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Jealousy in a puppy

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  • 26-08-2019 9:54am
    #1
    AryaStark
    Registered Users Posts: 656 ✭✭✭


    Hi. I am hoping someone has experience with this and can give me some tips to work on...

    I hae a 6 year old female husky and we have rescued a rottweiler mix who is now just gone 5 months.

    The pup has been to puppy training and will be going to another level up but I want to wait until he is 8 months so that he retains more of what he learns. He is good and will sit, give the paw, stay etc and he is very clever.

    The problem with his is that he is so jealous of his sister. He will get in between when you try to pet her... it is so extreme like even if he is getting lots of attention he cant stand her getting any. He does love her and they play great when they are interacting with each other. It is only when we try to interact with her that the problems start.

    My brother was playing with him yesterday and he was in great form having lots of fun,, I walked out to them and just happened to pet the husky who was sunbathing and Drogon left his play and threw himself between me and Nymeria! He then wouldn't go back to play and just sat beside her.
    He spends most of his time watching what she has and wanting it! She is not too interested in lots of toys but she has a few favourites. She has a ball she loves and when she has it you could offer him steak and he wouldn't be interested.. just wants her ball.

    He will be going back to training as I said but I have never had to deal with this level of jealousy before. Drogon is already 25 killos at 5 months so I want to get a handle on it before he gets too big!

    Any quick fix tips!!!


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    #2
    em_cat
    Registered Users Posts: 1,292 ✭✭✭em_cat


    AryaStark wrote: »
    Hi. I am hoping someone has experience with this and can give me some tips to work on...

    I hae a 6 year old female husky and we have rescued a rottweiler mix who is now just gone 5 months.

    The pup has been to puppy training and will be going to another level up but I want to wait until he is 8 months so that he retains more of what he learns. He is good and will sit, give the paw, stay etc and he is very clever.

    The problem with his is that he is so jealous of his sister. He will get in between when you try to pet her... it is so extreme like even if he is getting lots of attention he cant stand her getting any. He does love her and they play great when they are interacting with each other. It is only when we try to interact with her that the problems start.

    My brother was playing with him yesterday and he was in great form having lots of fun,, I walked out to them and just happened to pet the husky who was sunbathing and Drogon left his play and threw himself between me and Nymeria! He then wouldn't go back to play and just sat beside her.
    He spends most of his time watching what she has and wanting it! She is not too interested in lots of toys but she has a few favourites. She has a ball she loves and when she has it you could offer him steak and he wouldn't be interested.. just wants her ball.

    He will be going back to training as I said but I have never had to deal with this level of jealousy before. Drogon is already 25 killos at 5 months so I want to get a handle on it before he gets too big!

    Any quick fix tips!!!

    No quick fix I’m afraid. We have the same issue but with small dogs. We worked with a behaviour trainer one to one because both of ours can be jealous at times. Have you mentioned this in your puppy classes and if so what has been the advice?


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    #3
    AryaStark
    Registered Users Posts: 656 ✭✭✭AryaStark


    em_cat wrote: »
    No quick fix I’m afraid. We have the same issue but with small dogs. We worked with a behaviour trainer one to one because both of ours can be jealous at times. Have you mentioned this in your puppy classes and if so what has been the advice?

    It wasn't an issue during the puppy classes and has really only started over the last month. She is not a big cuddlier and likes to sit on her own. She will come to me for a pet but is not a needy dog if that makes sense. He is! He wants you petting all the time and leans into me a lot.
    I will think about doing the next training classes early but will see how it goes first and if there is anything I can work on.
    We are going on holiday all together next week traveling Ireland! It will be October before we can start classes or see a trainer so that is why I am wanting to work on it now instead of letting it become an issue.

    I do walk Nymeria alone as well as with him and me and Nymeria take 30 mins everyday where she comes to my room while he sleeps. That goes very well and he has no separation anxiety. I think that he thinks we have left the house and if he knew we were down in my room he wouldn't be happy!


