ArcaMax

Dear Cathy,

I live with my sister Renee, who has a 12-year-old male Shih Tzu named Blair. He was used for breeding (not in a puppy mill), and Renee rescued him. Blair was very well trained when he came to us. He is extremely smart and sweet.

Renee likes to use her laptop a lot, and every time she starts using it, Blair gets upset and starts pawing at her, staring at her until she starts petting him. She talks to him, then stops, and he leaves the living room; he goes upstairs to my area and stays there. He's there by himself. I was downstairs and went to find him, and he had trashed my hall closet.

I kept telling my sister that he is jealous of the laptop. She laughed and said no, he's just mad that I'm not paying more attention to him. Duh!

Do you agree? If so, what can Renee do? We also have a female beagle, Lily, but Blair is not interested in her.

— Sandy, Baltimore, Maryland

Dear Sandy,

When your sister pulls out the laptop, Blair is expressing his need for attention and interaction. While it might seem like jealousy, it's more his desire for engagement.

Dogs, like humans, thrive on social interaction and stimulation. So, view Blair's activity as a signal that he needs mental or physical activity. As you rightly pointed out, the adage, "If you don't give a dog something to do, he will find a job" applies here. Blair is finding his own way to occupy himself when he feels ignored.

To address this, your sister could incorporate Blair into her activities. For example, she could spend time petting him or engaging in interactive play sessions before starting work on her laptop. Additionally, providing Blair with stimulating toys, like puzzle toys and chew toys, can help keep him occupied and mentally stimulated while she's busy.

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