Huskies aren’t lap dogs.
But…
You notice them sitting on your lap after you played with another pooch.
Sometimes, they try to push anyone who tries to go near you.
Hmmm… I think someone is jelly!
Jealousy is completely normal for dogs.
But can this cute behavior lead to something more dangerous?
Keep reading to find out:
- Why Huskies feel jealous in the first place.
- 5 signs that your Husky is jealous of another dog.
- 2 Husky behaviors mistaken by dog parents as jealousy.
- 2 must-know scientific discoveries about a dog’s emotions.
- And more awesome facts…
Table of contents
Why is my Husky so jealous?
Your Husky is jealous because of resource guarding and overprotectiveness. They can have this feeling towards a baby or another dog. Changes in lifestyle and acceptance of the behavior can also make your dog envious. Your dog might feel jealous too if they think you’re being unfair.
7 reasons why your Husky is so jealous
#1: Resource guarding
One sign of jealousy in Huskies is possessive aggression. This is also called resource guarding.
The best example of this is when your Husky growls or tries to bite you if you try to take away their food or toy.
This is an evolutionary trait that Huskies have. Your Husky tries to protect a valuable object they consider “theirs.”
If a Husky is jealous, they will try to growl at each person or dog trying to go near you. This is because your Husky considers you one of these valuable properties.
Your Husky believes that they own you, so no one else should have access to you other than them.
You can consider resource guarding as a natural trait. But, you shouldn’t tolerate this because it can stem to aggression for other “resources”.
Some Huskies might only be aggressive if you take away anything that’s in their mouth. Other dogs try to guard everything in a particular area.
#2: Another dog
Your Husky will feel jealous if you bring a new dog into your house. They can feel this too if you play with another dog somewhere.
Your dog can smell if another dog interacted with you. But, they won’t show jealousy by snarling or growling.
What they will do is get away from you. They hate the other dog’s smell so don’t expect them to come near until you shower the odor away.
But, this isn’t because of resource guarding. In this case, your Husky is emotionally jealous that you’re with another dog.
But can you blame them? The other dog is getting all the love and they hate it. 🙁
A study says that the reason why your Husky feels jealous is domestication. Some even say that dogs and cats are the only ones who can feel jealousy besides humans.
Competition might be the root cause of this jealousy. Your Husky belonged to a litter once and was competing for their parent’s attention and care.
Reading tip: 5 Reasons Why Your Husky Sits On You + 5 Tips To Stop It
#3: Changes
They might show jealous behaviors too if you relocated or changed their schedule.
They might act as if they’re jealous before or after moving. This is because they’re adjusting to the new environment.
But does it mean that they’re jealous? Nope.
What dog parents see are signs of separation anxiety, not jealousy. But, I can’t blame you for thinking that way.
Some Huskies who have separation anxiety or jealousy want to be with their dog parent. They also bark aggressively.
They can use the house as a toilet too when they’re anxious or jealous. The only difference is why they do it.
Anxious Huskies soil the house because of fear. Jealous Huskies soil the house because they want your attention.
But, the most similar behavior between an anxious and a jealous Husky is clinginess.
Your Husky might crowd your space when they feel anxious or jealous. The best thing to do in this situation is to assess your Husky.
#4: Accepting the behavior
Your Husky might be jealous because you let them. Sadly, some people think jealousy is adorable.
In other cases, they think that Huskies are naturally jealous and protective. That is very far from the truth.
Some see this trait as an act of love and loyalty. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be adored by their Husky?
How did you feel when I said that Huskies get jealous and think you’re a “valued property?”
If you find it cute, think again. You might see this as harmless.
But, there will come a time that you can’t contain this behavior. It will be harmful to others and your Husky when this happens.
Your Husky might develop the habit of fighting other dogs out of jealousy. They can also bite other people.
Once your Husky bites multiple people, they’ll be taken by animal control. In some cases, they can even get euthanized.
#5: Overprotectiveness
In some cases, your Husky might display signs of jealousy because they want to protect you. But, they’re not feeling jealous at all.
Another type of aggression that Huskies can have is protective aggression. This is when they bark because they think you’re in danger even if you’re not.
Sometimes, the dog parent finds it funny when their Husky growls at strangers. So, what they do is reward it until it becomes a habit.
Like earlier, some think that their Husky’s overprotection is because of love. They even present their Husky’s aggression with pride.
But this isn’t the type of protectiveness you want from your Husky.
A study concluded that protection is one of the reasons why dog parents have a dog. But, it wasn’t stated how much people know how to do protection training.
For example, military dogs know when and who to attack. This is highly different from barking at everything.
#6: You’re unfair
Your Husky could be smarter than you think. They might even know if you’re treating them the same as your other dogs.
