Dogs getting jealous is an emotion a lot of dog owners are probably familiar with. But sometimes, this behavior might become more intense or extend to boyfriends or other romantic partners, creating a cause for concern for people with jealous dogs. As a dog owner, you want your favorites to get along, so the last thing you want as a dog owner is your dog being aggressive and irritable whenever your partner is around or you get intimate with them.
If your dog is getting in the way of your intimacy with your partner, you need to find ways to help them unlearn these behaviors. While it is tempting to want to pet them when they begin to act jealously towards your boyfriend, the best thing to do usually is to ignore them. Ignoring them would make it impossible for you to reward the behavior.
It is also a good thing to renew its training exercises so it can learn that kissing your boyfriend does not mean you’re in danger. If your boyfriend is willing, you can include him in the training so your dog gets used to their company.
You can manage this type of behavior from your pet if you are able to figure out when they act the way they do and why. The first step is knowing if your dog is actually jealous of your boyfriend or if they are just stressed or anxious, especially when it is a new partner.
How to Know Your Dog Is Jealous of Your Boyfriend
Dogs also get stressed or anxious around strange situations or people. While your dog may not exhibit jealousy in a way that you would easily recognize, they’d usually show changes in behavior whenever said partner is around. You should be on the lookout for these behaviors to know precisely how to manage the jealous dog so that they become more open and accepting of your boyfriend.
On some level, all dogs are attention-seeking. This means that from time to time, your dog would do things just to get your attention. But when there is a pattern of behavior around a particular person, you can easily spot it for what it is —jealousy.
- Rebellious Behavior
If your well-trained and obedient dog starts to do things they were trained explicitly against, it might signify jealousy. For example, if your dog refuses to go to the toilet outside and pees all over the house, especially when your boyfriend is around.
- Aggression
Aggressiveness around your partner can be associated with jealousy. When your dog is constantly snarling, whining, barking, or even biting, you know they are jealous. Dealing with aggressive behavior in a dog requires firmness. Do not inadvertently reward this kind of behavior by giving them treats to get them to stop.
- Performing Tricks and Acting Needy
If your dog is turning into a circus dog and constantly performs tricks without being asked to, especially around your partner, they are jealous. This behavior is intended to get your attention, and the best way to deal with it is to ignore them whenever they start.
- Destructive Behavior and Hiding
If your dog is acting out, hiding, and destroying things around the house, it could be a sign of jealousy. Dogs can devise destructive means to release anxiety or seek attention when feeling neglected. Try as much as possible to find other outlets for their anxiety by providing items to chew on that are not valuable to you.
Why Does Your Dog Get Jealous When You Kiss Your Boyfriend
There could be a number of reasons why your dog is jealous of your intimacy with your boyfriend. Sometimes, because of how intelligent and lovable dogs are, it is easy to forget that they are not human beings and see things differently than we do. For you, kissing your boyfriend is a sign of intimacy and affection, but it might appear as a form of aggression toward your dog. Your dog could be showing signs of jealousy towards your boyfriend because:
- It Wants Attention for Itself
Dogs are incredibly intuitive and can sense when you become attached to someone else and are giving them more attention. Its attention-seeking tendency will definitely kick in causing it to exhibit some of the traits already highlighted. Your dog wants to feel loved too and they can always sense when that love is going somewhere else.
- It Is Confused
Kissing is a physical activity that dogs learn to like. They do not actually know what they are but they learn that they are good since it is usually done as a reward. It’s different when a dog who has learned to see kissing as a rewarding activity sees humans kissing, it is confusing for them. They might even regard it as a form of play and then start showing aggression because they want to join in the “play”.
- You Reward the Behavior
If you already reward your dog for acting up, it would see no qualms in doing so whenever you are trying to get intimate with your boyfriend. The trick is to not give any form of attention. Rewarding attention-seeking behavior means your dog will never know where to draw the line so they get in the way of your love life.
- It is being Protective
A dog can see kissing as a form of aggression from another human. Kissing involves invading each other’s personal spaces, something your dog has learned previously to look out for to protect you. For them, there is no way to distinguish all these different acts so they act up especially since they’re scared for you.