Content
- Emotions shared by humans and dogs
- The proof of jealousy
- How do dogs manifest jealousy?
- What are dogs jealous of?
- Prevent jealousy in dogs
Affectionate, faithful and loyal like few others, such are our canine companions who we rightly define as man's best friend, since we find in them one of the best companions, coming to form a very deep emotional bond, which we can rarely define with words .
Certainly you can already observe in your dog behaviors that seem very human, this because it should not be forgotten that dogs are also capable of building complete social structures, in addition to generating a lot of empathy with what we feel and transmit.
Perhaps you've already wondered if the dogs feel jealous, truth? This is the question that we address in the following article by Animal Expert.
Emotions shared by humans and dogs
Dogs are capable of dreaming during the deep sleep phases, dogs also have a certain thought structure, so why not feel the emotions that we think are unique to humans?
Our canine friends are only able to show empathy for what we feel, like also have emotions that we can recognize in ourselves:
- weeping
- Sadness
- Happiness
- restlessness
- Jealousy
Yes, dogs are also capable of feeling jealous as a consequence of a complex social structure and it is believed that these jealousy fulfill an important function: preserve the relationship they have with their owner..
The proof of jealousy
A team of researchers at the University of San Diego, led by psychologist Christine Harris, were responsible for carrying out a study to determine whether dogs were capable of feeling jealous, the results were surprising.
The behavior of 36 dogs of different breeds was studied. When their owners interacted with various objects, such as three-dimensional children's books, the dogs were indifferent, however, when the owners interacted with a stuffed toy that imitated a dog, the jealousy mechanism it took action and some animals even tried to break the bond between their owner and what they considered a canine rival.
How do dogs manifest jealousy?
When a dog is jealous the behavior changes are very evident and also surprising, they can be observed as follows:
- barks and growls
- Very agitated tail movement
- Mechanisms to intrude between the loved one and what is considered a rival
- Anxiety and Restlessness
This behavior shows that dogs tAfraid of losing your owner's attention and move to a second or third plane, so they do everything possible to drive away their rival. In the experiment, in addition to barking, it was very common for the studied dogs to push the stuffed dog and interfere between it and its owner.
What are dogs jealous of?
Although the study focused on the dog's behavior in front of a canine rival, if you share life with an animal of these characteristics, you will know that you can feel jealous in any situation in which you do not get your full attention, such as the following:
- Living with another dog
- Living with another pet
- Demonstrations of affection between the couple
- Demonstrations of Affection with Children
- the arrival of a baby
If your puppy feels your attention and your displays of affection to a third party, they will feel jealous and believe that it is necessary to protect their relationship with you.
Prevent jealousy in dogs
Preventing a dog from getting into a state of jealousy will also help prevent changes in its behavior and enjoy a more harmonious coexistence, for this, the following advice will be very useful:
- Don't treat your dog like you would a child
- Socialize your dog from a puppy
- Educate your dog properly, setting clear and well-defined boundaries
- Establish a hierarchical order so that the dog is below the human family members
- Eradicate aggressive and possessive behaviors from the puppy stage