Many dog owners, especially those with multiple pups living under the same roof, swear they constantly witness their canine companions exhibiting jealous behavior.
We already know that dogs are complex creatures that can experience many emotions. They feel excitement when the person they love most enters the room, sadness when they're not around, fear in unfamiliar territory, etc. Dogs can even suffer from more worrisome emotions like anxiety and depression.
However, experts largely believe that dogs are incapable of feeling more complex emotions. Despite what their behavior might lead you to believe, the common belief among canine behaviorists is that dogs don't experience things like guilt or pride. But what about jealousy?
Dogs often show signs of jealousy. They may try to squeeze themselves in front of you whenever you show affection to another pet and act out to ensure your eyes are on them.
Is this behavior truly a sign of jealousy, or is it another case of humans applying their emotions to their pets? The answer may surprise you.
What the Science Says About Jealousy in Dogs
Believe it or not, recent studies suggest that dogs are, in fact, capable of feeling jealousy! These findings are a big deal, changing everything we know about how dogs think.
In humans, jealousy shares a close link with self-awareness. Therefore, research like this may pave the way to a much deeper understanding of primary and secondary emotions in canines.
About the Study
A study at the University of Auckland aimed to unveil how dogs respond when their owners interact with a perceived rival. The experiment involved 18 dogs, a realistic fake-looking dog toy and a simple fleece cylinder. The fake dog represented the rival, while the fleece cylinder was the control.
During the experiment, researchers had the dog observe the fake dog positioned near their owner. The owners didn't interact with the toy dog during this observation period. Next, researchers placed a barrier in front of the dog to block its view of their owner. At that point, the owner stroked the fake dog toy to mimic petting and affection. What the researchers found was fascinating!
Despite not seeing their owners interacting with the fake dog directly due to the barrier, the dogs all attempted to reach their owners once the "petting" started. This behavior indicates that not only can dogs feel jealous, but they can also mentally picture the situation that caused those jealous feelings to arise!
Researchers recreated the experiment with the fleece cylinder to ensure that the behavior wasn't a fluke or a reaction to try and see around the barrier. In those experiments, the dogs pulled at their lead with significantly less force than they did with the toy. They didn't view the fleece cylinder as a social rival, so their reaction was more subdued.
Researchers performed another round that allowed dogs to see their owner "pet" the fake dog. The canines responded in the same way as when a barrier obstructed their view, exerting the same amount of force to reach their owners.
These responses suggest that it was, indeed, the thought of their owners showing affection to a rival that triggered the response.
What's It All Mean?
This study provided amazing insight into what goes on in a dog's mind. It challenges the former belief that dogs can't feel complex emotions like jealousy.
The simple experiments proved that dogs reacted strongly to seeing their owners show affection to a perceived social rival. Furthermore, it suggests that dogs can mentally represent a situation that evokes jealousy, even if they can't see it with their own eyes.
Of course, it's still too early to say without a doubt that dogs feel jealousy. Researchers need to perform more studies. However, the findings, which the team published in "Psychological Science," indicate that dogs will react to situations that traditionally would trigger jealousy.
It's an interesting development that shows dogs are more complex than we originally thought, and it lends credence to all those jealous moments that dog owners witness firsthand.
Common Signs of Jealousy Among Dogs
Jealousy can rear its ugly head in many different ways. All dogs are different, so they respond uniquely to these emotions. Some behaviors make sense, but others are more puzzling from the human perspective. Here are a few signs of jealousy to look for in your pup.
Clinginess
Clinginess is a telltale sign of jealousy. When dogs want attention, they typically turn to their most loved human. Your pup may sit at your feet, follow you throughout the home and always remain by your side.
There are other reasons this behavior happens, including separation anxiety and fear. But when it follows a situation that involves you devoting your attention and affection to another, the behavior often points to jealousy.
Pushiness
In some cases, dogs get pretty pushy when they see you displaying your affection towards another dog or pet. For instance, it's common for dogs to lose all levels of decorum and training, sticking themselves between you and the social rival to steal your attention!
Some pups even do this to other humans, using their snouts to physically push them away from you. It's a way to demand your attention.
Competing for Attention
Not all reactions to jealousy are so direct. In some cases, dogs will try to capture your attention in creative ways. For example, your pup may do a trick or behave oddly. It's their attempt at grabbing attention without becoming too physical.
Growling or Barking
Growing, barking and hissing are intimidation tactics. Generally, dogs direct these verbalizations to their social rival, be it a child or other pet. Most pups won't go any further than growling or barking, but watching your furry friend become so angry and jealous can be alarming!
Physical Aggression
In extreme cases of jealousy, dogs can bite and nip at rivals. When dogs do this, they're not feeling great about the attention you're giving. They want to punish their rival for stealing your affection.
Most aggressive behaviors linked to jealousy aren't serious; you can address them with training. But you must take action if it resorts to full-on fighting and serious injuries.
Accidents
Jealousy can be a confusing emotion for dogs. They don't always know how to express what they're feeling. Instead of vocalizing or acting out,
some will have accidents inside the house. It's a surprisingly effective way of stealing an owner's attention, but it's not something you should reward.
Withdrawal
One of the sadder responses to jealousy is withdrawal. When dogs experience jealousy and secondary emotions like anger or sadness, they may leave the room and spend time alone.
You might find them holed up in a corner, hiding under your bed or hanging out in a reclusive spot to calm down.
What Can You Do About Canine Jealousy?
There are many different ways to address jealous behavior. No matter how serious the responses are, consulting a trainer or dog behaviorist is always a good idea.
Emotions like this can be difficult to decipher. If you want to reduce jealousy or change how your dog responds to it, you need help from an expert.
Generally, the best approach is to provide equal attention to all pets in your home. Give each pup their own space, provide separate toys, individual food bowls, etc. When interacting with your pups, divide your attention equally to ensure that one doesn't feel left out.
If your dog responds poorly to you showing affection towards an animal that doesn't live in your home, consider allowing your dog to socialize more. Sometimes, better socialization and more time around others can make a big difference.
Dealing with Your Canine Green-Eyed Monster
The green-eyed monster of jealousy can appear when you least expect it. Fortunately, most behaviors driven by jealous feelings aren't a serious problem. Chances are, you'll find them funny and adorable.
However, if jealousy turns into something serious, don't hesitate to contact a behaviorist who can help you keep unwanted behaviors to a minimum.
It may be many years before we learn more about how dogs feel and process jealousy. But if you've ever experienced your pup acting out when you are not giving it your undivided attention, you know that we can never truly understand what's happening in that little canine brain.
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