Do Dogs Get Jealous?

[RATTER15]

I would have imagined that jealousy is a human emotion and an emotion not experienced by dogs.

We some times take just one of our hounds out, as we did tonight for a pint in our local, but on our return as often happens as our hounds come back together there is a lot of growling between the two boys, it never develops into anything more than growls, just a few choice words from one of us and it is over.

It sounds like jealousy but is it really?

[murraymints]

Your dog drinks pints ?

[Prudie]

I think they do, and cats, but it probably isn't actual jealousy more that their noses are out of joint because they feel they've lost their place in the pecking order with their master.

[seadogg]

If someone took my mate to the pub and left me I would growl.

[murraymints]

Especially if you didn't bring him back a bag of crisps !

[Psybbo]

Yes they do, daughter has 4 and says she cannot take one out as the others would attack it on reurn

[pixie373]

Yes. If our older dog comes to sit on my lap, the younger one barges behind him and pushes him off while trying to lick my face- even if he was happily lying on the floor before. It certainly appears to be a form of jealousy?

[RATTER15]

Good point Prudie.

murraymints, "Your dog drinks pints ?" I'm sure they would given the chance, well they are "Irish"

[murraymints]

Hi Jordy..doing good ta xx

[ferlew]

I would say YES, for sure.
Thankfully mine are little, but if I pick one up, the other tries leaping into my arms. If I stroke one, the other's nose is nudging my hand.
Then there is the ruddy cat... ever been for a wee followed by 2 dogs and a cat ?

[China Doll]

Yes, my mum has two jack russells and the female gets insanely jealous if she thinks the male has something she doesn't; toys, space on a lap etc... She gets reprimanded for it all the time.

[murraymints]

My cat would sulk for days if he was left at kennels...really told me off he did..

[seadogg]

You mean there are some dogs who actually let the gaffer go to the loo on his own?

[woofgang]

I think they do get jealous but also if the pack difference between them is small then there may be an element of pack readjustment when the dog who has been out alone re enters the pack. i suspect that may be the issue with Psybbo's daughter's bunch is that the pack dynamic isn't stable.

[ferlew]

Well, not mine Seadogg.

[RATTER15]

woofgang, I think you may have it, there doesn't really appear to be a dominant dog in the pack, we dont allow it. We are dominant and it works fine.

I think Wolfhounds are so laid back they cant be arsed about being dominant to be honest.

The only time the two boys have fallen out was when the bitch (Keeva) was in season a couple of years ago and that was soon sorted in a few seconds as well.

[woofgang]

Ratter, i don't think that dogs are dominant in the Cesar Milan sense of the word, neither do I think that they lie awake at night plotting how to overthrow the humans, which is why I talk about pack difference and pack dynamic. My two brothers are very attached to each other, but when they went separately to the vet this week for vacs, there was a little bit of grumbling and back hair up when they met again each time. Dog who had been to the vets was stressed, dog who had stayed home with my sister was excited to see his bro again and there was just a lot of emotion around. 30 seconds together with enough space for them tocalm themselves and not be in each other's faces and it all blew over.

[RATTER15]

I know what you are saying Woof, I tend to think that the dominant dog is just the more assertive dog rather than dominant over each other.

[ferlew]

My cat is plotting to kill me, he precedes my every step.