Jealousy in dogs?

Young_Gun · #1 (**permalink**) 02-05-2008, 01:39 PM

Recently I'm noticing that my dog (male Dobermann Pinscher) is getting more and more 'jealous' of other dogs, if I pay any other dog any attention he either jumps on me or does somethin else to get my attention or starts getting really aggressive towards the other dog.

Is there anythin I can do to knock it on the head?

bosshogg · #2 (**permalink**) 02-05-2008, 02:05 PM

Yet, what the dog feels is not jealousy, but anger at broken order of rang in the pack.

Will it surprise you to learn that dogs are incapable of feeling jealous or envious? Canines and lupines do not have the types of biochemicals, which produce the feelings, we associate with jealousy and envy.

However, an angry dog is an unhappy dog, no matter what caused the anger.

If you have a "jealous" dog, what you do have, is a dog, who has come to consider him/herself the leader of the pack (read: household).
When you bring a new person or new animal into the pack, the dog feels that his/her rights as leader are being violated - and gets angry, though not angry at the new person/animal, rather angry with you, for not "asking permission first."

Giving the dog a treat sends the dog-signal that the dog is, indeed, your leader.

If you get angry with the dog, he/she will loose trust in you.

A "jealous" dog is also liable to be disobedient, go to the bathroom indoors, and help him/herself to food off the table.

So how did all this come about?

Dogs, in general, are pack-animals, and must have a firm and fair leader. If they don't have that, they feel insecure, then instinct takes over, and the dog tries his/her best to be just such a firm and fair leader.
Usually without success: There are too many things and situations in people-world that a dog cannot comprehend nor deal with without adequate (people-)guidance.

A good way of establishing yourself as a firm and fair leader is through enticement and positive reinforcement.

To achieve this, you will need to understand canine nature and instincts, which is not difficult to learn.

Dogs, like most species, will give the same signals of communication to people and other types of animals as they would to other dogs.

They take it for granted that you understand what they are "saying" and they expect you to send similar signals to them in return.

An example of how easily misunderstandings can happen:
In many households, the dog gets fed before the people sit down to eat, as it is most convenient that way. This sends an unfortunate signal to the dog: In dog-world, the leader decides who eats what, when & where - and the leader always eats first!

If the person does not understand what the dog is "saying", then the dog gets confused, which can quickly lead to severe misunderstandings, like leadership-issues, resulting in your dog becoming so frustrated, that he/she becomes aggressive.

Therefore, it remains for the person, with his/her superior
intelligence and imagination, to understand and respect what dogs are all about.

That way, you can have a dog, who trusts you, looks to you for leadership, and obeys you because he/she wants to.

Reference Link:

http://pantherakumara.tripod.com/id10.html

Hardwicki · #3 (**permalink**) 02-05-2008, 02:10 PM

Our old Alsation was the same. The only thing we got told to do was ignore him when walking in to the room when you have been out etc, make him walk behind you when going through doors and down stairs and only give him love and kisses once he has settled down. He'll soon associate this with postive things. I didnt understand how this was supposed to work but it did.
Also dont let him on furniture stuff like that as he thinks he may be ruling the roost but you are the leader.

Hope you do ok though.

Young_Gun · #4 (**permalink**) 02-05-2008, 02:11 PM

My dog knows his place in the 'pack', he gets fed after everyone else and has always known his place.

He responds to every command first time and always has, never helped himself to anything without being told to do so first, when he is being 'jealous' the first time I tell him to stop or give him a command he does it.

Thanks for the info though

HABU · #5 (**permalink**) 02-05-2008, 02:17 PM

when it gets aggressive.... say NO!.. there, all done.

Young_Gun · #6 (**permalink**) 02-05-2008, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HABU

when it gets aggressive.... say NO!.. there, all done.

I do, and he stops straight away.

I tell him 'No' and make him sit and he calms down, but I want to stop it happening instead of react to it when it does.

feorag · #7 (**permalink**) 02-05-2008, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HABU

when it gets aggressive.... say NO!.. there, all done.

