Can Dogs Be Gay?

By Hope Schultz for WebVet.com

So growing up we used think it was oh so funny when our dog would -- with absolutely no shame -- begin humping one of my dad's business associates, a family friend, or even the neighbor's infant just learning to walk.

For the most part we assumed that dogs, like people, might have gay tendencies as they didn't seem to discriminate based on gender -- females humped females, males humped males . . . . oh the doggy decadence of it all!

Is it true?

The truth of the matter is that in the dog world, humping is not purely about sexual stimulation and procreation -- it can also be about dominance. When a non-neutered males does the dirty dance with an unspayed female in heat, that is indeed about making babies. However, when you see all the other various "love" connections taking place, this is simplyone dog telling the other who's boss.

So while it might be somewhat embarrassing when your dog attaches itself to an extremity of a friend or family member and epitomizes the term "ride-em-cowboy," just be glad this animal behavior is limited to our four-legged friends!

Can any animals be gay?

According to theNew York Times:

"Various forms of same-sex sexual activity have been recorded in more than 450 different species of animals by now, from flamingos to bison to beetles to guppies to warthogs. A female koala might force another female against a tree and mount her, while throwing back her head and releasing what one scientist described as "exhalated belchlike sounds." Male Amazon River dolphins have been known to penetrate each other in the blowhole. Within most species, homosexual sex has been documented only sporadically, and there appear to be few cases of individual animals who engage in it exclusively. "

Check out more from WebVet!

Do Dogs Ever Get Full?
Are Mutts Smarter Than Purebred Dogs?
Why Do Cats Hate Water?