| Dogs and humans have several behavioral traits that | | | | when the mother is again in heat, her maternal instinct |
| are similar. One easily recognizable trait is jealousy. | | | | for the current litter wanes. During this period, owners |
| Some dogs, like some humans, become extremely | | | | try to treat all the dogs with equal care and attention, |
| possessive of their owners and other family members, | | | | but to no avail. The mother dog sees her owner's |
| striking out aggressively at rivals. A jealous dog wants | | | | attention being diverted away from her toward the |
| exclusive access to its owner's attention and affection. | | | | puppies, and becomes jealous. This can escalate to |
| Such a dog will exhibit angry aggressive behavior | | | | the point where she might actually become aggressive |
| toward any person or animal that the dog perceives is | | | | toward the pups. |
| intruding upon its relationship with the owner. Bringing a | | | | She may begin ignoring the pups and trying to exclude |
| new baby into a home is often a cause for jealously in | | | | them from the maternal nest. Continued efforts by her |
| dogs. | | | | owner to treat the puppies as coequal members of |
| Jealous dogs exhibit behaviors such as barking at the | | | | the household exacerbate the mother dog's jealousy. |
| object of jealousy, barking at you when you are giving | | | | Her jealousy may actually cause her to direct her |
| your attention to the object of jealousy, always being | | | | aggressiveness toward the owner. |
| underfoot, tearing things up, and regression from | | | | As the puppies age and becomes more mature, the |
| learned housetraining behaviors. | | | | mother no longer recognizes them as "family." The |
| A dog's guarding instinct is a mechanism similar to | | | | growing puppies become strangers - interlopers. A |
| jealousy wherein the dog's jealousy extends to | | | | conscientious owner will train the dogs to behave while |
| expecting exclusive access to the entire household in | | | | he or she is present. When the owner is away, |
| which it lives. Dogs can react viciously whenever a | | | | however, the mother may revert to aggressive |
| person or dog is allowed access to the home, even if | | | | behavior in order to drive the youngster away from |
| is done with the obvious approval of the dog's owner. | | | | the nest where her new litter will be cared for. Woe |
| This jealousy is an exaggerated manifestation of a | | | | be it to the maturing puppy who deigns to take one of |
| dog's innate need to guard its possession of items like | | | | the mother's toys or other guarded possessions. |
| bones or chew toys. Dogs will aggressively guard | | | | If the owner intends to keep the maturing pups as a |
| them against use by both humans and other animals. | | | | permanent part of the household, he will have to treat |
| This behavioral characteristic of some dogs is not a | | | | them as non-related dogs, and train them and socialize |
| serious a problem as jealousy or the guarding behavior, | | | | them to live together as well socialized dogs, not as |
| except where children are involved in inadvertently | | | | mother and pups. The owner should give the jealous |
| touching a dog's possessions. | | | | dog a little of extra attention to show the dog that it is |
| One common manifestation of jealousy in dogs results | | | | important to the owner. He should also determine what |
| from the complex relationship with a mother dog, her | | | | actions are actually causing the jealousy, and try to |
| puppies, and her owner. Unlike humans, a canine | | | | mitigate it. |
| mother does not maintain the maternal instinct for her | | | | Never tolerate bad behavior. As owner, it is your |
| children for the remainder of her life. As soon as the | | | | responsibility to train the dog to adjust to whatever |
| puppies are able to survive on their own, particularly | | | | new situation arises in the home. |