How to Stop Jealousy in Dogs

Your pets are like children who bond with you and depend on you for their living. However, if you bring a new pet or child into your home, your existing pet can act in several ways. Commonly, your dog can act jealous or protective about the new addition to your family.

So, if you are looking for the answer if your dog is jealous or not, giving the correct answer is a bit complicated. Your canine's “resource guarding” trait can occur at any time, and it might act jealousy on certain individuals.

Your dog's attitude can tell you if it is jealous or not. If your pet acts aggressively towards other pets or your baby, like growling or fixating on objects possessively, it might be projecting jealousy. If similar behavior is exhibited towards humans or other environmental elements, your dog might be nervous and anxious rather than jealous.

Here, we will discuss the signs of dog jealousy and the preventive measures in detail. Let’s dive into the details:

Signs of Jealousy and Aggression in Dogs

Dogs, like humans, can get uneasy when they feel excluded or when their environment changes dramatically or unexpectedly. Any number of events can induce anxiety.

Your pet often shows indications of worry when your routine changes. If a new family member arrives at your home, such as a partner, family member, new baby, or pet, your dog might feel insecure and act clingy. This can even happen if you spend more time on your computer or phone.

A sudden change in your dog’s daily routine, especially the food schedule, might trigger anxiety in your pet. Poor socialization during the puppy stage might also trigger anxiety in your pet. Even new environments, furniture, visitors, or even changes in litter box placement can trigger nervousness in your furry friends.

A lack of personal space, bedding, or other possessions can exacerbate anxiety, particularly if a dog perceives a threat from another creature. In such cases, your pet might project the following behavior:

•  Growling or snarling at other pets or people

•  Pushing or nudging for attention

• Standing on your back or chest

•  Excessive barking or whining

•  Guarding toys, food, or areas

•  Intervening when you show affection to others

•  Sudden destructive behavior (chewing, digging)

•  Aggressive posturing (raised hackles, stiff body)

•  Nipping or snapping

•  Attempting to block or get between you and others

•  Tail tucking or wagging aggressively

•  Showing teeth or baring fangs

•  Peeing or marking territory inside the house

•   Staring intensely or fixating on the object of jealousy

•  Ignoring or disobeying commands

•  Refusing to eat or sudden loss of appetite

•  Displaying submissive or fearful behaviors when confronted

•  Excessive panting or drooling when around others

•  Hiding or retreating to a safe space when feeling left out

•  Shoving head into your lap to demand attention

•  Refusing to share space with other pets or people

•  Acting out in new or unusual ways (e.g., biting furniture, knocking things over)

•  Increased hyperactivity or restlessness

How Can You Prevent Jealousy from Dogs?

Now that you know how to identify your dog’s jealousy and anxiety, it’s time to learn how to prevent such situations. Here are our expert solutions to handle those situations properly:

1. Do Not Give More Attention to Another Dog

Whenever you see another pet, dog, cat, or even bird, you might show love and affection for them. However, if your pet dog is around, you should tone it down to prevent it from getting jealous. If your dog feels jealous when you are giving attention to other pets, it might even start plotting revenge, like hiding your shoes or chewing them into bits.

More than 80% of dog owners reported observing jealous behaviors in their dogs when they gave attention to other dogs. You can resolve such a situation by introducing your dog to the new pet and letting them sniff each other out. If it is just a quick encounter, give your pet some extra love before saying “hello” to the new one.

If your dog starts acting up, calm it down with sweet talk and belly rubs. Make sure your dog knows you still love it, and it shouldn’t worry about being replaced.

2. Ensure Separate Places

Often, after bringing a new pet home, your pet dog might start acting like a drama queen. On the other hand, if you bring a new piece of furniture or a fancy showpiece, your dog might go into full “resource guarding” mode, like it’s protecting the crown jewels.

You can avoid such meltdowns by separating your dog from the stress factor. Do not move your dog from its usual place, as it will only crank up the anxiety and stress levels. Instead, keep the new pet or object in a different room so your dog can chill out.

3. Don’t Make Them Share Resources

Dogs are very possessive pets and do not like sharing resources like food, toys, and litter boxes. Some dog owners often try to make their pets share to reduce jealousy, which will only introduce more conflicts. So, avoid this at any cost.

Give separate toys, food bowls, and water fountains to each of your pets. If possible, keep them separate till they are familiar with one another. Otherwise, you will see a civil war inside your home among your pets.

4. Train Your Pet to Follow Commands

To behave your dog, you must play the alpha and make your leadership and commands unavoidable and accountable. Understanding the dog's behavior and how to command it builds a strong bond, but you must sometimes show that you are bigger, stronger, and a provider.

Another way is to try to calm your dog. Use soothing and praising words and actions. Petting your dog and rubbing its belly often eases the pressure and calms it down.

5. Train them in a Crate

Crate training is an essential part of a puppy’s behavioral training. Crating helps your dog obey and make itself comfortable even in the harshest situations. If you crate-train your puppy from an early age, it’s beneficial for both of you. If your dog stays in the crate during its lows, it won’t bark. Your dog will be comfortable and happy as well as mentally satisfied. Use soothing and praising words and actions. 

6. Consult a Vet Professional 

If your dog is doing all this due to stress factors and anxiety and you’ve tried to calm it down with your efforts, still no result, then it is time to handle it with professional expertise. Visit a vet to see if it is a hormonal problem. After the check-up, consult with a dog behavior expert and conduct a few behavior sessions with the trainer if necessary.

Conclusion

Understanding the reasons behind the jealousy between your pets is not too hard. When your dog sees a new pet, it can get anxious about sharing its space and resources, triggering bad behaviors and “resource guarding” traits. With proper training and socialization, you can manage them significantly.

Do not make your pets share resources. Rather, let them have their own territory and love them equally. This will make your pets live in harmony, and eventually, they can generate friendships. 

In response to jealousy, sometimes dogs may run away from home. In such cases, you can use PawMaw to find your pet as quickly as possible.