Dog Envy: How To Handle A Jealous Dog

Ever wonder why some dogs act negatively whenever an owner brings home another pet or baby? Jealousy in dogs does exist. Like man, dogs can feel too. They feel exhilarated, happy, sad, fearful and covetous. Some people do not believe that dogs get jealous. Nevertheless, there are instances when dogs feel abandoned and left out. They refuse to eat and to interact. You may call it jealousy or something else, but the behavior and actions of the dog must not be ignored and must be addressed quickly as not to make the situation worse. If you own a dog and you think that he or she might be feeling overprotective over something or someone, consider the following tips.

Determine The Signs That Your Dog Is Jealous
Before you can intervene, you need to understand the different signs that occur when a dog becomes jealous.

A dog may bark at the new baby or new pet that抯 hanging around the house. If you are holding your baby or another pet and the dog starts barking, that is a sign of jealousy. It is their way of saying, "Hey, look at me." Moreover, your dog will want to be always at your side. He never wants to be in a room that is not the same room that you are in.

Another way to tell that your dog is jealous is he starts licking himself far more than the usual. He is diverting his attention to himself because he is not getting much attention from his master. In addition, observe your dog's eating habits. Undereating or overeating can be signs that your dog is jealous.

How To Handle A Jealous Dog
Once you have recognized the symptoms of jealous pet, you can start doing something that will reduce the problems at home. Following are things that you can do about a jealous dog:

Tender Loving Care (TLC)
Your dog is jealous because you are giving more attention to another person or pet. Perhaps, if you can give more time for your dog and show him that you still care. You can walk him in the park during breaks. Cuddle your dog just like you used to. Do not make him feel left out. If you can keep your routine as regular as possible, then better. Certainly, this may not be easy if you have a new baby because having a newborn babe is more delicate. Just try to keep your dog's activities such as feeding or walks on the standard schedule. A break in the usual schedule can be very stressful for your pet.

Reduce Possible Stresses At Home
If the new cat keeps playing with the dog's play toys and you notice that your dog is not happy about it, you may want to put the toys in a place where the new cat will not reach the toys. Say, your dog is upset because the new cat is hanging out in his part of the house, do not let the new cat stay there because dogs are territorial animals and they want to have their own space.

Dogs are man's best friends. They are endearing and they will look after their masters. However, they too have feelings and at times get jealous mainly if there is a new pet or new baby around. Take responsibility and supervise your dog during the transition. See to it that you are around when you bring home a new baby or a new pet. That is responsible ownership.

How to break dog bad habits? Go to dogproblems.com and discover training techniques and dog training approaches for puppy biting and other aggressive behaviours.