Obsessive Butt Licking/Sniffing

[Cheryl2501]

Hello, New to this site but have owned GSD previously and just recently adopted a 5 yr old intact male GSD "Gus", we currently have a 13yr old lab mix "Lightning" also a rescue, he is neutered. I will try to be straight to issue with as many details as I think will help. He was with a family that said she rescued him from being tied to a tree in someone's backyard, starved. She said he is friendly and needs to go to a family, we drove to meet him and he was in her yard alone (although she had another dog), she said it was an unspayed female GSD that sometimes showed aggression with new people, and that is why her dog was not out with Gus. Gus came over to us and listened to every command they gave him, sit, stay, come, etc...he did wander off to the side of the house every now and again, but came back to us tail wagging looking for some petting... We did the neutral meeting at a park, then walk, and he was sniffing our residents dog butt alot, thinking this is normal, didnt really think it was an issue, and Lighting didnt seem to mind either, (his tail is down wagging), etc., now he has been with us since Sunday and the butt sniffing/licking is obsessive, since we brought them inside (and even outside) he has not stopped for even one moment trying to get to Lightning's butt. I understand this is usually "normal" dog behavior, but this is NOT, when I say he has not stopped, I mean it, we tell him to go and he will go to his dog bed and gently paws it, licks it, and gives it a little hump or two then he will lay, but only for seconds...literally seconds, then he is right back at it. Just trying to get to Lightnings rear??? I am baffled??? He is not whining, or trying to wander in the yard, as at first I thought there might be a female in heat in the area, but that doesnt seem to be the case. He has no interest in ANYTHING not us, not food, not cookies, not even the tennis ball (which she told us he LOVES)...he spends every waking moment trying to get to our dog...we started giving him a slight correction when he is going for Lightnings rear, he will stop for a second then he is right back at it.(he is dragging a leash as we have only had him since Sunday and are being cautious)...I dont want him to think I am correcting him to stay away from Lightning, but I dont want this situation to esclate either, our resident dog's hips are not what they used to be and the only thing he doesnt tolerate is a dog jumping on his back end. Which just as I anticipated last night Gus got a few licks, then put his paws on Lightnings back ready to go, Lightning gave a small growl, but I had already corrected him "off" and he did get right off...
We are walking him 2-3 times a day taking him outside, got him a pool (he could care less), trying to throw the ball outside, all the while he is just going to the door to see Lightning??? I am at a loss??? Will neutering him help, his behavior seems more obsessive than sexual, am I wrong??? There has been no aggression from either dog, and he seems like a great dog, am I in over my head here was thinking the leave it command but he doesnt care about anything to teach him to leave it??? Thanks, Cheryl

[gagsd]

I would probably get Lightning's rear checked at the vet. Just in case.

[Cheryl2501]

Thanks I did think of that he has an appointment Friday...

[Anja1Blue]

Hi Cheryl, and welcome to the Forum! Sorry it is under somewhat stressful circumstances. I am no expert, I have never had to deal with this kind of behavior, so I can only comment on what you have posted. Firstly, there are a couple of reasons why a dog will mount another: sex and dominance. If we look at this dog's background, we see that he was unsocialized, then went to a home with an unspayed female. Not a good scenario for an intact male, perhaps this girl was coming into (or going out of) heat, and he was in the habit of being overly stimulated. That behavior is now being transferred to your neutered male (I remember reading somewhere that altered dogs "smell" different, and it can cause confusion. That might well be a load of hooey, but I did see it in an article I read years ago!!) The second reason for a lot of mounting is dominance - nothing to do with sex, just one dog's way of telling the other that he/she is the boss. In that case, neutering will not make a difference. Thirdly, it might be that Lightning has something going on in the rear or in general that is making him smell "interesting." Some drugs will actually make a dog smell like a bitch in heat - can't remember which ones, but has your fellow been on any meds recently? If not, you might want to take him to the vet and see if his anal glands need expressing, or if there is ANY reason why he could be triggering this unwanted behavior.

Until you have figured out what is going on it's probably a good idea to keep them separated. Your old chap shouldn't have to put up with this in his senior years, and you need to work one on one with the newcomer to establish your leadership and his place in the pack (currently at the bottom, he needs to understand that.) Getting him into OB classes ASAP is very important, he has no manners because no-one ever bothered to teach him. Keep a spray bottle handy - when our dogs were doing something I didn't like, (getting into it over food for example) I would spritz them in the face with a firm "NO" - you can add a small amount of vinegar if water alone doesn't get them to stop. It doesn't hurt the dog at all it's just an unpleasant sensation, and most will not want to repeat it.

Hopefully, others with more experience will answer your post - that's all I can offer right now......
________________________________________
Susan

Anja SchH3 GSD
Conor GSD
Blue BH WH T1 GSD - waiting at the Bridge

[Hillary_Plog]

gagsd is right, you might want to make sure Lightning doesn't have something going on back there...

But, I think all in all it seems like this is a behavior that needs some copious amounts of dedication from you to be able to stop it.

First, yes you can neuter him and that MAY lower the intensity of his "interest" in other dogs' privates and hindends, but this is ultimately a behavior that has already been learned whether he is intact or not.

I would correct and redirect the behavior.

[Cheryl2501]

Yes I did check Lightnings anal glands and they seem ok, all the rest looks fine back there, but I did make an appointment on Friday anyway. He has only tried to mount him one time, which was last night, the rest of the time he just follows him smelling and licking his behind. Gus is on a loose lead around my or my husbands ankle or in his crate till we get this sorted out. I am not leaving them out together free roam at all. That I do know. I am concerned about overly correcting him to stay out of there as I dont want Gus to think we want him to stay away from Lightning all together...so that is my concern there. The other is really the constant, and maybe I didnt express it enough, he does not stop from the moment Lightning comes out of the bedroom till the moment we go to bed at all...I feel sorry for him, and at the same time after only 4 days feel exhausted...
I guess the water bottle sounds like a plan for now, and try to only use it if he is near his rear, not his face. We sprayed a bit of bitter apple on Lightnings tail to no avail...