Have you ever felt like your Pug gets jealous when you pay attention to someone else? Has this happened even if that “someone else” was another person and not another pet? What is going on?
If you have ever felt like the behavior you are seeing from your Pug dog could be jealousy, you may be on to something! In this article, I will share what I’ve learned about Pugs and jealousy from my 16 wonderful years of life with a Pug dog.
Do Pugs Get Jealous?
Yes they do! Pug dogs have a unique personality and temperament that comes from how they have been bred and also why they have been bred.
When you choose to share your life with a dog as loving and loyal and people-focused as a Pug, you may see the little green monster rearing its ugly head from time to time.
But the more you can understand your Pug dog’s history and origin, the better equipped you will be to head jealousy off at the pass.
Why Do Pugs Get Jealous?
To answer this question, I would like to share a bit more about the precious Pug dog’s unique breed history. Read our more in-depth article about why Pugs were bred.
Did you know the Pug can trace their breed history back over 2,000 years? These dogs first evolved in China. Their sole reason for being was to sit in the laps of emperors and be loved.
Today, the Pug is considered the perfect dog for people who want a house pet. The Pug is little and loving. They require only moderate daily exercise – a walk and some play time is typically all Pug dogs need.
Pugs are popular around the world for their single-minded devotion to “their” people. Knowing this, the next time you see your Pug acting jealous, it will make a lot more sense!
What Does Pug Jealousy Look Like?
The first and most important thing you need to know about the Pug dog’s natural temperament is that they love to be loved. They also love to give love.
But the Pug is also a very intelligent dog. When a dog breed is very smart, they tend to be more emotionally sensitive as well.
This means your Pug can get their feelings hurt surprisingly easily!
Let’s say you bring home a new pet. You start lavishing your new pet with attention, getting their area all set up, feeding them, taking pictures of them and spending a lot of time praising them.
Your Pug watches all this happening. Suddenly they have to compete for your attention and time. You can’t explain the new addition to your dog in people words.
So your Pug starts acting out. What behaviors might you see if your Pug gets jealous?
- Barking or growling
- Whining or strange vocalizations
- Defending “their” area, bedding, toys, food dishes, treats
- Inappropriate peeing and/or pooping
- Standing between you and the object/pet/person causing the jealousy
- Snapping or biting
- Pushing at the object/pet/person causing the jealousy
- Leaving the room entirely
Obviously, some of these behaviors are more worrying than others. Some dogs will only display 1-2 of the behaviors, while others may display several of them.
Is there anything you can do to ease your Pug’s jealousy?
How to Cope With Pug Dog Jealousy
The good news is, once you understand that the behavior you are seeing in your Pug dog is actually jealousy, you can move forward to deal with it.
You always want to use positive reinforcement training to help your Pug cope with jealousy!
Pugs are far too intelligent and sensitive to deal well with any kind of negative (punishment) training methods. Plus, modern canine science has shown these methods don’t work as well.
Yes, it’s totally possible to discipline a Pug, but there are right ways and wrong ways to do it.
Here are some great strategies you can use to help your Pug get over their jealousy:
- Feed your pets separately to avoid food aggression
- Always give pets and treats to each pet equally
- Make sure there are two of each valued item (toy, bed, etc.) so each pet has one
- Do not respond to undesirable behavior at all
- Ignore your dog when you first get back home
- Use crate training as a “time out” to avoid any dangers during training
Keep notes about when you see your Pug acting out jealous feelings. What caused the jealousy? The more you can learn about what makes your Pug jealous, the more effectively you can deal with it.
Address Pug Jealousy ASAP
Never hesitate to ask for help from your dog’s veterinarian or a professional dog trainer if you need it. These professionals can take some of the stress out of helping your Pug feel less jealous.
Final Word On Pug Jealousy
You might think that your Pug’s jealousy is cute, but this is a problem that should not be ignored. As a pet parent it’s important to manage your pets unwanted behaviors to help keep them both mentally and physically healthy.
Like humans, dogs require both physical ad emotional needs. As long as you make your Pug feel loved, they should be fine being around other pets!
References And Further Reading
Pub Med – Harris CR, Provost C – Jealousy In Dogs
Pug Village – Jealousy in Pugs…Have you seen it too at your place?