Why does my dog get jealous when I kiss my wife or husband?
Below are likely reasons why your dog gets jealous when you kiss your partner and what would make each of them more likely.
The reason why it does it could be that it wants attention for itself. This would be more likely if you tend to give it attention when it starts getting jealous and if it tries to get in between you both when it does it.
It would help to avoid rewarding your dog with attention it when it gets jealous, to ignore it until it stops barking and to reward it with attention when it is being well behaved. Otherwise, it will learn that, if it wants attention, all it has to do is act jealous or bark.
The cause might also be that it is confused and does not understand why you are kissing each other. This would be more likely if it shows signs of being confused or anxious while you are kissing such as tilting its head.
It could also be the case that your dog has learned that the behavior is rewarded. If you tend to give your dog things such as toys, treats or extra attention, when it does it, it will likely do it more in order to get more rewards.
It might also be the case that it does it because it thinks you’re both actually fighting. This would be more likely if it does it when you kiss for a long time or in an unusual manner, if it shows threatening body language and if it tries to make you stop.
Below are some things to consider to help figure out the main cause.
If your dog has not always been jealous when you kiss, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started. If it started doing it suddenly, it could be due to things such as learning that the behavior is rewarded or a change in how you both interact with each other around it.
If your dog is not always jealous when you kiss, it would help to consider what is different when it is not jealous. For example, if it does it more when one of you are leaving, it could actually be a sign of separation anxiety.
4 Reasons Why Dogs Interrupt or Get Between Kissing Couples
Anthropomorphism is a term used to describe human qualities being bestowed on non-human animals. While dogs may appear to be jealous when they get in between two lovers, there are usually other motives at play behind such behaviors. Here are a few more likely explanations.
Can dogs be possessive of their owners?
Possessiveness is not unusual behavior in a dog. Your dog may be possessive over his toys, his bed, his food, any treats you give him, but potentially also over you or his other owners. Some dogs are more prone to possessiveness than others, but most family dogs want to protect their family members to some extent.
Cesar Millan Explains: Do Dogs Get Jealous?
Why is it that dogs are man’s best friend? Every dog owner probably has their own unique answer to that question, but the unconditional love that our dogs show us has to be up there with the biggest reasons. Whether they’re watching for your arrival at the window or waiting outside your bedroom every morning, they give their humans unwavering affection day in, day out and seem to get boundless joy from nothing more than simply being in our company.
In fact, dogs have so much love to give that sometimes they can struggle to make room for anyone else. According to experts, many breeds of dogs are prone to jealousy in response to their owners’ attention being diverted. Their naturally affectionate personalities can prevent them from stepping back, which can often lead to your dog displaying jealous tendencies towards you or your partner. It’s certainly worth keeping everyone happy – 61% of dog owners think their pet impacts the health of their relationship, and over 50% of dog-owning couples believe that their pooch encourages them to spend more time together.
Jealousy in dogs can be triggered by many things – from huge upheavals, like the arrival of a new baby, to everyday distractions like scrolling through too much social media on your phone. But with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to think about whether your significant other and your canine best friend could be jostling for your affections.
It might be the most romantic time of the year for us, but whatever romance you’ve got planned for the big day, make sure that your dog isn’t left feeling jealous of your partner. Carefully planning activities that can involve the two of you and your dog – such as a romantic walk, a doggy double date or even a cuddle on the sofa – will make for a stress-free special day. In order to ensure a more harmonious relationship between the three of you this Valentine’s Day and beyond, it’s important not only to be able to spot the signs of jealousy, but to know how to respond to them.
Here are the tell-tale signs of doggy jealousy to keep an eye out for along with solutions to your problem provided by Ben Cunningham, Behavioural Specialist and Education Manager at GroomArts.