[yorkietalkjilly]

Just a word about using aversives as a technique for training or disciplining a dog. You can use them if you want but I'd be advised first on a bit about them. They can turn your dog into a dog that mistrusts you if he tends to anxiety, shyness or oversensitivity. They often do not work on hyper dogs. Sometimes spray bottles of water make the smaller, toy dog that tends to be hyper and sensitive quite fearful of water, fearful or shy of being sprayed with anything such as seeing the plants sprayed, seeing you spritz or spray anything in the air, fearful of being sprayed with doggie cologne or conditioner and/or fearful of you. And the spraying isn't necessary - is really considered an aversive form of training, actually, and unpleasant to most dogs to get a sudden spray of water up the nose or in the eyes. It is a bit shocking to a dog. It can cause them to mistrust you - not knowing what to expect from you - particularly if the dog is a sensitive or nervous dog. They can be shy around your hands afterward, particularly if you are holding anything in them. Aversive techniques are not considered a good training technique and some are even considered a bit abusive. You don't need to train/discipline like that when a dog is doing something you dislike or want to train out of him. Just be firm and no nonsense, use your body attitude, eyes and push the dog to one side, stand and follow-up by locking eyes on him until he backs off and leaves the thing he tried to hum. He will get the message. In the wild, that is how his mommie would stop him, giving a low growl or showing teeth if she wanted to avoiding moving much. After he has walked away, get him a kong toy to chew on, work him at agility, bounce some balls for him to pounce on or anything to distract him from the current humping urge and let him work off the tension. In time he will learn that mommie isn't bad or mean, as the water in the face might teach, but can be trusted to show him something better to do with his time and aggression or the dominance issues he's feeling. It reinforces you as his pack leader and one he can always trust, even when he's doing something you disagree with.

Usually getting a humping dog working at a little house agility, doing a whole lot of jumping up and down the doggie steps for a treat reward or chasing a ball can work that urge right out of him pretty quickly. You can put doggie steps back to back and get him to run up and down them over and over for a treat every so often until the last thing he wants to do is hump, all desire to dominate and tension gone.