Dog Jealousy: What it is, Why it Happens, and How to Help

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Recently, psychologists performed a study on dog behaviour and learned without a doubt that dogs do get jealous. Whether it’s jealousy as humans experience it, or an offshoot of deeply ingrained dog behaviour like guarding what they consider to be their territory, or redirected excitement, dogs do feel envy.

How do you know if your dog is feeling jealous? Some of these behaviours might sound familiar:

You greet your family member with a big hug, and you hear telltale whining as your dog insinuates himself into your hug.
The dog on your lap growls as another dog (or family member) walks by.
As you give one dog attention, your other dog pushes her out of the way.

Ring any bells? If you’re dealing with a jealous dog, we’ve got great tips and tricks to find some balance in your family dynamic.

What Causes Dog Jealousy

Dogs want their share of the attention, food, and other good things you provide—it’s only natural. But when dogs start acting jealous and seeking your attention more aggressively, you’ll want to look at any changes to their home life.

Most of the time, dog jealousy is caused by changes like:

New schedule
New home and area
New primary caregiver
New pets in the home
New people living in the home
A new baby or child

How to Help Your Jealous Dog

Regular training practice

If you haven’t worked on obedience since puppy school, it might be time to dust off that treat pouch and invest in a few 20-minute training sessions.

Reinforcing behaviours like “leave it” and “go to your bed/crate” will help establish your leadership and polish up the skills you’ll need to manage situations where your dog is acting jealous.

Remove the “reward” (hint: it might be you!)

Have you been accidentally rewarding your dog with attention when jealousy strikes? Just like human kids, the thrill of negative attention can become rewarding for your dog.

Decide which jealous behaviours to ignore, and when it might be best to simply walk out of the room.

Involve the object of jealousy in your regular training practice

If a new family member has upset the balance in your home, have them tag along on walks, at meals, and during playtime.

Remember the “no free lunch” rule and ensure that every treat, scratch, and meal comes at the cost of some calm, obedient behaviour. In no time at all, your new housemate will be just another part of the gang.

Dog-on-dog jealousy

Suddenly, the only time treats appear are when the dogs are together, sitting politely or on their beds. This achieves two things — associating the new dog with good things and brushing up on obedience skills.

Also, take both dogs on walks together every day. Nothing gets dogs in a pack mindset like getting out in the world and peeing on stuff. Experiment with different tricks, treats, and timing. Eventually, the dogs learn that calm compliance is the most rewarding behaviour of all.

When Dogs Get Jealous of Babies

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A great way to help the dog to become desensitised to the baby is to allow him to smell an object or piece of clothing from the offending small person, and give treats for smelling the item and remaining calm. This won’t solve the whole problem, but it is a good starting place.

Don’t leave a dog unattended around a baby or small child. Leave your dog’s lead attached to a flat collar so you can get control of the dog easily, and everyone can feel calm and relaxed while interacting.

For more on helping your dog adjust to a new baby, check out this in-depth article.

Territorial Behaviour in Dogs

It’s normal for dogs to guard resources that matter to them, such as toys, chews, a favourite treat, or a favourite person. The problem starts when this instinct escalates to aggressive behaviour.

Training a territorial dog requires removing triggers where possible—such as not bringing toys to the dog park. It’s also important to establish that “the good stuff” comes from you, and as a result of the desired behaviour. For instance, require your dog to “sit” before you reward him by putting the lead on to take a walk, or sustain a “down” command for a few minutes before being released to eat his dinner.

For more about working with territorial dogs, see this training guide.

Taking Care of Yourself and Your Dog

When you feel like you have a serious dog behaviour issue on your hands, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Remember you’re not alone, and you’re not the first or only person to deal with the training issue. Take a deep breath!

Divide and conquer. If you have a lot of issues going on at once, or if your dog’s jealousy is leading to secondary bad behaviours, it’s perfectly ok to focus on just one behaviour at time.
Manage like a pro. Remember these three dog management pillars: exercise, containment, and resource management. Most daily dog problems can be mitigated by daily exercise, separation when necessary with crates or baby gates, and by making sure the humans in the house are always in charge of high-value resources.
Keep calm and carry on. By giving yourself permission to share your life with a “perfectly imperfect” dog, you’ll reduce your anxiety and stress, which in turn will lower your dog’s anxiety and stress. Dogs may not understand our every word, but they are experts in tone and facial expression.

Get Help

Don’t be afraid to call in a behaviour specialist or work with a trainer if dog jealousy is an ongoing issue in your household.
Give your dog some quality one-on-one time with a pet sitter who provides dog boarding when you can’t be around. This can be a real lifesaver during those new baby days, or after adding a new dog to your family.
Going on walks with another dog is a good way to socialise your little mate, but sometimes, your jealous dog may need space. Give your dog the gift of individual attention by booking a dog walker just for them on Rover.com.

You’re still a great pet parent if you call in the extra help. In fact, recognising that you and your dog need help makes you a strong and self-aware dog parent. Go you!