How to Know If Your Dog Is Jealous?

Whether you bring home a newborn baby or a pet, the attention that you give towards the new addition of your home can cause jealousy in your canine companion. Since domesticated animals are very territorial and crave the attention of their owners, they will often times change their behaviors and habits to cope with or change the situation. In order to deal with your dog's jealousy, you must first recognize the warning signs.

Instructions

    • 1

      Notice any abnormal behaviors from your dog, such as tearing up objects, acting wild and using the bathroom in the house. If your pet is especially territorial and feels threatened by another pet in the house, it may change its behavior in correlation with the changes in the household. Therefore, instinctive behavioral changes include actions that want to grab your attention.

    • 2

      Observe your dog's behavior towards the new pet and you, the owner. If your dog begins to bark or growl at you or the object he is jealous of, he is attempting to defer your attention from the object and onto him. For example, a dog may bark at a new cat around the house or bark at you while you are playing with a baby.

    • 3

      Notice the changes in territorial and eating habits. Dogs who are normally calm around the house will attempt to gain your attention by following you around wherever you go and never leave the room you are in. They may also change their eating habits, by over- or under-eating because of the changes in the household. If you notice any of these habits, it may be directly related to a new object in the home.