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As human awareness of different sexual behaviors continues to increase, it is natural to wonder if dogs can also have different sexual orientations. Many dog parents, at some point, must have come across a situation where they found out that their pet was having sex with other dogs of the same gender.
In some cases, we find our beloved pets do strange things and can’t understand why they do. For example, some dog owners may witness their dog indulge in another same-sex sexual advances, but ignore it. Others, however, may look forward, and their curiosity may drive them to find answers to questions such as – can dogs be gay?
Let’s explore that today and try to find out what the research says about dog sexuality.
Can animals be gay?
First of all, we should consider that homosexuality and expressing homosexual characteristics are completely different concepts. On the animal side, it has been repeatedly noticed that many species exhibit homosexual behavior, but that does not mean they are homosexual.
In humans, in addition to homosexuality-related sexuality, homosexuality is often characterized by romantic and sexual attraction between two or more two people. But in the case of animals, especially dogs, while same-sex sexuality has been observed, we have yet to understand the depth and emotion behind it.
homosexuality of animals
Scientists have long believed that homosexual behavior can also occur in animals. Although this is a taboo and has been a secret topic for quite some time, there is ample evidence that animals do display homosexual traits.
For example, in 1999, in a scholarly work titled Biological Thriving: animal homosexuality and natural diversity, B.Bagemihl believes that more than 300 species of animals, especially vertebrates, do have homosexual behavior.
Different chronological studies on the subject have shown that in some animals there are only males or females, while in others, Both males and females exhibit homosexual traits. In this case, noted evolutionary biologist and ecologist Joan Roughgarden says that greater environmental variability among animals can be noticed.
After further investigation, Elizabeth Adkins-Regan concluded that monogamous animals were more likely to be more restricted in their sexual preferences.
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Why Do Dogs Show Homosexual Traits?
To answer this question, let’s review the Adkins-Regan study. First, she says that certain external physiological programs may influence the sexual behavior of animals.For example, she believes that hormone therapy, neutering, and early neutering can change the sexual preferences of animals, such as Pigs, mice, hamsters, and possibly dogs. Therefore, tampering with the hormones of these animals can affect their sexual behavior.
What does it mean if my dog is having sex with another dog?
As definitions of sex and sexuality continue to increase and evolve, humans have come a long way in moving away from rigid and traditional notions of society and gender. Regardless of how liberating one feels about this achievement, there are often many other issues that confuse humans about these themes.
Boundaries are blurring, and so are the definitions of relationships. But, for now, let’s focus on animals and dogs in particular. On the surface, hunching may appear to be a sexual act, but there can be many reasons why your dog might hunch other dogs or even other non-living things. Some of these reasons are as follows:
1. Affectionate gesture
Unlike humans, dogs don’t understand”good touch” and”bad contact. If they feel affection for another animal, their instinctive response is to express it in some way. When other animals’ excitement is at its peak, they naturally ride on other animals. But that doesn’t make them gay !
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2. Non-neutral response
Humpback as a behavior usually signifies dominance over animate and inanimate objects. It has been noted repeatedly that unneutered adult male dogs are more likely to exhibit this behavioral pattern. However, keep in mind that neutering is not always the best solution for adult dogs; they can continue to hunched over even after they have been neutered. Therefore, it is recommended that you contact your veterinarian and have your male dog spayed at a young age.
3. Dominant behavior
Humpback or riding is a common trait associated with dogs. Interestingly, even female dogs exhibit this trait. While humping can be a fun activity for your dog, it usually signals dominance, often over other dogs. Therefore, hunchbacking as a behavior is more common in older dogs and cannot continue to imply that they are inherently gay!
4. Untrained and social life
It is now known that a hump can indicate a response to a stimulus. Many times when dogs are not trained from a young age or taken to the dog park on a regular basis, they grow up alone and cannot be socialized.
Therefore, regardless of the variety, it is recommended that you train the dog early. It helps them socialize with other dogs or humans and minimizes their reactivity to unknown stimuli.
All of these reasons are based on research and people’s everyday experiences with dogs. It is easy to conclude that the concept of homosexuality does not exist because of their lack of understanding of sexual orientation.
So, the next time you sit down and overthink or overanalyze the situation, remember that as long as these silent creatures are able to show love to others, it doesn’t matter to your dog who they hunched over; whether it be or not Same-sex dogs. Even if they like to indulge in same-sex dogs, they can’t claim that dogs are gay because they don’t limit or endorse the concept of homosexuality!
In fact, thanks to advances in technology, it is very convenient for veterinarians to collect sperm from male dogs and manually inseminate female dogs. Thus attributing the concept of heterosexuality to fertility.
generalize
Animal sexual behavior is an instinctive behavior. Dogs cannot be said to engage in same-sex pursuits, nor can they be considered gay! Animals don’t necessarily have the sexual orientation or preferences we want to believe. When humans become addicted to sex, many other factors are at play over a long period of time and are all too consistent.
However, in the case of animals and dogs themselves, this is not the case. For them, it’s mostly about meeting their sexual needs, regardless of knowing the gender of the other dog. In their case, it’s their hormones that define their sexual encounters, not social labels like humans do.
