same sex in nature happen mainly by self-stimulation, but they can also have other purposes, such as protecting the offspring or "rehearsing" the sexual procession. 1
Regarding self-stimulation, there are several species that practice it and among them we find dogs. This means that many animals perform sexual behaviors to obtain pleasure or relieve their body's needs, without having any reproductive purpose. In simpler and more objective terms, animals also masturbate and their sexuality is not just about reproduction.
Self-stimulation can be performed only by an animal, while it is alone, or with other individuals regardless of gender. That is, females can self-stimulate with other females, and males with other males. But then, does that mean there is a gay dog?
Dog can be gay: truth or myth?
Dogs can practice self-stimulation (masturbation) to obtain pleasure, relieve tension (or stress) generated by an excess of accumulated energy, as a form of play or game, among other purposes. To stimulate itself, a dog can ride other dogs (male or female), stuffed animals, objects and even the leg of its own tutor or other people. This does not mean that this dog is gay, but rather that it freely expresses its sexuality.
The term “homosexual” was invented by the human being to designate certain relationships or behaviors that take place between people, and has nothing to do with other species. In fact, historically it is understood that the concept of "homosexuality" arose in Prussia in the mid-1870s. in an attempt to characterize the sexual behavior of people who were attracted to individuals of their same sex. 2
Since then, the term has gained a very strong and controversial cultural charge, especially in Western societies. That is why, using the concept of homosexuality to understand or explain the sexual behavior of dogs and other animals is not recommended. First, because we still lack a lot to know about canine sexuality and the reasons that can lead dogs to have sex with individuals of the same sex.
second, because the social and sexual behavior of dogs is not determined by the same codes that guide the affective and social relationships of human beings. So, comparing human and canine sexuality, or trying to explain the language and nature of dogs from our own, will inevitably lead to a limited and-or wrong definition.
Therefore, there is no gay dog and the fact that a dog is sexually stimulated with an individual of the same sex does not make it homosexual, nor does it mean that it has a preference for one gender or rejection for the other. It simply means that this dog has the necessary and healthy freedom to live its sexuality without being inhibited or scolded.
Each dog has a unique personality and can express their sexuality in different ways. Sexual desire is a fundamental part of canine nature and should not be repressed, much less punished. However, as responsible guardians, we must adopt effective reproductive control methods to prevent unplanned pregnancies. Therefore, it is essential to know the benefits of canine neutering and the ideal age to neuter a male and female dog.
Why does my dog ride another of the same sex?
Does your dog want to mate with another dog? Now that we know there's no such thing as a gay dog, you might wonder why your dog mounts another dog of the same sex. As we have seen, self-stimulation is one explanation, but it is not the only one either. Therefore, we will briefly summarize the main reasons that can explain this canine behavior:
- Self knowledge: in puppies, this behavior may appear as a way to explore their own body and discover their sexuality, mainly by imitating behavior observed in other adult dogs.
- over-excitement: Mounting can appear during a very intense play session or in other contexts where the dog feels overstimulated.
- Stress: When a dog constantly rides other dogs, stuffed animals, pillows, and other objects, this behavior can be a symptom of stress. All dogs need to exercise their body and mind to maintain balanced behavior, positively channel their energy and prevent behavioral problems such as destructiveness.
- socialization problems: A dog that has not been properly socialized may assimilate mounting as a normal social behavior when interacting with other dogs and even with other people. Therefore, it is very important to start to properly socialize your dog while he is still a puppy, preferably before his first three months of life.
- Illnesses: Dogs can also ride constantly to relieve pain and discomfort caused by some diseases that mainly affect the genital area, such as urinary infections, or hind limbs, such as hip dysplasia.
Therefore, if you notice that your dog wants to ride anything he sees ahead, quickly take him to the vet to check his health and rule out possible pathological causes of this behavior. Remember that PeritoAnimal's articles are informative and in no way substitute for specialized veterinary attention.