Can Dogs Be Gay? Can Dogs Be Homosexual?

Written by: Bojana Radulovic
Discover in this article if dogs can be gay or not. Learn what behaviors in the dog's world are defined as 'gay' and how dogs actually see them.

Dogs have some strange habits.

They love food so much that they’re ready to overeat, vomit, and then eat what just came out of their stomach.

Some dogs are the happiest when there is an opportunity to eat feces, and so on… You get the picture!

Dogs just may do some stuff that we don’t understand the best. On the other hand, they may do something that may be frequently seen in humans rather than within the animal world… We all have been there – you are at the dog park, or you are just enjoying a nice walk on the beach, another dog approaches and your dog starts humping an unfamiliar dog on a person’s legs.

This is something that dogs of different sizes, age, and sex may do. They may do it without any special reason, but one is for sure – this behavior is always a nice way to start a fun conversation.

Now, this may be a great conversation starter, but it can also be an opportunity to start a dilemma… What if your dog starts bumping a dog of the same sex?

Do they know that they are of the same sex? Or is that something that may confuse someone? This is why many dog owners wonder – can my dog be gay?

Can Dogs Be Gay?

Dog experts would say that dogs like what they like, and they don’t see it as a big deal.

It is common for dogs to engage in sex-like behavior with members of the same sex.

Does this mean that they cannot control their hormones or they do not see the difference between dogs of the same sex?

Simply said, dogs can’t really be gay. Why not? Dogs do not have a sexual orientation or consistent sexual preference the way humans experience it.

Still, your dog may display something that may be described as gay sexual behavior. Here is why.

Homosexuality In Dogs

Dogs are simple creatures, lead by their inner needs. They do what they want when they want, and in many cases how they want it.

You, as a human, might be tortured with internal conflicts and moral dilemmas that humans usually stress about.

This is why dogs’ sexual advances can go beyond their spices – this is why human legs are often attacked.

Here, it is important to note that in dogs sexual advances actual intercourse isn’t included.

These advances are more designed to provide sexual or physical gratification.

For example, dogs engage in humping behavior for a number of different reasons.

Some dogs may do it as a form of play, others may do it when they are scared, while some may do it when they’re anxious.

Why Does My Dog Hump Other Dogs?

Human and dog behaviors are completely different. At least, we all know what dogs may do in public, humans do not, or at least avoid it.

For example, humping in public is considered to be a big no-no for humans. This is sort of taboo and there are many reasons why people don’t do it.

Still, this isn’t something that dogs stress about much. Dogs do not feel shame or confusion like humans do for their actions.

If they feel an urge to do something they will do it – they do not see it as a big deal, or shameful behavior.

Does this mean that dogs don’t have social norms? You may be surprised to learn this, but dogs do have certain social norms that they do follow.

You already know that dogs are masters when it comes to body language communication, right? They cannot speak, so they use their bodies to communicate what matters to them.

This is why humping in public isn’t something that dogs stress about much.

For dogs, humping happens for a number of reasons. Here are the most common ones.

1. Play

Children know that certain actions are allowed to happen in public, while others are a big no-no. This is something that children adopted at an early age.

These actions are something that dogs are never taught. They do not know if these actions are acceptable or not, or how to handle weird looks. This is why it’s common to see a back and forth of playful mounting.

This behavior is especially seen in puppies that are packed with energy, so they are always on the lookout for burning that extra energy. However, this behavior is something that can be also often seen in adult dogs, both male and female.

Does this have something to do with the fact that a dog may be spayed or neutered? No, it may also be seen in dogs that have been spayed or neutered.

2. Dominance

In most cases, mounting is a playful act that helps dogs burn that extra energy and have a calmer day.

In some cases, this can be a sign of dominance among dogs. Dogs are territorial beings, and they may often try to show dominance over another dog.

For some reason, this is most often seen in older dogs, especially in dogs that have not been socialized the right way.

To have a well-behaved dog who is a great canine citizen, you should start training your Fido as soon as you bring him home.