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    #4
    em_cat
    Registered Users Posts: 1,292 ✭✭✭em_cat


    I think it’s better to think of it like resource guarding. Esmae came to us with very little bite inhibition & was/ is a resource guarder so I started with baby steps by waiting for her to drop a squeaky toy, then treating and so on building up to doing the same with raw bones so both will now swap toys, if asked and that has helped immensely.

    From what your saying Drogon seems to be guarding you and Nymeria isn’t so it would be best to get in a behavioural trainer as it can get out of hand and guarding can turn in to a serious issue as I’m sure you know.

    We are lucky as Mr C is older by a couple of years than Esmae, they also where not introduced in an ideal way, but they both listen to each other and recover well if one gets moody :( I will say that getting in a behavioural trainer for a few sessions was the best thing I’ve ever done as it could have all been a disaster if we just let things fester.


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    #5
    tk123
    Registered Users Posts: 14,032 ✭✭✭✭tk123


    Sounds like Lucy and Bailey!! I'll maybe put another spin on it with what we've observed with Lucy - could he maybe resource guarding her and not you. Although resource guarding sounds like he's being a right divil lol! :o We've noticed sometimes that it's no so much Lucy is butting in to get the attention from us - she's butting in to get Bailey's attention. Why are you playing with THEM and not ME / go away he's MY brother kind of thing. Don't mess with him either like I dunno trying to trim his fur when he doesn't want it done - she'll bark at you to stop :p Same at the vets - (she's been having some issues ) her blood pressure was too high first day they tested and the vet asked to take Bailey in with her - normal! Acupuncture - she was very nervous first session, big bro has come to her sessions since then and relaxed... apart from this morning when she wanted to jump down and take his football :pac: ... NOW... take her into Bailey's apt and she butts in between the vet and her bro lol


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    #6
    peasant
    Registered Users Posts: 17,819 ✭✭✭✭peasant


    AryaStark wrote: »
    Any quick fix tips!!!

    No quick fixes, just consistency.
    When he starts shadowing her (wanting what she has) you tell him to leave her alone. If and when he does, praise him. (if he doesn't...obviously don't).Rinse and repeat ad nauseam until he gets it.

    The trick is not to make it a big issue. The more attention you give to his shadowing/ jealousy/ whatever you want to call it...the more important it becomes to him. Unless you have to intervene (because there is aggression in play)...don't. This is not a training unit, this has to be a casual, natural thing that just IS. Whenever he bothers her, quietly tell him "leave her alone" until he gets it.

    It is not a training unit because you want your disapproval to slowly sink in, but not make his misbehaviour rewarding for him because he gets extra attention out of it...if you catch my drift. Neither do you want to blow your disapproval out of proportion...it's no biggy...just leave her alone

    Leave her alone...that's a house rule he will just have to learn to accept.

    Bonus points: by doing this quietly and consistently your older dog will understand and know that you have her back (which should help her assert herself if needed)


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    #7
    AryaStark
    Registered Users Posts: 656 ✭✭✭AryaStark


    peasant wrote: »
    No quick fixes, just consistency.
    When he starts shadowing her (wanting what she has) you tell him to leave her alone. If and when he does, praise him. (if he doesn't...obviously don't).Rinse and repeat ad nauseam until he gets it.

    The trick is not to make it a big issue. The more attention you give to his shadowing/ jealousy/ whatever you want to call it...the more important it becomes to him. Unless you have to intervene (because there is aggression in play)...don't. This is not a training unit, this has to be a casual, natural thing that just IS. Whenever he bothers her, quietly tell him "leave her alone" until he gets it.

    It is not a training unit because you want your disapproval to slowly sink in, but not make his misbehaviour rewarding for him because he gets extra attention out of it...if you catch my drift. Neither do you want to blow your disapproval out of proportion...it's no biggy...just leave her alone

    Leave her alone...that's a house rule he will just have to learn to accept.

    Bonus points: by doing this quietly and consistently your older dog will understand and know that you have her back (which should help her assert herself if needed)

    I like this and it is kinda how we have been approaching it so far. No big deal but not on. Nymeria is good at asserting herself and can keep him in check. Sometimes it like she has a force field around her thatcher can't and won't pass


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