If you have ever wondered what happens to your pet when it sees you with another animal, here you will find the answer.
The dogs are considered as faithful companions, and even known as “man’s best friend.” According to a study led by a group of scientists, these pets show jealous tendencies towards their owners.
Apparently, Jealousy is not an emotion exclusive to human beings. but there is another species susceptible to suffering from them. The appearance of this feeling in dogs can be explained due to the close bond that they form with their caregivers. Based on the results of other studies, this new scientific research emerged that sought to verify the premise.
Canine jealousy: what the study is about
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This time, the scientists studied 36 dogs in their homes, recording what they did when Its owners showed affection to a stuffed dog. The results surprised the people in charge of the study since they presented a very clear trend: dogs are jealous.
In the tests, more than three-quarters of the participating dogs were likely to approach their owners, and even push them in some cases, when they were interacting with the decoy (stuffed animal). A third tried to get between their owners and the fake dogwhile a quarter of the animals could not contain their instinct and attacked the stuffed animal.
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“The study suggests that dogs not only engage in jealous behavior, but also try to break the connection between their owners and the potential rival,” said Professor Christine Harris of the University of California, San Diegowhich led the test.
Researchers believe that, for the most part, dogs thought stuffed animals were real. This opinion arises from the following data: 86% of the canines sniffed the toy dog’s butt, during and after the experiment.
“Many people assume that jealousy is a human construct, or that it is an emotion associated with sexual or romantic relationships,” says Harris and concludes: “the results challenge these ideas and show that Animals also experience high levels of anxiety when a rival usurps the affection of those we love.”
Source: Ambito
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
