"That's my ball.
" "No, it's my ball.
" "I had it first!" "No, you didn't.
Dad gave it to me first.
" "Dad always gives you the ball first.
He likes you better.
" "Your point?" Sound like your house? I know it sounds like mine.
But I bet you didn't realize that this little "conversation" is actually between two dogs.
That's right, according to a study from the University of Vienna, dogs can feel jealousy.
Actually, dogs can be host to all sorts of complex social emotions from jealousy and envy to despair at the loss of a loved one, and even joy and comfort in companionship.
If you've owned a dog or two you don't need a study to recognize this.
For as black and white as dogs can be in a behavioral sense, they seem to have a pretty dynamic emotional range for the average household pet.
Jealousy Jealousy may not always be easy to recognize because the outward signs and signals of your dog's emotions are often very subtle.
It becomes much more noticeable when you have several dogs together for a period of time such as at a dog park or a socialized kennel.
This quantity factor makes those subtle emotional events much more visible through the reaction of the other dogs around.
For example, if in a group environment you begin to pay special attention to a single dog by lavishing it with praise and affection while ignoring all of the other dogs around, jealous emotions in the others will begin to cause problems.
Some dogs will try to push their way into your space to get equal affection which can be known to trigger a fight.
Some will sulk and isolate, and others can actually end up attacking the singled out dog in order to show dominance.
Yet, if you acknowledge each dog equally, peace and stability will be maintained with no feelings of jealously.
Mourning Another more noticeable emotion that dogs exhibit is when they mourn a loss.
When a family loses a member that is a regular companion to the dog, or the dog loses a playmate, sibling or pup, it has a distinct emotional response that is, by all appearances, sadness.
We recently heard from a client the news that one of his dogs died suddenly from a freak accident.
This dog's sibling, with whom he'd been with since birth, went through a period of noticeable shock and mourning.
For a few days he seemed to be confused by normal spaces and routines and he lay alone and whined at night.
After a week or so, he started getting back to normal.
It's unclear whether the dog was experiencing emotions the same way we do with our more advanced reasoning brain, but he felt something nonetheless.
Joy (Of Course) There is no mistaking this one.
Look at your dog when you come home from work or a trip.
Dogs express such pure and complete joy when they are happy.
Their whole body feels it and shows it; they even appear to smile.
This is one of the greatest aspects of dog ownership.
The value of dogs as domestic pets has been clear for centuries, not just for their utilitarian capabilities like herding, tracking and protection, but also for their companionship and the personal bonds that they form with their owners.
This companionship was undoubtedly the spark of the old saying "dog is man's best friend.
" So, if you're happy and you know it, wag your tail! Your dog knows just how you feel.