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So, do dogs get jealous? What do you think? Experts generally separate emotions in 2 parts: primary and secondary. Primary emotions would be joy, surprise, anger, fear and anger, they are considered to be universal emotions. Secondary emotions on the other hand would be envy, jealousy, guilt and shame, and are thought to require a more complex cognitive process. For instance in a social gathering, there are inequities and some people tend to gain better favor compared to some. Such imbalances would trigger emotions of envy, jealousy or even sometimes disgust. One would then tend to compare what he got for all the efforts he is doing compared to the one who got all the favor.

One most common manifistation of jealousy in dogs would stem out from the owner, mother dog and her puppies. Unlike us, humans, mother dogs don’t maintain her maternal instinct for the rest of her life. As soon as her puppies can survive on their own, her maternal affection would cease and be lost by the next time she goes into heat. Puppies by nature are so adorable, cute and very cuddly, so it is normal for the people in the house to shower the litter with tons of affection. The mother dog would then see the her owner’s attention being diverted awy from her and would feel jealous. As a result she would try to ignore and exclude the puppy from her nest or even become aggressive towards the puppy or owner.

Do Dogs Get Jealous

When an owner pats their dog on the head and coos ‘Who’s a clever boy?’, they might not be so far from the truth. Scientists have found that our canine friends are intensely jealous creatures prone to a raft of complex emotions. Just like us, they can feel the unpleasant pang of jealously, as well as pride, envy and embarrassment. In particular, dogs hate to see their owners offering affection to other dogs and can suffer badly when a new boyfriend or girlfriend is brought home. Source: Mail Online, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1092637/Why-dogs-jealous-Scientists-reveal-pets-complex-range-emotions.html by Daily Mail Reporter

Dealing with a Jealous Dog

Know the reason. Determine his reason for feeling that way. If it is a new puupy, new pet or your new bf/gf, give him time to adjust and also shower him lots of time and attention. This would reassure him that you still love him and he would be able to cope effectively. Keep your routine. Your regular routines are important to him, so do not change them. However, it would be a bit difficult to handle especially if his source of jealousy is a new baby. just keep your routine regular and on time, pets tend to get stressed out when their routine is broken. Shower him with affection. Time, attention and lots of affection goes a long way. Just like humans, it is an effective way to reassure the he is not replaced. Bonding time. Your play time is also important. Do it as much as you can to ease the tension. Let him socialize. Allow him to socialize with the newest addition to the family naturally and gradually. Just let him be, and do not force him to do anything. He will come around soon enough at his own pace. He will make friends as soon as he is already ready.

Hopefully, that gave you an answer on do dogs get jealous. But be careful though, dogs tend to know which people are good or bad. If it is a new bf and he is not warming up on him and for some reason would never want to leave your side, try to consider doing a backround check. It is always better to be on the safe side.

Any personal experience that you would want to share with us? Feel free to tell us what is on your mind on the comment box below.