Habu!

Usual basic short response!!

Bosshogg - very good advice and clearly explained - maybe this should have a sticky on it, because it does explain dog behaviour very clearly and we get a lot of questions regarding problems lilke this where the dog does not accept that he is not pack leader!!

Mods????

Emmaj · #8 (**permalink**) 02-05-2008, 02:43 PM

Roy

I have this with some of mine though not the aggression part

my springer is terrible and the collie oh and the huskamute lol

If ones getting attention the other tries to butt in

if they do it once i hold the nose and gently push away saying NO WAIT!

if they carry on i pop them in the kitchen behind the puppy gate for time out

it does work as they then realise well if i dont give up im on my own

i suppose thats the begger of having a few dogs lol

fenwoman · #9 (**permalink**) 02-05-2008, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Young_Gun

Recently I'm noticing that my dog (male Dobermann Pinscher) is getting more and more 'jealous' of other dogs, if I pay any other dog any attention he either jumps on me or does somethin else to get my attention or starts getting really aggressive towards the other dog.

Is there anythin I can do to knock it on the head?

Yes, start putting some ground rules into practice. Your dog is calling the hsots at the moment and making decisions as to who or what you are allowed to pay attention to. You need to learn about pack heirachy and perhaps watch some episodes of the dog whisperer to see how it is done otherwise you will have a big problem on your hands. Neutering might help sort and testosterone related issues out.There is no quick fix answer, just get it sorted out who is the pack leader.
Bosshog gave a better response than mine and explained it better. Your dog obviously does not realise that you are the boss otherwise he wouldn't be dictating who you can pay attention to. I have a pack of 14 dogs. I can bring a completely strange dog into my home and they wouldn't dream of getting aggressive etc. When Chalky got dumped outside the cottage, I simply went out and fetched him in. As we came through the door, all the others simply waited until he was in before crowding rounds and sniffing with their tails wagging the whole time. You see, it's up to me not them who comes in the house.

bosshogg · #10 (**permalink**) 02-05-2008, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Young_Gun

My dog knows his place in the 'pack', he gets fed after everyone else and has always known his place.

He responds to every command first time and always has, never helped himself to anything without being told to do so first, when he is being 'jealous' the first time I tell him to stop or give him a command he does it.

Thanks for the info though

i am a firm believer in Cesar millians approach to dogs (he's known as the dog whisperer in America) he may "obey" you and never take anything but that doesn't mean he is happy with the pack structure.

can i ask does he jump up? does he lean on you? or put his paw on you? i ask as these are all signs of dominance, there only subtle and can be easily missed

with a dog you have to become the pack leader, this is done in some easy steps i quote this straight from the site and might help you understand more what i am saying

Quote:

pack leader doesn’t project emotional or nervous energy, so neither should you. In the wild, the pack leader uses calm-assertive energy to influence how the dog interacts with his surroundings. She enforces these laws in a quiet way, as is the case when a mother picks up a puppy by the scruff of the neck if he strays outside the den. Ownership of territory is very important. Dogs in the wild claim space by first asserting themselves in a calm and confident way, and then communicating this ownership through clear body language signals and eye contact. A dog who understands that you, as the pack leader, own the space in which he lives will respect your asserted authority.
Waiting is another way that pack leaders assert their position – puppies wait to eat, and adult dogs wait until the pack leader wants them to travel. Waiting is a form of psychological work for the dog. Domestication means dogs don’t need to hunt for food, but they can still work for it.
Establish your position as pack leader by asking your dog to work. Take him on a walk before you feed him. And just as you don’t give affection unless your dog is in a calm-submissive state, don’t give food until your dog acts calm and submissive. Exercise will help the dog, especially a high-energy one, to achieve this state.
In all of these ways, the pack leader in nature sets rules, boundaries, and limitations for her pack, and in doing so, nurtures her dog’s healthy state of mind.

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