The personal life of pets certainly can’t be hidden from the eyes of the owners. But the true reasons for certain dogs’ behavior are not always clear to humans. Many people tend to transfer human psychology to canines and explain different dogs’ actions by the reasons typical for humans. But this is fundamentally wrong. After all, dogs are more subject to instincts than people are, and their brain works in another way.
And some owners are very perplexed after seeing their pets mating the representatives of the same sex. A same-sex relationship between people doesn’t surprise anyone in the 21st century. But what about dogs? Should an owner worry if a pet mates with another pet of the same sex? Can dogs be gay and is it normal for them? You will find the answers to all these questions in this article!
Can Dogs Be Totally Gay?
Dogs, unlike humans, don’t have sex for pleasure. They are guided not by love and romance, but by reproductive instinct. And reproduction, as everyone knows from biology lessons, is possible, of course, only if there is a couple of a male and a female. That’s why dogs can’t be real gays.
But sometimes the pet owners can see their dogs mating with the dogs of the same sex. They may think that this is a demonstration of same-sex love in animals, but they are not quite right. There are some other reasons that make dogs mate with the dogs of the same sex. Let’s overview them in more detail.
Why Male Dogs Mate With Other Male Dogs?
There are two main reasons for such a behavior:
- Increased desire to demonstrate the reproductive instinct. If a young full of strength and energy pup doesn’t have a female dog around he may try to mate with male dogs. As well as he can “sexually attack” his toys, the leg of the owner, etc. This shows that a dog has a high sexual desire but just doesn’t have an opportunity to apply it in the right way. Such a high sexual activity is especially relevant for male dogs during puberty (at the age of 6-14 months). Also, the desire to show the reproductive instinct may increase if a dog lacks physical activity and gets bored.
- Low social position of the dog in the hierarchy of the pack. Living together dogs form a kind of a pack like their wild ancestors do. And sometimes the following situation may be observed. There are a few female dogs in a pack, but males still choose to mate with each other. Why do they do this? Because of the low social position in the hierarchy of the pack! It makes female dogs not want such “losers” to mate with them. And as the reproductive instinct can’t just disappear, the male dogs of low social position have no other choice than to mate with each other.
Why Female Dogs Mate With Other Female Dogs?
The reason for this can be only one. This is increased sexual desire while having no male dogs around. As the female dog can’t satisfy her reproductive instinct in a natural way with a male dog, she imitates the sexual interaction with another female dog.
Female dogs usually show the increased sexual activity during the estrous cycle. This is the period when a higher amount of sexual hormones is produced. It starts every 6-8 months and lasts about three weeks. The first estrous cycle starts on average at the age of 6 months. And this means that the female dog is ready for mating and giving birth to puppies.
Is It Normal for Dogs to Mate With the Representatives of the Same Sex?
If you happen to witness such an awkward situation, then you, of course, wonder if such a behavior is normal in dogs. And the answer may vary depending on the situation.
As for male dogs, this is quite normal. Sometimes mating other male dogs is the only way to satisfy the reproductive instinct. A dog can’t control it, and it won’t just disappear if there are no female dogs available around.
You don’t need to worry if you have noticed that your male dog imitates the sexual interaction with other male dogs or toys. This is the variant of the norm.
As for female dogs, it can be normal for them to mate with other females during the estrous cycle if there are no male dogs around. But if a female dog shows increased sexual activity not having the estrous cycle this is the sign of health problems. Such behavior may be caused by gynecological diseases or endocrine disorders that influence the hormonal background in a bad way.
What to Do if My Dog Mates With the Same-sex Dogs?
If a female pet mates with other females during the estrous cycle, then you don’t need to do anything. Just wait for the hormonal surge to end.
If a female dog shows sexual interest in other pets not having the estrous cycle then you need to show her to a vet. There is a high probability of health problems. A vet will examine the dog and prescribe treatment.
If you regularly catch your male dog mating other male dogs, then you can just leave the situation as it is. But if it worries you a lot or if another dog is much smaller and has the risk of getting injured during such “games” then you need to solve this problem somehow. Choose one of the following ways out:
- Keep your dog away from other pets. This option is appropriate as a stopgap measure. For example, you can use it until the puberty period is over. But this is not the best variant as communication with other representatives of the same species is very important for the dog’s development and socialization.
- Mate your pet with female dogs. This option is suitable if you are going to breed puppies professionally. Once your pet starts to show high sexual activity it means that he is ready for mating. So, don’t delay this. If a pet gets an opportunity to mate with female dogs he will stop wasting his sexual instinct on other objects.
Castrate your pet. This is the best solution if you are not going to breed puppies for sale. The pet will stop suffering from the excess sexual instinct and will live peacefully as the level of male hormones will decrease. And the owner and other pets will no longer be bothered by the demonstration of the reproductive instinct. This solution is good both for a pet and for the owner.