I feel stupid asking this question. But if I don't ask then I'll never know!
Sometimes when I am playing with my female shih tzu/lhasa on the floor she humps my arm, is that normal, and should I ignore or scold or what?

I have no direct experience with that. My one girl dog humps only 1 stuffed dog I have..........
I would withdraw the play for a few minutes until she gets the message. Its a dominance thing. Hopefuly someone else will help

Originally Posted by makahana

I feel stupid asking this question. But if I don't ask then I'll never know!
Sometimes when I am playing with my female shih tzu/lhasa on the floor she humps my arm, is that normal, and should I ignore or scold or what?

When female dogs hump (and sometimes with male dogs hump) it is about showing dominance--not about sex. As for what to do about it--the first question to ask is who do you want to be pack leader--you or the dog? Now, I'm not going to tell you to alpha roll the dog because in all likelihood that would be overkill for a shih tzu sized dog. There are two approaches that I would suggest. Try the first one and if the behavior continues, move on to the second one.

1) stop playing and walk away. Ignore the dog. In conjunction with this, in the evenings as you are watching TV, sit on the floor and take the dog and gently place it on it's side in front of you. Massage gently and look in the mouth, ears, examine the feet (hold each foot for a few seconds) and massage the dog so it relaxes. If it lifts it head, just hold it still. It should enjoy this experience and relax. Turn over and do the other side. This exercise will not only assert a bit of dominance but more importantly get the dog accustomed to being examined and handled.

2) Sit the dog in front of you facing away from you. Now, place one hand on the dog's chest (in front of the front legs). Take your other hand and place it under the dog's chin so you can hold it's head still. Now, just sit. If the dog tries to pull it's head away, hold it still. You are showing dominance by controlling the dog's body and head. When the dog is non-resistant, release.

Originally Posted by Frecs

When female dogs hump (and sometimes with male dogs hump) it is about showing dominance--not about sex. As for what to do about it--the first question to ask is who do you want to be pack leader--you or the dog? Now, I'm not going to tell you to alpha roll the dog because in all likelihood that would be overkill for a shih tzu sized dog. There are two approaches that I would suggest. Try the first one and if the behavior continues, move on to the second one.

1) stop playing and walk away. Ignore the dog. In conjunction with this, in the evenings as you are watching TV, sit on the floor and take the dog and gently place it on it's side in front of you. Massage gently and look in the mouth, ears, examine the feet (hold each foot for a few seconds) and massage the dog so it relaxes. If it lifts it head, just hold it still. It should enjoy this experience and relax. Turn over and do the other side. This exercise will not only assert a bit of dominance but more importantly get the dog accustomed to being examined and handled.

2) Sit the dog in front of you facing away from you. Now, place one hand on the dog's chest (in front of the front legs). Take your other hand and place it under the dog's chin so you can hold it's head still. Now, just sit. If the dog tries to pull it's head away, hold it still. You are showing dominance by controlling the dog's body and head. When the dog is non-resistant, release.

Frecs, Thanks again!

Glad to help!