Did you know that dogs are more than capable top mastering basic commands at eight weeks of age?

If you want to implement a certain behavior in your dog, start from an early age!

3. Intact Dogs

You may hear about this one before, but male dogs that have not been neutered are more prone to dominant behavior.

In practice, this means that they will follow their natural instinct.

If you neuter your dog will this behavior stop? In most cases, yes, but it’s not a general rule.

If you miss addressing this behavior at an early age, as your dog gets older, this behavior will be harder to get rid of.

Homosexuality In The Animal Kingdom

Homosexual behavior is something that can be seen in the animal kingdom ever since. There are some fish and lizards that have been documented having intercourse with members of the same sex.

Male frogs may also display certain behaviors that can be considered to be sexual.

Do they also form a long-term bond? Simply said, no. These animals rarely form long-term bonds and seem to prefer having relationships that can be defined as short terms.

It’s known that some birds display, homosexual behavior as well, next to penguins who have been documented to have intercourse with same-sex partners.

As for the sea world, dolphins are known for engaging in intercourse with members of the same sex.

Macaques have tendencies that may be described as lesbian, while bonobo chimps may have group intercourses.

Bonobo chimps also have a rather interesting approach to intercourse and everything around it.

They use it as a way to lubricate social interactions. They really don’t care which sex the participants are.

Is There A Concrete Way To Know If Your Dog Is Gay Or Not?

Simply said, no. There is no one certain way for you, or anyone else, to know if your dog is gay or not.

There is no shortcut to tell you if there is a long-term attraction toward other dogs of the same sex.

What we know is that dog experts and behaviorists claim that dogs do not feel an attraction to one sex more than to the other. They act more on their impulse.

Sexual Orientation In Dogs

To understand your dog’s behavior better it’s important to understand how sexual orientation in dogs works. That being said, you should know that sexuality in dogs works differently than it does in people.

In practice, this means that dogs don’t have a sexual orientation so much as they have a sex drive.

They also have a set of natural behavior rules that they follow. This is why applying human rules to animals is something that cannot provide the right outcome or the desirable information.

If you insist on applying a sexual orientation to a dog, then bisexuality would be something that might describe them the best.

Does this mean that all dogs will hump their mate? No, it doesn’t.

It just means that some dogs have certain habits that may display in the current situation.

Can a Dog Be Transgender?

No. For this to be true, dogs would require a certain level of awareness about their gender which is separate from their dogs, that they don’t have.

At least, experts believe that dogs don’t have this level of awareness yet. However, dogs can be intersex.

This means that dogs may have a certain medical condition where the internal reproductive organs are not the same sex as external genitalia.

This applies to secondary sex characteristics, and behaviors.

In practice, this means that a dog may be registered as female based on external characteristics, only for a veterinarian to discover during the spaying process that the dog has both testicular and ovarian tissue.

This condition is really rare in dogs, although some breeds, such as Basset Hound are more likely to be intersex.

Does It Matter If Your Dog Is Gay?

There is very little evidence, if any, that dogs can be gay.

If your dog humps other dogs, there is a reason why he is doing so. It may be a territorial thing, a fear reaction, or just a sign of dominance.

If this happens it’s almost unlikely that your dog is gay. However, if it starts being a frequent thing, you might want to talk with a dog specialist or behavioralist.

Dogs that are spayed or neutered are less likely to hump other dogs.

Can Cats Be Gay?

So far it’s obvious that homosexual behavior in the animal world occurs in many species, but do cats fall under that?

Cats may be known for intense cuddling sessions (they love to lick each other and sleep together) but cats aren’t considered to be gay at the moment.

The Bottom Line

When it comes to a dog’s sexuality it’s important to watch it separately from humans.

Human sexuality is made of many labels, while dogs are more driven by their inner needs.

Still, learning about your dog’s behaviors will help you understand your dog better and provide the right needs and care for your dog.

Knowing why dogs act the way they do will make both of your lives better.