Can dogs feel jealousy
9 Signs Your Pet Is Jealous (and How to Stop It)
In most cases, this is better described as a competitive situation where the pet is competing with another individualhuman, dog, cat, or otherwisefor something it wants, says Hetts.
Regardless of what you call it, jealous behavior in pets can be an issue.
9 Signs of Jealousy in Pets
Here are some jealous behaviors in pets that you should be on the lookout for:
1. Aggression
This can often be in the form of biting or nibbling of the animal or person getting attention over them, says Dr. Scarlett Magda, founding president of New York City-based Veterinarians International.
2. Going to the bathroom indoors/outside the litter box
Our pets cant express their thoughts and feelings in words, so instead, they sometimes express their feelings in actions, says Dr. Geoffrey Broderick, a veterinarian in Huntington, New York. If you see them peeing or pooping in places where they shouldnt, they may be trying to tell you something.
However, having accidents in the house or going outside the litter box can be a sign of a health issue, so your first stop should be a vet visit to make sure your pet does not need medical attention.
3. Paying extra attention to you (being clingy)
According to Dr. Broderick, clingy behavior from a dog or cat can come across as a pet cuddling up extra-close to you and suddenly licking your hand or face. This is a sign of affection, and they are trying to get your attention, he says.
4. Pushy behavior
Dr. Magda notes that this often comes in the form of a pet inhibiting another person or animal from moving freely on a regular basis, or pushing their way into a situation, demanding the attention of their owner.
5. Growling, hissing, or getting into a fight with another pet
This may especially be an issue in a multi-pet household where pets are competing for attention and resources, Dr. Broderick points out.
6. Trying to scare off strangers
Pets may aggressively bark, hiss, or growl when owners are greeted or visitors arrive, Dr. Magda says.
7. Doing a trick
According to Dr. Broderick, this is a surefire sign that your pet is trying to get your attention.
8. Crowding your space
Cats sometimes will lie down on your work table or sit on your computer keyboard to get attention, or even start knocking things off the table, Dr. Broderick says. A dog may sit up and beg to try and get your attention, or sit up on their hind legs.
9. Leaving the room
Sometimes when pets get mad, they may have a tendency to withdraw, Dr. Broderick says.
What Causes Jealous Behaviors in Pets?
According to experts, jealous-like behaviors in pets typically suggest boredom or a ploy for attention from their owners. Sometimes, just like people, they can feel insecure, Dr. Broderick explains. They need individual attention, lots of cuddling, and activities to keep them busy and to keep them from being bored. Sometimes, our pets just want us, and they dont want to share us with another pet or person.
A lack of resources (only one toy for multiple pets), social conflict, too small of a space, stress, lack of exercise, and genetic disposition can cause jealous behavior, says Katenna Jones, associate applied animal behaviorist and owner of Jones Animal Behavior in Warwick, Rhode Island.
How to Stop Jealous Behavior in Pets
Here are some of Dr. Magdas tips for reducing jealousy in a multi-pet household:
Keep notes on the circumstances that cause signs of jealousy/aggression. This can be helpful when you see behaviors that you cant manage on your own, as you can share the list with your vet or a professional animal behaviorist.
Dont give one pet more attention than another.
Help your dog feel safe and relaxed in their crate so they see it as their own safe space. Give cats a space to call their own as well.
Feed pets separately to avoid conflict during mealtimes. Give your pets the same amount of treats.
When you arrive home, make sure you dont give one pet more attention than the other, or wait a bit to give attention. The level of emotional excitement will diminish, preventing signs of aggression from occurring.
Put aleashon both dogs when walking two at a time and consider a gentle leader for better control.
Dont pet one animal without petting the other.
Have at least two of all toys and beds, but remove food-based toys unless supervised.
Catch your pets being good. Give them attention and praise when they are acting calm and not showing jealous behaviors.
Managing unwanted behaviors and keeping pets mentally healthy are keys to avoiding unpleasant situations down the line, Dr. Broderick says. As pet parents, we need to attend to their physical and emotional needs, just like we do for our human children, he says. Our pets just want to feel loved.
Featured Image: iStock.com/chendongshan
Is It Possible for a Dog to Actually Experience Jealousy?
Source: Image by Lanfear's Bane on Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Science has established that dogs experience the same basic emotions as does a 2- to 3-year-old child. That means to say that a dog can feel happy, sad, angry, fearful, disgusted, and surprised. The question of whether they feel the more complex social emotions, including guilt, pride, shame, envy, and jealousy is still open to investigation. Jealousy, for example, is an emotion that involves three individuals. It is the unhappy feeling of being replaced in someone else's affections or the suspicion that the object of your affection has been unfaithful in your relationship.
Some researchers feel that this involves some pretty complex reasoning processes, which perhaps only humans are capable of. However, in a new report, a team of researchers from the School of Psychology at the University of Auckland in New Zealand suggests that dogs are capable of this emotion. "Research has supported what many dog owners firmly believe, dogs exhibit jealous behavior when their human companions interact with the potential rival," said Amelia Bastos, the lead author on this paper.
