Your dog cheating on you - never???!!!
Well, according to Kim Campbell Thorton, in a recent article she wrote, it is entirely possible for your dog to shift his/her affections to someone else when they come around or when you leave the dog with that person for a period of time. According to Audrey Pavia of Norco, California, that’s just what happens when her dog, Nigel is around Audrey’s friend Arden. In fact Audrey has to prepare herself emotionally when Arden is going to visit, because Nigel will basically ignore Audrey and focus all his time, love and attention on Arden.
Is this a bad thing? Not necessarily according to Terry Curtis, a veterinary behaviorist. Curtis says “I don’t mind. I think it’s actually healthy when our pets ‘cheat’ on us because it shows that they are very social and welcoming to other two-leggers,”. Curtis states that having our dogs able to relate to others really demostrates the independence we have developed in our dogs. They will most likely not suffer from separation anxiety which can be devastating to the dog and result in some really negative behaviors.
Sometimes its not even that the dog likes a new owner better, they just might be finding amenities that they enjoy that they don’t have in their own home. For example, better food, more comfy couch or a household where there aren’t other pets, so they don’t have to share their time and attention with anyone.
However there are ways to train your dog so that you secure more of his attention and he/she becomes more devoted to you through these training mechanisms. So if you see your dog begin to “stray”, so to speak, don’t fret!!! Check out Thorton’s article by clicking here to get some tricks for keeping the relationship with your dog fresh and exciting!!!
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