Dogs are full of love. For life, food, and especially their owners. They have lots of it to dish out. With such intense feelings, jealousy can sometimes creep in when you least expect it. To help you manage jealousy in dogs and understand why your dog feels this way in the first place, we’ve developed this list of seven signs of jealousy in dogs, along with some remedies for the behaviour.

 

Can Dogs Get Jealous?

Similarly to humans, dogs can exhibit jealous feelings. Whether it’s for people, other animals, or sometimes inanimate objects, dogs feel jealous in a very similar way to humans, but it’s not identical. Sometimes, for example, your dog may feel that it’s competing against something else for your attention, which can trigger some undesired behaviour, similar to jealousy. So, while dogs can feel jealous, they don’t feel it in the complex, nuanced way that humans do.

 

Seven Signs of a Jealous Dog

1. Anger and Aggression

 

Does your dog growl or snarl whenever you pick up another pet, speak to someone, or leave the room without them? If they do, they could be taking out their jealousy in a more aggressive fashion. If left untreated, this can be dangerous, leaving your dog prone to causing some nasty accidents to people or pets.

 

Read more: Signs of Play vs Signs of Aggression in Dogs

 

2. Clinginess

 

While your dog should always enjoy your company, there is such a thing as too much. Following, staring, pawing; all of this can be a sign of jealousy.

 

3. Resource Guarding

 

Although dogs are perfectly entitled to have their own things that purely belong to them, possessiveness over their toys or food can sometimes be indicative of jealousy. This often results in them lashing out when approached.

 

4. Destruction

 

When dogs get frustrated, either from jealousy or otherwise, they may become destructive to their (and your) possessions. Chewing sofas, ruining toys, digging, all of which can be a ploy to grab your attention, sometimes fuelled by jealousy.

 

5. Low Moods

 

If your previously happy, go-lucky dog has become sad and subdued, they may be feeling jealous. That’s right, jealousy doesn’t always result in outward aggression; sometimes, dogs may simply become upset when they’re not on your mind.

 

6. Regression

 

Training is an important part of dog ownership. But, in pursuit of your attention, your dog may seem to regress on all the progress you’ve made. This could be through refusing to do tricks that they know, going to the toilet indoors, or failing to come back to you via recall.

 

7. Doing Tricks Without Being Asked

 

Although impressive, if your dog is doing tricks for you without you asking, they could be doing so to gain your attention. Something that can sometimes be fuelled by jealousy. 

 

How to Stop Jealousy in Dogs

 

If left unaddressed, a jealous dog can be dangerous. Here are some things you can do to manage and stop the jealousy:

 

Identify the Triggers

 

Your dog’s jealousy can be triggered in numerous ways. When you see them exhibiting any of the behaviours we listed previously, take a note on what might’ve caused it. This can make them easier to spot, prevent, and deal with in the future.

 

Reward Neutral or Good Behaviour

 

Giving your dog a treat for quietly existing can be a good way of subtly affirming your expectations of them. If you sit down on a sofa and they don’t immediately jump to your lap, give them a treat. Likewise, if you take something off them and they don’t growl, reward them.

 

Divide Your Attention

 

This tip is especially useful for households with multiple pets. If you give one pet loads of attention, make sure you give the same amount to the other pets that you have. Doing so can help your jealous dog feel less left out and more involved in your day-to-day.

 

Train, Train, Train

 

Obedience training is a powerful resource to have with your dog. Teaching them how to respect your boundaries early in their life will pay you in dividends when it comes to preventing jealous behaviour.

 

Not only can training help alleviate some unwanted behaviour, but it can also help you and your dog connect, satisfying their need for your attention, on your terms.

 

Involve Others

 

Jealousy can sometimes be tied up in other people, not just yourself. Your dog may feel left out when you hug your friends or leave them behind to go for a walk or drive. So, when dealing with jealousy, it helps to have a united front from your friends and family members.

 

Ensure that everyone treats your dog the way that you do. Any outliers can cause your dog to regress, undoing all of your good work.

 

Train Better with Tasty Treats

 

Keeping your dog jealousy-free ultimately comes down to having a strong handle on their training regime. Being able to teach your dog boundaries and respect from an early age can help limit complications from bad behaviour, including jealousy.

 

Make sure you acknowledge their good behaviour with our training treats range. Designed to be extra tasty and easily handed out, they’re the ultimate reward for your dog.