Bringing home a new puppy can be a time of total happiness and enjoyment for you! But puppies also bring a lot of stress with them. When an older dog has lived with you for some time and you introduce a new puppy to the household, the older dog may react in a strange manner. This strange manner is called: yeah you’re right, folks-at-the-back, “jealousy”. This reaction is instinctual and may pose some uncomfortable problems at your end.
Now, there’s necessarily no fault of the new puppy or your choice of bringing a new pet into the house. It’s mere mixed emotions at your older dog’s end who doesn’t understand it, yet. Just give him some time and he’ll even start loving your new fur baby but don’t expect him to accept the new member of the house wholeheartedly from the start. There are researches that support the fact that dogs really do feel insecure at times.
Recently, psychologists performed a study on dog behaviour and found out that dogs too can feel envy. If they show aggression towards the newer guy, don’t aggravate the problem by scolding him. We’ve compiled some of these scenarios to help you better understand the problem at hand. Don’t worry, we won’t leave you hanging in thin air with the problem, we’ll solve it for you too. Just keep reading.
1.“He loves his new sister.”
We can’t deny the fact that this old dog is extremely jealous of the new dog. He’s even learnt the art of eye-rolling. Hilarious!
2. “Kingsley loves her new seat in the truck. Her big sister isn’t at all happy about it.”
3. “Yes, Rosco has ruined Riley’s remaining years.”
It is a proven fact that dog lives are short. The fact that the remaining years of this dog have been put to a severe attitude trial is freaking crazy and we understand the pain of this doggo completely.
4. “Watson thought if he just didn’t look at the problem, it would go away.”
5. “He loves his little brother, I swear.”
Now now now, it may seem that they are not getting along (whispers: which is the real case), the owner still wants us to believe their relationship is friendly with each other. We don’t buy that. Do you?
6. “My older, smaller dog with his younger, bigger sibling”
7. A self-explanatory look
All solidarities with this dog in utter and sheer pain because of the new pup in the house. His expressions say it all!
8. “When you get caught bullying your younger sibling”
9. “I’m not sure how my dog feels about her new foster sister.”
10. “When your little brother is being annoying but your mom is standing right there”
Your dog is used to your companionship and if there are other dogs who suddenly emerge on the scene and take your attention away from them, then they are definitely going to be jealous and angry. This behaviour is completely normal because the old dog feels like his life in the house is in jeopardy and he may not even be wanted in that household which is completely wrong by the way, but that’s just how your oldie feels.
In order to alleviate his anxiety and annoyance, you should not ignore him and give attention to the newer pet in the house. Try to keep your behaviour the way you used to before the newbie came so that your old dog is assured that his place in your heart has not changed at all. This tip works in most cases and is sure to put a loving bond between your furry companions as well.
11. “Abby is being so patient with the new puppy.”
12. “He annoys me.”
13. “When I’m happy, someone I hate suddenly appears.”
Look at the changed expressions of this dog and understand what he wants to say to you. Such behaviours should never be looked over or ignored if you truly love your pet.
14. “How your dog feels when you bring home a ’cute’ new puppy”
15. “Our old boy is really annoyed with our new girl.”
Here comes this oldie who is super dooper annoyed at the new pup in the house. Well, we can’t help but feel sorry for him.
16. “One day it will be over. I just need to be patient.”
17. “My dog is not as amused by the new puppy as we are.”
He’s definitely not enjoying the new company in the house.
18. “Hey, what do you think you’re doing?”
19. “It seems like he’s asking, ’Let’s take this thing back, okay?’”
Oh, those teary eyes!
20. “It was at this moment Hank regretted asking for a little brother.”
21. “My sister sent me a photo of her dog and a new puppy. Just look at that face.”
22. “We made that mistake twice.”
Here the owner didn’t make the mistake once, twice but three times!
23. “Who else ruined their older dog’s life by getting them a younger sibling?”
All in all, dog behaviours can vary a lot. To try and control one dog’s jealous behaviour towards another, try these things out. Avoid giving too much attention to one pet versus the other. Feed them separately to avoid a fight during mealtime. Don’t pet one pet at the expense of the other. Managing unwanted behaviours is what will make us all great pet owners.
So these are few tips for you to implement and make sure that your furry companion feels happy, satisfied and relaxed in your presence. How many pets do you own? Have you ever encountered such pet behaviours? Do let us know in the comments below and share your experience so it can help us all understand the feelings of our doggos together so we can best manage them. Cheers!
