How to Deal with Jealous Dogs

In this article, I will take you through the proven situations and conditions that may make your dog develop feelings of jealousy and also cover some steps on how to deal with jealous dogs.

Dogs can show different emotional feelings including sadness and happiness just like humans. Larger than that, canines can feel and show more than we can estimate.

A recent study on dog behaviors done by two psychologists reveals that just like humans, dogs do experience jealousy towards their owners and other dogs.

Canines may show signs of jealousy in different ways and it is not yet clear whether they experience the same emotional, social, and physical conditions that result in jealousy for humans.

6 Tips On How To Deal With Jealous Dogs

To deal with jealous dogs, you need to do the following:

1. Give equal attention to all your dogs

If you own more than one dog, do not show open bias toward your favorite canine. Dogs are affectionate just like humans and they can tell when they are discriminated against by their owners.

When it comes to feeding and rewarding your dogs, just ensure that all dogs get similar treatment.

2. Ensure your two dogs stay together

If you own two or more dogs, the first thing you would want to achieve is ensuring that the dogs know each other very well and become friends.

This is not a problem when your dogs have been together since their puppy stage in life. However, if you bring in an adult dog, there are good chances that your dog might not get along well with the new one.

You can do this by ensuring that you take your dogs for a walk together, making them feel the importance of each other in their life.

If the dogs have a small and shared space for sleep, you can enlarge the territory and give them separate bowls for treats and water.

3. Ignore bad habits and Reward good habits

Whenever your dog shows signs of jealousy e.g., barking when playing with other pets, do not immediately shift your concentration to him otherwise he will think that it is the appropriate way to get your attention.

Instead, you can calmly move out of that area while leaving your dog behind.

You also need to be keen when your dog does something that calls for appreciation. Have a treat and hug to reward good behavior e.g., when the pushy dog joins the calm dog and pets in playing.

4. Have scheduled training sessions with your dogs

You need to review your training sessions with your dogs. Have a scheduled time each day to make the dog learn good habits and unlearn the unwanted ones.

You also need to have a way of measuring your dogs’ progress in the training sessions.

When taking your dogs for a walk, be gentle as their leader and ensure they both have a dog leash.

5. Create enough resources for your dogs

If you have more than one dog, you need to ensure that there are enough toys and chew bones in the house for each dog to play with without interruptions from other dogs.

You also need to have enough dog bowls for every canine in your house. Each dog needs to have his own calming bed.

The sleeping area for all dogs needs to be tidy and well-spaced, otherwise, instances of jealousy can easily arise from this.

6. Include all family members in dog activities

Ensure that all members of your family are well acquainted with the dogs in the house. You can do this by encouraging every member to participate in feeding the dog once in a while.

Whenever you have a visitor who will stay with you for a long time, make sure your dog knows their presence in the house.

What To Do If Nothing Works Out Well

On rare occasions, a jealous dog might be resistant to changing his behavior for the good. In this case, you should first pay a visit to a vet to ascertain whether your dog is suffering from other conditions unknown to you.

After visiting the vet and receiving advice from him, you need to consult an animal behaviorist for specialized training for your dog.

Conclusion

Having a jealous dog in your house is not an entirely strange thing. Among many other things about your Furbaby, you need to learn how to deal with this situation because you might need the skills in the least expected time.

Have you ever had a jealous dog before? How did you go about it? Please let me know in the comments section below, and thanks for reading through my article.

Written By

Laura Nassoura

Laura is the founder of Furs'n'Paws. She is a also a pet writer and expert with more than 20 years of experience of working with dogs and cats. She developed a very strong love for animals at a young age. Her passion led her to establish a thriving pet sitting and dog walking business in Dubai. As an expert in pet training, behavior, and nutrition, Laura is committed to helping pet owners and pet lovers by offering high-quality information on a wide range of topics.