Do dogs get jealous? The answer is yes!

According to a recent study on dog behavior, experts discovered that dogs do get jealous just like the way we humans do.

Experts suggest that dogs do feel envious because they get attached to people and objects alike. It is therefore natural that your dog will tend to covet what they deem theirs.

In this article, I want to give you a few hints to look out for if you suspect that your dog is jealous and how you can help them overcome it.

How to Know If Your Dog Is Jealous?

1. Your dog exhibiting pushy behavior:

Have you ever moved toward a member of your family and your dog tries to push you away or even squeeze himself in the middle?

If you have had a new baby, what are the signs that your dog is jealous of the new baby?

Your dog will definitely begin to be pushy especially if he does not get the attention that he used to get before the coming of the new born child.

If he tries to force himself on your lap when you are holding the baby or sitting with someone else on the sofa, this is a sure sign that your dog is jealous.

This pushy behavior is a way of telling you that they need your undivided attention.

2. He becomes aggressive:

When your dog develops pushy behavior, aggression is what follows next.

Signs of aggressiveness include him growling and snarling at other people, he may even attack people if the aggression goes out of control.

If perhaps you are just sitting with your dog and he starts to growl at any person who dares come close, this is a sign of jealous dog behavior.

3. He does tricks to get your attention:

If your dog is jealous of your new puppy or even baby, you might see him desperate to catch your attention by performing many tricks than he usually does.

Your dog knows through the many training sessions that you are impressed when he does his tricks by giving him treats and praising him.

This makes him roll over and spin on the floor in happiness. Well, this can be a sign of jealousy especially if you see him doing some of the hardest tricks just to get your attention.

If you have new baby don’t be surprised when your jealous dog starts to pull tricks randomly just to get your attention.

4. Begins misbehaving:

Another sign that will give you a clear indication that your dog is jealous is when he starts to misbehave.

A jealous dog will do anything just to get your attention, even if it means going out of their way to cause mischief around the house. In his mind he knows that he can get your attention either way.

If your dog begins doing things that you forbade him to do like jumping on furniture or even racing around the house like a maniac, you need to know that this is simply a tactic to get your attention as he is jealous for whatever reason.

5. Isolating himself by leaving the room:

Generally, your jealous dog will be experiencing some level of insecurity.

There are scenarios where your dog might begin feeling insecure because according to him he is being replaced and there is little or nothing that he can do about it.

There are times that your dog will express their jealousy emotions by leaving the room and isolating themselves.

You need to be very keen to be able to notice these signs though might be hard especially if you have a new baby in the house or a new puppy being the center of attention. Withdrawal is also a sign that you are dealing with a jealous dog.

How to help your jealous dog?

Once you begin noticing some of the signs discussed above, you need to look for ways to help your dog overcome the jealous feeling.

Here are a few tips that will guide you on how to help your dog to overcome jealousy.

1. Train, train, train:

The most important thing that you need to do in order to help your dog get rid of the jealousy emotions he feels is to conduct regular training and practice.

If you know that your dog is clingy and likely to feel jealous once you bring a new baby or a new pet in the house, you need to prepare him psychologically.

Spend at least 30 minutes of training every day to train him on the basic commands.

Training is very useful especially because it helps you establish your leadership position in your dog’s life.

Every dog needs an alpha. Once you establish your alpha position in his life, your dog will obey your every instruction. This will also help you to manage the jealousy situations once they occur.

If he exhibits signs of aggressiveness or bad behavior, you can easily command him to stop it and he will listen to you as his alpha.

ALSO READ: 13 Common Dog Training Mistakes You Ought to Avoid

2. Do not reward his bad behavior:  

As much as I encourage you to use positive reinforcement, you should never ever reward your jealous dog for his bad behavior.

Just like the way kids will test your patience by intentionally trying to get your attention even through bad deeds, your jealous dog will do so too.

It might give him a nice and rewarding feeling just to irritate and annoy you, all in the name of getting your attention.

Ignore his bouts of jealousy by even walking out of the room. This will be an effective technique to keep your jealous dog under control, especially when he decides to misbehave to get your attention.

3. You need to get your dog to get along with the object of jealousy:

Find out the possible reason why your dog is feeling insecure and exhibiting signs of jealousy.

If it is the presence of a new family member, or even a new pet like a cat, you need to involve them in the training practice.

Have your new puppy for instance tag along when you are taking your jealous dog out for a walk or just to play. This will be a great way to socialize and train your jealous dog to embrace the new addition to your family.

If your dog is jealous because you have a new baby in the house, you can let him stay with the baby when he is taking a nap in his cot or pram.

Give your dog instructions to watch over the baby as he sleeps. This is a great way to make him feel involved and important in the midst of all the excitement of having a new baby in the house.

How to manage dog-on-dog jealousy?

4. Socialization is key:

If the cause of your dog’s jealousy in the house is a new dog, you can effectively manage this by training your jealous dog and socializing him with other dogs and pets.

A good place to start with is to prepare him way before you bring the new puppy home.

The dog park is a good place to take your dog to socialize and interact with other dogs. This will help him get used to the idea of having other dogs around.

When you bring in a new puppy, you can take both dogs for a walk every day, try teaching them new tricks together and this will enable them to get along fine as they continue to interact.

How to manage the situation when your dog is jealous of babies?

5. Desensitize your dog:

Having a new baby in the home is an exciting thing. However, this might not be very much exciting for your dog. He may begin feeling jealous once all the attention he used to receive suddenly shifts to a new baby.

A good way to help your dog get over this feeling is through desensitizing him.

Allow your jealous dog smell some of your new baby’s clothes or objects and you can give him a treat for doing so and remaining calm.

This might not be the final solution but is a good way to make him used to the idea of having a new baby in the house.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, you need to be very keen on the signs that show that your dog is becoming jealous and obsessive.

Once you begin noticing that your dog becomes irritable and aggressive, or misbehaves at every opportunity he gets or even shows off random tricks just to get your attention, these are signs that you might be dealing with a jealous dog.

Obedience training is very important as he will obey your commands with ease as his leader, you also need to know when to ignore him when he does things to seek your attention.

I would recommend that you get the help of a professional dog trainer like Doggy Dan the Online Dog Trainer.

Doggy Dan has worked with thousands of dogs and dog owners and has the skill and expertise required to train your jealous dog and help him overcome it.

Jealousy in dogs can also be triggered by being territorial over objects and resources that they value most.

For instance if your dog is jealous when another dog plays with his toys, you can make sure not to bring any toys along to the dog park.

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