Do dogs feel jealous of other pets at home

When we joyfully welcome a new pet into our home, expecting our dog to get along well with it, we find that the dog sometimes exhibits some strange behaviors: growling deeply at the new pet, or suddenly squeezing in when the owner strokes the new pet, trying to attract attention. These actions make us wonder — can dogs be jealous of other pets in the house? This question is filled with curiosity about the dog's inner world and also contains the owner's concern for their emotional needs. Exploring the answer behind it from a scientific perspective can not only help us understand dogs better but also enable us to give them more appropriate love and care.

From the perspective of animal behavior, dogs are animals with complex emotions and social behaviors. In the long process of evolution, as social animals, dogs have already formed their own set of social order and ways of expressing emotions. They have a strong sense of dependence and possessiveness towards the owner, and this emotion stems from their loyalty and trust in the "leader" within the group. When a new pet appears at home, the dog's original life order and emotional balance are disrupted. They may regard the new pet as a threat and think that their status in the owner's heart is being challenged. This sense of competition for resources (including the owner's attention, food, territory, etc.) is, to some extent, similar to the jealousy in human beings.

In daily life, we can often observe a series of behavioral changes in dogs due to the arrival of a new pet at home. Some dogs will try to get close to the food bowl and even push it away when the new pet is eating. This is them competing for food resources and worrying that their food will be "taken away". When the owner plays with the new pet, the dog may suddenly rush over, paw at the owner, or whine, hoping to regain the owner's attention. These behaviors are all conveying a message: the dog feels threatened, and it longs to return to the state of being the only one doted on by the owner. Just like a child who tries various ways to attract the parents' attention when seeing them show affection to other children, the dog is also expressing its inner unease and the longing for the owner's love in its own way.

From a psychological perspective, although dogs do not have a complex emotional cognitive system like humans, they can indeed sense changes in the environment and their own states and make corresponding emotional responses. After a new pet enters the family, dogs may experience negative emotions such as anxiety and unease. The accumulation of these emotions will prompt them to relieve their inner discomfort through some behaviors. For example, some dogs will become more clingy and follow the owner around all the time, fearing that the owner will completely shift their attention to the new pet. While some dogs may show aggression and try to maintain their status by intimidating the new pet. Behind these behaviors is actually a self-protection mechanism of dogs in the face of emotional changes. They use their own ways to adapt to the new family environment and re-establish a sense of security.

However, we cannot simply equate these behaviors of dogs with human jealousy. Human jealousy is often accompanied by complex cognition and moral judgment, while the behaviors of dogs are more based on instinct and stress responses to environmental changes. But this does not mean that we can ignore these emotions and behaviors of dogs. If we turn a blind eye to these reactions of dogs, it may lead to the exacerbation of their emotional problems and even trigger behavioral disorders. For example, dogs that are in a state of anxiety and unease for a long time may experience problems such as a decrease in appetite and poor sleep quality, which seriously affect their physical health. And aggressive dogs, if not guided and corrected, will not only cause harm to the new pet but also pose a threat to the safety of the family.

As owners, we need to pay attention to the emotional needs of dogs and help them adapt to the arrival of the new pet. Before welcoming the new pet, we can first let the dog get familiar with the smell of the new pet. For example, put the items of the new pet in the area where the dog often moves around, allowing the dog to gradually get used to its presence. After the new pet arrives home, give the dog enough attention and comfort, so that they know they are still an important member in the owner's heart. At the same time, treat each pet fairly to avoid making the dog feel neglected. When interacting with the new pet, you can invite the dog to participate together to enhance the relationship between them and let the dog understand that the arrival of the new pet will not reduce the owner's love for it.

Although dogs cannot express jealousy in words like humans, they do have emotions and behavioral reactions similar to jealousy due to the appearance of a new pet at home. These reactions stem from their dependence on the owner, their sense of competition for resources, and their inability to adapt to environmental changes. As owners, we should understand the emotional needs of dogs with our hearts and use scientific methods to guide them to get along harmoniously with the new pet. Every patient company and every gentle stroke is telling the dog: Whether there is a new member in the family or not, you will always be my beloved baby. When we see the dog and the new pet change from being confrontational at first to snuggling together friendly later, we will understand that all the efforts are worthwhile, because their happiness is our greatest wish.