Hank is jealous of Mike.. any advice?

[CountryWolf07]

So this has been going on for a while.... Hank gets very jealous when Mike comes over. Especially if it's just the two of us alone. He expresses by pooping in the house. Exact same spot. At first I figured it was just a phase he was going through. He used to be fine before and now he just shows attitude. It's interesting, he is most closest to dad and I. Normally when dad is home, he's always around him, when he's not home/away on business trips, he turns to me. I am just confused why he'd behave like this. He likes Mike, but hates it when he's with me, especially when we hug or kiss. Never shows aggression either. Never attempted to bite him either.
I just never had a dog like him, I love him, great dog, but not when he's behaving this way. Any advice?

[Karen]

How do you react when he does this?

How much does Mike interact with him? Does Mike ever feed him, play with him or take him for walks?

Maybe if they have more one-on-one interaction, it will help him not act out.

[Vette]

I tried to find some info on the web but didnt really pull up anything


. If it is a boyfriend or girlfriend that is making your dog jealous then occasionally, under your supervision, have THEM give the dog a treat or play fetch. Include the dog in normal daily activities. If you’re watching TV for example, call the dog over and pet the dog while the new person is around. Don’t force the issue though, if the dog doesn’t want to, let the dog be. He/she should come around eventually

source: http://www.pets.ca/dogs/tips/tip-74-jealousy-and-dogs-is-my-dog-a-jealous-dog/

except for that.

that goes opposite of what ive heard though. ive heard babying a dog when he/she is acting up can teach him or her that they can get away with being bad an continue to do the unwanted behavior an worse.

[k9krazee]

I don't know, I would just say prevention is the key. He might just be in the habit now, Mike comes over, he poops. It could be conditioned for him to feel like he has to do it whenever Mike comes over now. So prevention, prevention, prevention. Get him out of that habit.

Whenever I come visit the house and then leave again Jack will pee on my parent's bed, and if the door is closed he'll pee on the door. It's the most frustrating thing ever because my Mom absolutely hates it and I can't do anything to prevent it. I try to tell them to keep an eye on him after I leave and for the first day or so. He's just been doing it so long that it's habit to him, it's what he does when he feels stressed or anxious, I guess.

[lizbud]

I don't know, I would just say prevention is the key. He might just be in the habit now, Mike comes over, he poops. It could be conditioned for him to feel like he has to do it whenever Mike comes over now. So prevention, prevention, prevention. Get him out of that habit.

Whenever I come visit the house and then leave again Jack will pee on my parent's bed, and if the door is closed he'll pee on the door. It's the most frustrating thing ever because my Mom absolutely hates it and I can't do anything to prevent it. I try to tell them to keep an eye on him after I leave and for the first day or so. He's just been doing it so long that it's habit to him, it's what he does when he feels stressed or anxious, I guess.


I tend to agree with k9krazee. It's become a bad habit. I seriously doubt
Hank is jealous of your boyfriend.:) He wants a share of the attention when
Mike is over. Does your bf visit at the same time of day, like shortly after
the dog's meal or a time when he would normally be going outside?

[CountryWolf07]

That actually makes a lot of sense. He could be just jealous that I spend my time with him, rather than I should be with Hank instead. He does get a lot of attention when Mike is around. He doesn't come to the house often, but when he does, it's around 5:30-6PM when we do dinner together, watch some t.v, etc. Hank only eats two times a day, he is a picky eater. :confused:

[Freedom]

When does Hank normally poop? What time are you usually taking him outside?

And is that time delayed on the nights Mike comes over?

It is hard to imahine this happens "every" time, because Hank has to need to go to do it in the house. Take him out for his walk at the normal time, with or without Mike. Take him out for an extra long walk just before Mike arrives. Point being, get Hank to do his business before Mike arrives, he won't be able to do it when Mike is in the house.

And THEN it will be interesting to see what he comes up with instead! :D

[CountryWolf07]

When does Hank normally poop? What time are you usually taking him outside?

And is that time delayed on the nights Mike comes over?

It is hard to imahine this happens "every" time, because Hank has to need to go to do it in the house. Take him out for his walk at the normal time, with or without Mike. Take him out for an extra long walk just before Mike arrives. Point being, get Hank to do his business before Mike arrives, he won't be able to do it when Mike is in the house.

And THEN it will be interesting to see what he comes up with instead! :D

Sorry for not being able to reply as soon as I would've liked to. Hank does this when he's upset, especially with me or my dad. He finally just got used to Dad leaving for work trips, so he stopped pooping in the house. Now it's me. Hank normally poops in the early mornings/late evenings. I don't really monitor, because I work. However, he does only poop in the house when he's upset. It has to be his way of "Give me attention, if I don't get any, I'll go in the house when you aren't looking!"

:rolleyes: I take him on walks all the time, actually. Every day, I take him on a walk with me so I can do my 20-30 mins brisk walk to exercise. He loves it. It just seems like I gotta make him HAPPY.

I just think his behavior is interesting, but it needs to be dealt with. We've changed his food intake, he only eats twice a day, at 7AM, then 4PM. He's done. Food bowl goes up on the shelf after 5-5:30PM.