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3 reasons why the dog “zigs” and what to do.

By Patricia Durocher • 10 December 2024

This may be annoying behavior but it is completely normal!

A male or female dog, sterilized or not, can “zig” or ride and here is why:

  • Stress or overexcitement

If your dog finds himself in a stressful situation or becomes overexcited, he may start to mount an object, another dog, or even a human. Mounting can help relieve stress and manage his emotions when a situation becomes too intense for him.
It is important not to punish or intimidate your dog in this situation. Sometimes a dog in this state simply needs to be in a quiet place with a bone or chew toy. It is important not to punish or intimidate your dog in this situation.
Finally, you can observe your dog’s language more closely to avoid putting him back in situations that are too stressful or too exciting for him.

  • The game

There are a lot of dogs that ride during play. There is nothing wrong with this behavior, even if it sometimes makes us uncomfortable. It is perfectly normal play between dogs. HOWEVER, it becomes problematic when the dog being ridden is pushy and their play partner is uncomfortable. It is up to the owner of the dog being ridden to temporarily remove their dog from the game.
There are also dogs that mount humans during play. In this case, you can try to offer him other games (tug of war, chase a toy). Again, it is important not to punish or intimidate your dog; this will lead to nothing. If the dog insists on mounting you, the best solution is to stop the game and resume the play session later.

  • Sexual urges

And yes! Just like us and other animals, male and female dogs, neutered or not, can all have sexual urges.
Again, this only becomes problematic when the dog that is riding the other insists and the other dog is uncomfortable. It is up to the owners to intervene at this point. If your dog is riding his pad or toy, you can let him do it. This is an appropriate way to channel his urges (better the pad than your leg or the leg of a guest!).
Please note: If you find yourself with two unsterilized dogs of the opposite sex, it is important to never leave them alone together to avoid accidental litters.
Text by Émilie, our canine behavior evaluator.

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