New research from New Zealand shows dogs appear to be one of the few species that might display jealous behaviors like how a human child shows jealousy when their mother gives affection to another child. In humans, jealousy is linked with self-awareness, the reason animal-cognition researchers are so interested in studying jealousy and other secondary emotions in animals.
Source: Vet Practice, April 7, 2021. Link.
These results support claims that dogs display jealous behavior and also provide the first evidence that dogs can mentally represent jealousy-inducing social interactions.”
INSIGHTS: Someday, maybe researchers will look at how pets interact when their owner is focused on their smartphone. 😉