Search Here

Jealousy is not an emotion that is exclusive to humans as a new study has found that dogs also feel jealous if their owner shows affection towards other dog-like objects.

In the study, researchers asked the owners of 36 small dogs to dote on an animated stuffed dog, shower a plastic jack-o'-lantern bucket with attention and read a children’s book aloud, all while ignoring their pet.

The study said more than three-quarters of the canines pushed or touched their owners or the object when it appeared that their master was praising another dog.

Some dogs even snapped at the faux pup.

The study added that its findings support the “idea that jealousy may have some primordial form.”

"Many people have assumed that jealousy is a social construction of human beings — or that it's an emotion specifically tied to sexual and romantic relationships,” psychologist and study author Christine Harris said in a statement. “Our results challenge these ideas, showing that animals besides ourselves display strong distress whenever a rival usurps a loved one's affection.

The study is published in the journal PLOS ONE.