Going to the toilet indoors
If your dog no longer uses the toilet outdoors, this could be a sign they are feeling anxious or jealous. While it can be frustrating (and messy to clean up), constant supervision and patience is key in reestablishing good habits.
“If you approach the issue in a firm yet understanding way, by communicating in a serious tone with your dog without furiously shouting, you can help prevent it happening again,” says Laura.
Looking for some positivity? Get Country Living magazine posted through your letterbox every month. SUBSCRIBE NOW
Like this article? Sign up to our newsl etter to get more articles like this delivered straight to your inbox.
Do you want to know more about dogs and other animals? Follow me on Facebook by clicking here.
A study detailed for PLOS One in July 2014 showed that dogs do act jealous as defined by a scale used for infants. In the study, owners were placed in a room with their dog, but asked not to interact with the dog. Each pair was presented with an item, either a lifelike stuffed dog (that was able to bark and move) or an inanimate object (to act as a control). The owner was asked to interact with each item exactly as they would with their dog, but to ignore the dog.
For human beings, jealousy is thought to be a complex emotional and cognitive response. Some have said that jealousy is too intricate for dogs to feel, but most dog lovers would disagree. So why do some dogs seem to react jealously towards a spouse?
Your dog may feel selfish over things he thinks that he needs to survive and he may also feel some emotional protectiveness as well. As time goes on, we are coming to realize just how complex, sensitive, and intelligent our canine friends are.
Sometimes our dogs might view us as siblings in a litter in which there is competition for the family resources (mostly the mother). Since our dogs are a part of our families, this might explain some of the cases of jealousy. If your dog sees you as a parent figure and your spouse as a sibling, it could explain jealous behavior.
Ignoring attention or performing tricks without being asked
Is your cuddle bug ignoring your love, or suddenly performing tricks without even being asked?
A typically affectionate dog that starts ignoring attention, may well be showing signs of jealousy. If your dog is used to being the centre of attention, suddenly seeing you offering attention to another being, can cause your pet to withdraw. It can also be a sign of insecurity and nerves.
Whilst a dog avoiding attention, may well be showing signs of jealousy, this can also be a sign something physical needs checking out. Book an appointment with your vet if your dog seems withdrawn, to rule out any underlying medical concerns.
In total contrast to a dog that avoids attention, some dogs will suddenly start offering behaviours to get a reaction. Tricks may pop up out of nowhere, and you may find your dog pushing in between you and your partner, demanding all the cuddles going.
If your dog is feeling a little jealous, this could exhibit as possessive, guarding behaviour. Your dog may guard you from everyone else, or their prized possessions from your partner.
With a deeply ingrained guarding instinct, to protect their home and their people, our canine companions can struggle to let somebody new into their group. A protective dog can cause problems in the home, so it’s important to deal with introductions carefully from the outset.
When introducing someone to the home, allow your dog space and time to move away and seek interaction on their own terms. This offers a sense of control, which can be comforting to more nervous dogs. Build positive associations to new people, teaching your dog this person means good things.
A jealous dog is usually a dog that is feeling insecure. Even the most housetrained of dogs, when feeling extremely unsettled, may resort to toileting indoors. This behaviour signals your dog is feeling out of sorts and reprimanding them could make the problem worse. Focus instead, on helping your dog feel comfortable and happy around your partner.
Dogs can overgroom due to stress, so if your dog seems to be licking or scratching excessively, it may be a sign. As with all behaviours listed here, getting to the root cause is essential, and teaching your dog that the presence of your partner is a positive thing, should go a long way in reducing overgrooming.
If your dog is overgrooming, you may want to check for any matting or discomfort. Take a look here at our five
Barking for attention and destructive behaviour around the home, can both be signs that your dog is feeling a little jealous. If your dog is used to being the centre of attention, they may crave all eyes on them, and barking is their way of communicating this to you.
Another sign of a jealous dog can be destructive behaviour, such as chewing on objects not meant for them or picking up items they know they shouldn’t. Your dog wants you to react, and -like with children – sometimes even negative attention is better than nothing at all.
The cause of dog jealousy, to this day, remains unknown. Where jealousy was thought of for years as human-specific, due to the cognitive complexity of the emotion, a study on jealousy in dogs, found that dogs did exhibit signs of it as well, by pushing and getting between their owner and another dog.
The reason behind this has yet to be fully understood. On the one hand, it could be that dogs feel an innate need to protect the established social group from a newcomer, as a deeply ingrained guarding instinct. On the other, it could be that your four-legged friend just needs all the love for themselves.