Recently, a video of a Husky pulling a puppy off a couch has gone viral. People Magazine posted the clip, resulting in upwards of one million views in a little over two weeks.
While we have little information on the context of this video, it appears that the Husky is jealous of his puppy sibling and pulls him off the couch to either show him who’s boss or to simply get his spot back. Though it is not a particularly kind action; it is, at the very least, quite adorable and hilarious.
Wait– can dogs feel jealousy like humans do?
After watching the video, it seemed pretty clear to us that yes, dogs get jealous, too. However, according to this PetMD article, the jury is out on whether dogs feel jealousy as we know it. In saying that, dogs are more likely to purport jealous actions when owners show affection to other dogs.
Bringing a new puppy into the house can bring out the feels in your dog. They might be concerned that their place in your heart has been stolen by a smaller, fluffier version of them. And such feelings can easily result in the flexing of one’s authority or acting out, such as destroying items around the house.
It also can be a case of resource guarding. Resource guarding is when dogs seek to control food, objects or people of value. This Husky clearly does not like that his younger sibling has the attention of his most valuable resource: his owner. So while it appears he is looking to get his nap spot back, really he’s competing with the little one for love and affection. True sibling rivalry in action!
Watch the video here:
"Hey! That's my human," said every dog ever. 😂
Posted by People on Tuesday, February 26, 2019
Have you experienced sibling rivalry between your dogs? Let us know in the comments!