Content
- Jealous dog exists?
- jealous dog: behavior
- Jealous dog: video
- Jealous dog: possible situations
- dog jealous with another dog
- Dog jealous of pregnancy
- Dog jealous of a baby or child
- Jealous dog with boyfriend
- jealous dog: what to do
People often attribute emotions or feelings inherent in human behavior to animals. However, claiming that dogs are jealous can be a very misattributed term, as there are several reasons that can explain why a dog behaves in a "jealous" way with its guardians, with people in general or even with other animals. .
In this PeritoAnimal article you will get more information about jealous dog: symptoms and what to do.
Jealous dog exists?
It is not easy to define what is jealousy, however, it is possible to explain jealousy as a set of emotions and feelings that appear when a social figure who considers himself important is threatened by a third party, who is seen as a rival.
Jealousy is common in gregarious animals such as humans or dogs and has an important adaptive function. These are complex emotions that require the individual who feels them to have a high cognitive capacity that allows them to rationalize and compare with past experiences. Thus, the dogs can be jealous from other individuals, but not from inanimate objects. Although the use of this term is much discussed by the few studies that exist, there is some doubt about whether this behavior is compatible with that of human beings.
However, it is important to remember that there are other behavior problems that can explain some behaviors that are considered jealous, such as territoriality, protection of resources, boredom or games. To understand it a little better, below we will explain the behavior of a jealous dog.
jealous dog: behavior
As we mentioned earlier, there are few studies on the behavior of a jealous dog, so it is very difficult to determine the characteristic behaviors and differences in relation to other behavioral problems common in dogs. Despite this, some symptoms of a jealous dog can be:
- Try to get the tutor's attention when you feel ignored;
- Try to interrupt the interaction of the tutor and the possible "rival";
- Be aware when tutor and "rival" are relating;
- It may push, attack, or show various signs of negative calm.
Jealous dog: video
It is possible to find a multitude of videos of jealous dogs on the internet, however, you should take into account that some tutors end up reinforcing inappropriate behavior or aggressiveness of the dogs, probably due to ignorance, and the result is more dogs with this type of behavioral problem.
On the other hand, in this video from Milperthusky channel you can see how the tutor adequately manages jealousy of one of his dogs, giving attention and affection to the two animals. In this case, jealousy does not include alarming behavior:
Jealous dog: possible situations
The jealous dog can show these signs in the following context:
dog jealous with another dog
It happens when several puppies live in the same place and the tutor inappropriately continually ignores one of the puppies or pays more attention to another. It is important to differentiate jealousy from territoriality that happens only to unknown individuals.
Dog jealous of pregnancy
It is very common for pregnant women to change their habits and routine as their pregnancy progresses. In these cases, the dog may feel ignored and, therefore, try to get the pregnant woman's attention in different ways. It is very important to prepare the dog for the baby's arrival in a progressive way, never changing habits suddenly and always relying on the support of another person to help make these changes.
Dog jealous of a baby or child
It is essential to introduce the puppy to the baby correctly, on some occasions, including with the help of a professional. However, if you didn't do it correctly or if there was a negative association, it could happen, for example, if you fight with a dog in the child's presence, if you don't let the dog get close, or if you punish the dog when it gets approaches. It is possible to avoid jealousy among children, babies and dogs with positive reinforcement, appropriate guidelines and professional supervision.
Jealous dog with boyfriend
You can find lots of videos on YouTube of dogs being jealous of the tutor when he kisses his/her boyfriend/girlfriend. If, on the one hand, we can talk about jealousy, on the other, we can talk about resource protection. The dog considers the guardian his property and acts in a way that protects him. Puppies that are jealous of the tutor can show aggressive behavior.
jealous dog: what to do
You jealous dogs, especially if they have aggressive behavior, can become very dangerous especially if it is directed at a child or a baby. Therefore, start taking the pertinent safety measures, thus avoiding direct contact between the dog and the third person "rival". If your dog is used to wearing a muzzle, you can use it temporarily, but never longer than 60 minutes. Completely avoid punishment as this can further aggravate the problem, on the other hand, try to control the situation with basic obedience orders, asking your dog to sit, lie down or be quiet.
It is essential to visit a veterinarian specializing in ethology or canine training to rule out health problems that may be related to the causes of conduct problems and thus receive an accurate diagnosis. That way, you can get directions on how to handle the situation and start conducting behavior modification sessions.
It is likely that the professional will ask you to supervise your dog's interactions with other individuals, offer advice to manage this situation and propose an activity plan that will help you improve the relationship with your dog, using reinforcement as the main tool positive, to improve the pet's behavior.
If you want to read more articles similar to Jealous dog: symptoms and what to do, we recommend that you enter our Behavior Problems section.