i take care of my nephew during the day. i knew at first it would be hard because my 10 y/o springer spaniel was used to being the baby, but it's been over a year & she is the same as the 1st day he came over. She used to play with her toys & nap anywhere in the house. Now she only wants the toys my nephew plays with. So only his toys. She won't nap anymore, cause she has to follow us around like she might miss something. She only seems to want extra attention when he is around. If i am feeding him she feels the need to lay her head in my lap & whine so she'll be pet. When he is playing she will purposely walk by & push him with her butt so she can stand where he was playing.
i hate getting mad at her because i know she is just feeling insecure, but it's getting worse everyday. The more i yell the worse she seems to get. i love her so much but i am at my wits end with her antics. How do i help her be less jelaous?
2007-03-26 08:12:42 · 7 answers · asked by purple dove 5 in Pets ➔ Dogs
This can be a tough issue to resolve. It certainly is hard for an animal to go from getting all the attention most of the time to getting much less for a good portion of the day.
The trick is to show your dog that really great things happen when your nephew is around and that things are pretty boring when he's not there. If your dog has a favorite treat or toy, only give them to her when your nephew is there. I would even start by giving her the treat or toy as soon as your nephew enters your home. Give her a couple more treats shortly after, or play with her - even if just for 15 seconds - before you interact much with your nephew. When your nephew is settled in, play with her again for a minute before you do much with him. Be sure to give her some one-on-one attention throughout the day, again, even if it's brief.
Ignore her for about 15 minutes or so after your nephew leaves. She should hopefully make the connection that his going home means all really good stuff has ended for the day. You want her to look forward to your nephew being there!
It might help you to have a trainer come to your home to give you some pointers. Depending on how old your nephew is, I imagine it could be awfully tough trying to give them both adequate attention; a trainer can see firsthand what the situation is and what you can do.
2007-03-26 08:46:24 · answer #1 · answered by melissa k 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's uncanny how astute dogs are. As social animals, they seem able to pick up on so much of what is going on around them relationship wise. She absolutely is insecure about being bumped from the Alpha spot. Does your nephew play with her? Maybe that would help her to feel more like she still fits in and is still contributing to the " Pack".
2007-03-26 15:23:02 · answer #2 · answered by Mike Oxard 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Your dog is a dog and dogs are either leaders or followers. You dog is used to being a leader but it's not too late to change things.
You need to be consistent and assertive in not letting your dog get away with taking toys but yelling doesn't help.
Check out the dog whisperer:
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/dogwhisperer/
You need to learn how to be a good dog owner in order to have a well-behaved dog.
2007-03-26 15:24:16 · answer #3 · answered by tarshauna 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You can ignore her the best you can and as soon as the baby leave give her all your attention for just a short while. It might take time for her to understand that she is still loved but when there is a baby there you have to spend time with the baby.
2007-03-26 15:40:15 · answer #4 · answered by wyattj23 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
there's nothing you can really do about it. it's just the dog's personality. you can't expect a 10 year old dog to not be jealous it's sorta like having a 10 year old kid and having a baby. yelling and getting mad will just make the dog dislike the kid even more!
2007-03-26 15:18:23 · answer #5 · answered by Jenny C 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
its natural, becuase a baby is in the house, a dogs natural instinct is to protect it, thats why it trys taking the toys, he thinks it might hurt the baby. labs, german shepperds, and retrievers are known for this. dont worry about it, just keep an eye on the two.
2007-03-26 15:21:51 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Get a cat.
2007-03-26 15:19:30 · answer #7 · answered by SpringtimeChristine 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