jealous dog?

Question

my 10 yr old spaniel b1tch is acting very peculiar recently. She's taking things, especially things belonging to the kids, and hiding them under the cushion in her basket, it's usually their shoes or toys, and sometimes it's something of mine. She's eating,and drinking ok, the vet can't see her till next week. She has been spayed. What could it be?

Answer 1

I wouldn't say jealousy, maybe she is just bored or feels like she isn't getting enough attention. If anything in the house has changed too this could cause this. Like if someone left, or came in, or one of the kids has gone off to college or school or camp...something like that could cause it.

Answer 2

Sounds to me like something has recently changed in her world. Usually if there is a major change in the make up of the house, a baby, a child goes off to college, or a move to a new house, something along those lines the dog will be distressed. If this is the case she will get over it in time.

If nothing like that has happened then you need to look deeper. Is someone treating her differently? Does the daughter have a new boyfriend or the son a new girlfriend? Is there a new kid in the neighborhood who might be mistreating her?

Think along those lines and you might discover what is at the root of her behavior.

Answer 3

It does seem that she is a lil pi**ed at someone. Is she getting the same attention that she has always? She may be going thru dog menopause, you can laugh but spayed females go thru something like women menopause. By her hiding things is she getting in trouble? If so this is attention that she is requesting but going about it the wrong way. I would just try to pay her alil bit more attention and see if this changes her attitude.

Answer 4

Maybe she just wants attention. What do you do when you find something in her basket do you scold her? have you been not spending much time with her as usual? Try playing with her more or taking her for a walk every morning.

Answer 5

My Husky did the same thing but with stuffed animals, and what we have come to figure, since she hasn't had a litter of puppy's, that it was either her wanting to have a baby or in my other dogs case, he wasn't getting enough attention.

Answer 6

Jealousy is not a dog behavior. It only occurs in humans. The behavior you describe is territorial. The dog is claiming these items as territory. It is a behavior and not anything medical. You need to train and socialize this dog and establish alpha to be able to control this behavior.

Answer 7

Your dog is still young and likes lots of toys to play with.

Answer 8

Somtimes older dogs like to feel that they need to take things and think those things are theirs becasue they need to feel important and sometimes they do it because they want their owner to spend more time with them, so they take things of other people and hide them becasue they are mad at their owner so they need to do that to show they are mad just like a little kid.

Answer 9

You didn,t mention if your dog has her own toys? if she has perhaps by taking the children's things she is showing signs of jealously or control? Hope your problem gets sorted

Answer 10

This may be case of lactourosis, which is when a dog is feels emotionally attacked by there owner and people around them. just show the same amount of love to your dog as you do to your children.