When Your Dog Shows Jealousy: Insights and Solutions

Tackling Jealousy in Canines

The other morning I left the house early. Upon my return, my dog greeted me with excitement—a typical canine welcome, right? First joy, then happiness at seeing you again!

Once she settled down, I walked over to the neighbor's place. I had arranged for the neighbor to look after her during the day, but as soon as my dog felt she had been there too long, she scaled the neighbor's six-foot wall and jumped over my wall to wait in my front yard. Could that have been anxiety? The neighbor's dog approached me to say hello, but my dog inserted herself between us and refused to let the other dog get near me. That was unmistakably jealousy.

My dog's behavior that afternoon didn't really become a problem because I could separate the dogs; I brought my dog home and by the next day the issue had resolved.

If she hadn't been well socialized or well trained, or if the situation were permanent, this could have escalated into a far more serious problem.

For certain dog owners, jealousy can turn into a significant issue. A dog jealous of a new dog, particularly a puppy, might bite. A dog jealous of a new baby poses a danger within the family.

This is an angry face.

DrMark1961

Dogs Possess Self-Awareness

Some scientists hold that dogs cannot experience such nuanced emotions. They view jealousy as an emotion unique to humans. Patricia McConnell, in her book For the Love of a Dog, presents a strong argument for jealousy in dogs. Marc Hauser, in his book Wild Minds, contends that dogs don't feel that kind of emotion because they lack self-awareness.

I don't agree. My dog is self-aware, and she can certainly become jealous. Even without human language abilities, I can grasp her feelings. I'm confident that every observant dog owner understands what I mean.

This is a bored face (No, not more pictures!).

Strategies to Reduce Your Dog's Jealousy

Learn to interpret your dog's facial expressions. To lessen jealousy before it escalates, consider these approaches:

Exercise your dog sufficiently so she's tired: I know I stress this often, but it truly addresses many behavioral issues such as digging, escape attempts, and excessive barking. A tired dog, even if jealous, is less likely to show jealousy. It benefits your health as well!
Obedience training: As your dog learns to follow your commands, she will comply when you tell her to go to her bed, for instance, when she exhibits jealous behavior.
Time out: Whenever your dog acts jealous, send her to a separate area for a time out.
Help your dog understand her place in the family hierarchy. If your dog shows jealousy because she believes she's in charge, this will help. (If your dog is already submissive, this step isn't needed.)
Use counterconditioning techniques to help your dog link the new object (new puppy, new baby) with a pleasant experience. You can read my article on keeping your dog calm during fireworks to learn about conditioning techniques.
Have your male dog neutered if he shows aggression while jealous. Neutering isn't always a fix for aggression, but it's a possible solution worth trying.
If none of the other solutions work, have your vet conduct a thorough physical exam to rule out a medical cause. If there are any abnormalities, the vet might need to run some blood work.
If everything else is normal and the dog still displays jealousy, consult a behaviorist.

These are the faces of joy.

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Final Thoughts

This was the first time I'd seen my dog act jealous, but I observe it frequently in homes with multiple dogs, and also in homes where the dog becomes fixated on just one owner. It's a serious problem, and one that isn't always easy (or even possible) to solve. Try a few of the tips I've listed above and see if they work for you.

If you have other suggestions that might help in jealousy cases, leave a comment and I will add it to the article.

Top Tip

Learning all of the facial expressions helps a lot with training. There is no constant face of jealousy, but here is a great video of some facial expressions you are going to see with your dog, and what they mean. Not just Boxers, either.

This is a happy (goofy) face.

More About Dogs

My Dog and My Eyes: Why the Dog Makes Eye Contact Why do dogs look into our eyes? Why do dogs make eye contact when so many other species of animals do not?
Do Dogs Bark at Ghosts? Do dogs bark at ghosts? This article will not provide the answer but may open up the subject for further discussion. Only read it if you are not able to explain your dog's late-night barking!

This article is accurate and true to the best of the author's knowledge. It is not meant to substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, or formal and individualized advice from a veterinary medical professional. Animals exhibiting signs and symptoms of distress should be seen by a veterinarian immediately.