If you have more than 1 dog in your house, your Husky might feel jealous if they notice that you love the other dog more.
You might think equality is only a human concept. But, a researcher from the University of Vienna found that Huskies can have a sense of fairness.
Here’s how the experiment went:
- They put several trained dogs in pairs.
- They commanded the dogs to “give the paw.”
- After a while, one dog got bread every time they “shook hands”.
- The other dog got no reward for doing the command.
- The unrewarded dogs realized they don’t get treats for doing the command.
- Eventually, these dogs stopped giving the paw.
It’s amazing how science can find that dogs have concepts of fairness and jealousy, isn’t it?
#7: It’s the baby
Besides other dogs, your Husky might get jealous mostly because of babies. Especially if your baby is a newborn.
Your Husky thinks that you’re their everything. In return, they want your undivided attention towards them.
Before having the baby, your Husky gets all the attention. And most Huskies love the attention given by their dog parents.
Whether you like it or not, your attention will be divided the moment you have a child. You will have to put more attention to your baby and your Husky might feel bad for it.
Babies might overwhelm your Huskies if they haven’t seen or heard an infant before.
If your Husky tries to get between you and your baby, they’re definitely “jelly”. A study showed that this is one of the actions Huskies do when they feel jealous.
Mostly, Huskies get jealous of your baby if they weren’t properly introduced. They might develop separation anxiety when this happens.
5 tips on how to make your Husky less jealous
#1: Change their mindset
Your Husky might be jealous if they think that everyone is competition. You want to rewire this thinking instead.
What you need to do is persuade them that these aren’t competition, but companions as well. Let them think that having these people around gets them the best treats.
If your Husky has a favorite game, only play the game when the other person or pet is around. Let them participate in the game too!
If your Husky is jealous of your other dog (or vice versa), only do walks when they’re together.
Bear in mind that there can be chaos at first. But, have the patience to walk and reward them if they display good behavior.
If they associate others with fun times instead of threats, their jealousy will go away.
#2: Do this when you have a new dog
You should consider your Husky’s needs as well before having a new dog. If you have an old, arthritic Husky, having an active dog might result in conflict.
Introduce the new dog to a neutral area. If your Husky is territorial, they might get upset if they met the dog in your home or yard.
Both dogs should be leashed before meeting each other. This is to control them from doing anything harsh.
You can loosen the leashes once they’re relaxed. Let them smell each other.
Huskies usually love socializing with other dogs. So don’t wonder if they get along sooner than later.
To avoid jealousy, you should have 2 items of everything. Starting with 2 dog bowls and dog beds.
Your new dog doesn’t have their “place” in the house. You have to set an area where this dog eats and sleeps.
Meanwhile, your Husky has a specific place for everything. Placing the new dog in the same places early on can cause conflicts.
#3: Slowly introduce the baby
If you’re going to have a baby, it’s best if you slowly desensitize your Husky.
This way, they won’t get overwhelmed by their presence. They will feel at ease with this new family member as well.
What you can do is set up the baby room 3 months before your due date. Also, you should have a baby doll with you.
This might sound weird but talk to the baby doll when your Husky’s around. Make sure to bring the baby doll everywhere with your Husky.
Once you have the baby, your Husky will surely notice a new smell. Greet your Husky first and let your partner hold your child.
Let your Husky smell your baby, but from far. Then, slowly let your Husky come nearer to your baby as the days go by.
Reward them every time they show calmness when the baby is around.
#4: Be fair
Now, if your Husky and your new dog got along with each other, you want them to feel equally loved.
You don’t want to mock the other dog just to make them jealous. This can lead to serious behavioral issues in the long run.
If you’re petting your Husky, make sure that you pet the other dog as well. It’s important to also feed them the same food.
Huskies are independent. But, it doesn’t mean they need less attention than the other breed you have.
If you think that jealous behaviors occur, remove them from the area. Put them on their crate until they’re calm.
Some signs include:
- Aggression.
- Pushy behavior.
- Growling and snarling.
- Doing tricks for attention.
- Getting in your personal space.
Note: Never discipline your Husky by hitting them if they become jealous. Instead, reward each time they display good traits.
Remember: Rewards will reinforce their positive behavior.
#5: Make sure they’re included
If you’re living with another person, your Husky might get jealous if they aren’t included in activities.
If you have a baby or a visitor, you want to include them in everything you do. But, bear in mind that they may not want to be included all the time.
Huskies sometimes prefer doing things on their own. When this happens, they’d refuse to do things with you.
But, you should still invite them. Even staying in the same room counts as participation sometimes.
Just think of it as inviting your introverted friends to go out. They hate the “going out” part, but they’ll surely appreciate it that you thought of them.