My Pet World: Does a dog exhibit 'jealousy' when a wife and husband hug?
Dear Cathy,
We've got an amazingly bright six-year-old female lab named Duchess. When my wife comes home from work, Duchess stands between us, hugs me, and seems to push my wife away.
She doesn't put her paws like that on anyone else. She hardly ever barks at us but often does during this moment. She exhibits no aggression. Do you think Duchess is trying to pull my wife away from me to protect her, or is Duchess trying to get my wife off me to protect me? Is Duchess jealous of my wife or me? Or is it something else?
— Jack and Stacy, Las Vegas, Nevada
Dear Jack and Stacy,
Many people will attest that their dogs sometimes get in between them when they hug or are intimate with their significant other. Several reasons for this include protective behaviors, attention-seeking behaviors, or even a dog's skewed perception that you both need to be separated from a perceived conflict.
In your case, it's likely a mild protective behavior that lets "mom" know that "dad" is mine or vice-versa – or its attention-seeking. It's hard to say without witnessing the behavior. But I can tell you how to handle it.
Teach Duchess to "go to her place." This place is a kennel, a dog bed, or even a piece of carpet where you have trained her to go to (with treats) when you need her not to be underfoot. Once she understands this command, you can tell her to “go to her place” and give her a stuffed Kong when your wife walks through the door. She will be distracted so you can give your wife a proper hug.
Dear Cathy,
At what age should a puppy be spayed?
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