How do I stop my dog from masturbating?

Question

My 6.5 year old dog (neutered Lakeland Terrier male) masturbates on a daily basis. The sight and sounds of it are highly disturbing to me, as you can imagine (or not). The worst part is his sheath gets stuck, requiring me to "unroll" it. He usually does it while I'm asleep, so I don't even have the chance to stop him in the act, but even then it's too late, as he'd already be stuck in lipstick position.

I've read suggestions to use a cone or bitter spray, but that seems like a temporary solution. Is there something more permanent to stop these urges (like medication)?

Answer 1

Is your dog fixed? If it isn't, then his 'behavior' is going to continue until you do. If your dog is fixed, and this is just something he does, I have one suggestion I could offer. I worked at a pet store for a few years, and there is actually an um... sex toy for dogs, essentially. It sort of looks like one of those hand-held back massagers in shape (that 4-prong thing) but its dog-sized. It comes with a spray that is meant to mimic the hormones from a female in heat, and you put this 'object' in the corner of your house somewhere that is genuinely out of sight. Its made of a type of plastic that is easy to clean, and its meant to encourage your dog to act out its behavior on that. It should stop your dogs penis from becoming 'unsheathed' to the point where you have to do something about it. This is actually something designed for dogs who aren't fixed, can't breed, etc. They're going to have natural instincts and this just offers you a somewhat better option then just having him hump your furniture and well, whatever it wants. Unfortunately animals are sexual beings, and aside from you doping him up to the point where he just lays there all day (horrible quality of life for you dog!) I don't think there is much you can really do other then behavioral training. Good luck!

Answer 2

I solved my problem without medication, cones of shame, or "toys".

I bought a male dog wrap, which is a soft washable cloth diaper that wraps around his belly, covering his privates. My dog doesn't seem to mind it. It really works well for my dog's situation. I just put it on at night. If he goes at it during the day, I tell him "no" and give him a timeout in his crate with the wrap on. Hopefully, this will train him to stop.

There are also cover-ups for females in heat.