In 1871, Charles Darwin anticipated these results when he noted that "everyone has seen how jealous a dog is of his master's affection if lavished on any other creature." However, science requires actual data, rather than casual observation, to raise a concept to the status of "a fact" rather than "a supposition."
To determine if and when dogs display jealous behavior these investigators used 18 pairs of dogs and owners. They set up a testing condition where the dogs could imagine that social interaction between their owner was taking place with another dog or just an inanimate object. For safety's sake, they didn't use another real dog, but rather a realistic model of a dog that might be viewed as a potential rival for attention. As a control comparison, they used a cylinder that was wrapped in fleece.
The test started out with the dogs tethered on one side of the room. The dogs observed the "fake dog rival" sitting next to their owner. While the dog watched, a barrier was rolled into place between the dog and its potential "rival" so that they could only see their owner from the waist up. Although the dogs could not see what their owner was doing with his hands, they could see him or her bending over and repeating some generic affectionate phrases (e.g. "What a good boy!" "You are such a good dog!" "What a clever girl!") several times for the duration of the trial.
The leash that the dog was tethered to was attached to an apparatus that could record how forcefully the dog was pulling on it. Thus the measure of the degree of jealousy was how vigorously dogs attempted to reach their owners when they appeared to be petting the rival fake dog behind the barrier. It was determined that this pulling really was based on jealousy because, in the condition where the owners were petting a fleece-covered cylinder rather than the model dog, the dogs pulled on the lead with far less force. Remember that all of these activities were triggered by the dog's mental imagery as to what was going on since everything below the owner's waist was obscured by the barrier.
The authors concluded, "Dogs ability to connect the dots and infer that their owners actions were directed toward a hidden rival suggests that dogs not only are capable of mentally representing social interactions but also specifically do so when interpreting interactions that might threaten the social bond they have with their owners." In other words, the dogs were showing jealousy based on their conclusion that some rival dog was stealing their owner's affections away from them. This means that dogs, like people, can feel the strong negative emotion that Shakespeare called "the green-eyed monster."
Copyright SC Psychological Enterprises Ltd. May not be reprinted or reposted without permission.
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Do Dogs Get Jealous?
We've all heard a little kid get jealous and yell out, "It's not fair!" But what about your "fur kids"? Do dogs get jealous? And if they do sense unfairness, what can dog parents do to work through it and treat everyone the same? The truth is, dogs can get jealous and how researchers determined this is an interesting look into how dog's behave.
Fido Figures Out Fairness
For a long time, it was assumed that humans were the only species that recognized unfairness and exhibited jealous behaviors when they felt they were treated wrongly. After studies showed that monkeys protested unequal treatment, a research study by behavioral scientist Friederike Range looked at whether dogs too might demonstrate jealous behaviors, reports NPR. When participating dogs were asked to give their paw, all dogs responded to the request. Over time, researchers started rewarding some dogs with food and allowed other dogs to watch but not get a treat when they performed the same task. Those that did not get the food began to hesitate in handing over a paw. Eventually, many of the dogs that were not rewarded stopped cooperating at all. Range's conclusion was that dogs feel human resentment if they think someone else in the pack is being treated differently.
If you have a several dogs in your home, you might also have recognized that if one dog gets a treat, they all expect a treat. In homes with multiple dogs, it is important to try to keep things fair. Over time, jealous dogs could start to demonstrate undesirable behaviors and they could be more than just refusing to give a paw.
A dog's jealous behavior likely stems from the fact that they are pack creatures and while they see you as their pack leader, they are always jockeying to be next in line. This doesn't mean that they will exhibit aggressive behavior toward one another, but it also doesn't mean that one of their feelings won't get hurt if they perceive some unfairness. This behavior can be exhibited toward humans (like new babies in the home) as much as other dogs.
Understanding Dog Behavior
Dogs' behavior can tell their pet parents more than you may realize. For example, if a dog sits at your feet or between your legs, he may be anxious. By observing each of your dogs carefully and regularly, you can become more aware of how you all interact as a family.
Do dogs get jealous at home the same way they do in a behavioral lab? A jealous dog may stop obeying simple commands, like the dogs in the study did, but there are other signals that your dog is peeved. A dog may try to wedge his way in between you and other pets and humans, start avoiding interaction with people or other dogs, or become aggressive or vocal with other pets in the home that he feels are treated better. As a pet parent, you want to make sure attention, treats, playtime and positive reinforcement are all doled out equally. If you need to give one dog something different, like a spoonful of peanut butter hiding a pill or a reward for toilet training, try to do it in a separate room away from your other pup.
Fostering a Fair and Happy Environment
Since dogs can sense unfairness, proud pet parents of multiple dogs should strive to create an environment where everyone's needs are met. If you are able to keep things fair among all your pets, it's less likely they'll show signs of envy. If you do start to see one of your dogs displaying jealous behavior, try to find ways to grow closer to him and rebuild trust. A strong bond between a dog and a pet parent is the best way to keep everybody happy.
Contributor Bio
Chrissie Klinger
Chrissie Klinger is a pet parent that enjoys sharing her home with her furkids, two of her own children and her husband. Chrissie enjoys spending time with all her family members when she is not teaching, writing or blogging. She strives to write articles that help pet owners live a more active and meaningful life with their pets.
