Do you ever feel that your four-legged friend is jealous of you? That is a prevailing situation when a dog is close to his owner. However, do you know all the problems that can make your dog jealous of you?
Can a dog be jealous of his owner? Absolutely. The dog may be jealous of your relationship with another pet. For a dog, the reason for jealousy is also the time you spend on other people or activities, thus ignoring his need for closeness with you. The dog is often jealous when a child appears in your home.
What you will learn from this article:
- Dog jealousy is a widespread feeling
- Your dog may feel jealous when you pet another dog
- The dog’s jealousy may be because you spend too little time with him.
Dog’s jealousy
Do you ever get the feeling that your four-legged friend is jealous? Initially, it took me a long time to understand what these emotions are visible in my dog. I misinterpreted it as boredom and no desire to interact with me. In the end, I concluded that my pet could be simply jealous.
Jealousy is an emotional state that occurs in humans and our four-legged friends. Interestingly, in many cases, the reasons for this dog’s feelings are very similar to those you know from your everyday life.
However, it is worth mentioning that there are also situations that neither you nor I would see as a reason for jealousy. However, our quadrupeds have a completely different opinion on this. That’s why I want to tell you what makes your dog jealous and how you should behave in such a situation to avoid offending him.
Why is the dog jealous?
As I mentioned earlier, there are several reasons why your four-legged friend may feel jealous. Each is important from your dog’s point of view, so you should not underestimate it. Your pet trusts you greatly, and you should not strain it in any way.
The dog is jealous of another dog
The most common cause of jealousy in dogs is their guardian’s contact with another dog. When the pet witnesses that you are stroking or playing with another pet, you can be sure that he will be offended by you.
For a canine, there is no worse betrayal than spending time with another dog in front of him. Remember that your four-legged friend is the most important person; he will not want to share you with anyone else.
Therefore, you should be cautious if you want to play or cuddle with another dog in your dog’s presence. This behaviour will make your dog sad, and I’m sure you don’t want that.
The dog is jealous of another family member
Your four-legged friend may feel jealous of another family member. Especially if it’s someone you’re close to, like your partner.
When I met my husband, my pet was already under my care. We were and still are very close to my dog. It didn’t sit well with my now husband hugging me in his company. My dog always tried to sit between us in such situations ostentatiously.
Jealousy was then evident in the behaviour of my dog. He didn’t want to share me with anyone else. Today the situation is entirely different. They spend a lot of time together, and the dog sees him today as his good friend.
The dog is jealous of the baby
The appearance of a small child in the house where the dog lives is often a significant event for the quadruped. So far, he has been the primary source of interest.
A new family member changes a lot in life, not only for you but also for your four-legged friend. He will need time to adjust to the unique situation fully.
Nevertheless, initially, your pet may feel jealous of the child. It is up to you to a large extent whether his jealousy will turn into a great sympathy of the dog for the toddler. You can’t forget how important your dog is in your life.
I am fully aware that it can be hard for you with a small child to find the same time for your dog as you used to. However, remember to play with your dog, stroke and cuddle him. Your dog is also a member of your family.
The dog is jealous of the time you don’t spend with him
For your four-legged friend, spending time with you is one of the favourite forms of entertainment. He then felt essential to you and loved. Therefore, if you don’t give your dog as much time as he needs, he may feel jealous when you do something else.
If you spend the evening sitting on the couch playing on the console, ignoring your dog, who is lying next to you and vying for your attention, he may feel offended by the situation. He may be jealous that you are playing the game.
Dog jealousy can be a fascinating phenomenon. Without having a dog before, it would never occur to me that my pet might be jealous of how I spend my free time. Therefore, if you see that your dog is offended by you, then perhaps his behaviour is due to jealousy.
Is dog jealousy good?
If your dog is jealous of you from time to time, then, of course, nothing terrible will happen. Of course, your four-legged friend is critical to you. However, you cannot lead to situations in which you will be afraid to contact another dog in front of his eyes for fear of his reaction.
It would help if you taught your pet socialization from the very beginning. Let him also have the opportunity to spend time with other pets or people besides you. That is what everyday life with a dog is all about, and you can’t keep it under an artificially created protective cover.
On the other hand, giving your dog reasons to be jealous too often can negatively affect his well-being and lower his self-esteem. The dog may take this as a sign that he is no longer as important to you as he used to be.
Remember that you are the most important person in your dog’s eyes. He also hopes he is just as important to you. Every situation that could prove otherwise is taken very personally by your pet.
Therefore, if you know what situations most often cause jealousy in your dog, try to avoid them as much as possible. That will have a positive effect on your relationship. I am sure you care very much about the bond connecting you with your pet and want it to be robust.
If you are wondering how to show your four-legged friend love, I refer you to my other post, which is entirely devoted to this topic. You can find this article HERE.
Whether our pet is a curious puppy or a mature dog, a dog toy will give him great pleasure. Playing together with its owner supports the physical and emotional development of dogs. In addition, it is a great way to spend time with your pet. It will allow you to relax and, at the same time, tighten the ties of your wonderful friendship.
Thanks to the new bone-shaped toy from Bowl&Bone Republic, your pet will forget about monotony and boredom. The orange cream check will interest and encourage him to have carefree fun.
Dog toy |BONE brown
Jealousy dog
Jealousy towards a beloved guardian is quite a common phenomenon that we can observe in dogs’ behaviour. Your dog likes to be the centre of your attention. He’ll feel jealous if you don’t give him the time he needs.
What do you think your four-legged friend is most often jealous of? Please write to me in the comment below about your thoughts on this topic.
If you have any questions or want me to discuss a topic in the next post, share it in the comments section.
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