Have you ever felt like your dog thinks you’re their girlfriend? You may have noticed some behavior that suggests this. But let’s consider the truth behind this.
Does your dog really think you’re their girlfriend?
Your dog may act like you’re their girlfriend due to various reasons, such as thinking they are the Alpha, separation anxiety, being overly petted, resource guarding behavior, boredom, or health issues. To eliminate this behavior, establish yourself as the Alpha, ignore certain behaviors, keep your dog busy, and ensure they get adequate exercise.
While it may feel strange to think about your dog’s behavior towards you, it can be influenced by a variety of abnormal circumstances.
Why does your dog behave like your Boyfriend?
Even though this problem seems kind of wired to someone, you know how it feels like a person who has faced the exact same issue.
If you let this behavioral issue grow or you don’t care about it whatsoever, things can worsen over time.
So, you gotta do something about this.
As I mentioned earlier, a handful of reasons may influence this behavior. However, you should understand what is the exact cause prior to applies the solutions.
So, there are other possible reasons.
- The dog rules the house.
- Due to separation anxiety.
- Petting him so much.
- Resource guarding behavior toward you.
- Due to boredom.
- Because of a health issue.
1. The dog rules the house.
If your dog acts like you are his girlfriend, the reason can be he thinks he is the Alpha, and he rules the house.
If the dog interrupts your relationship with your spouse by growling or sitting in between whenever you and the boyfriend sit on the couch and start chatting, and if both of you let him do so, that means the dog thinks he can rule the house.
The main point you want to figure out is that you have to establish yourself as the Alpha, not your dog. But, don’t regret that because we gonna discuss how you can establish yourself as Alpha in the house.
You shouldn’t let the dog dominate over you and the boyfriend.
2. Due to separation anxiety.
If your dog prone to separation anxiety, it can usually impact its personality, temperament, and especially how he behaves.
When we consider all the reasons why your dog thinks or at least act like you are his girlfriend, separation anxiety is one of the main causes of this.
Separation anxiety can be developed in your dog when he feels sad as a result of being separated from its owners. In general, it’s pretty much common among rehome dogs.
Obviously, your dog may not rehome one. If the dog is clingy or highly attached to you, leaving him for at least 2 to 3 hours could increase the anxiety level in the dog.
Of course, this is not only the reason why does your dog may prone to separation anxiety. Here are a few other reasons.
- Some kind of a change in the family membership.
- Change in daily routine.
- Change of family.
- Change in residence.
Here are a few symptoms that your dog will exhibit if it was prone to separation anxiety.
- Drooling.
- Restlessness
- Excessive barking.
- Panting.
- Depression.
- Destructiveness.
- Pacing.
- Compulsive behavior.
3. Petting him so much.
Of course, your four-legged furry friend needs to be petted. But, it doesn’t mean to be obsessed with that.
In fact, you should cuddle him under your terms. What I mean by that is you shouldn’t let him take over you. Do not attempt to cuddle him whenever he seeks it.
When you hang out with your boyfriend, the dog may feel a bit of jealousy, resulting in growling/jumping at your spouse or sitting in between both of you on the couch.
Don’t worry, we gonna look into exactly what to do under these circumstances. But for now, let’s get into the next reason.
4.Resource guarding behavior toward you.
If you feel something like your dog thinks or acts as you are his girlfriend by interrupting your date, chances are the dog is resource guarding toward you.
The resource also guarding one of the main reasons why a dog becomes overly attached to someone in the family.
In general, dogs tend to resource guard the following items.
- Food
- Bed
- Treats
- Their bones that they used to chew on.
- Another pet
- Specific person
If you are dog is trying to protect you from your boyfriend while exhibiting the behaviors that I mentioned in the above list, the dog is resource guarding you without a doubt.
Apart from protecting you from your spouse, check if the dog exhibits the following behavior.
- Take an item and move away
- Frequently growling
- Rising lips and bearing teeth when someone approaches its belongings.
- Irritating behavior
- Saturn unusual fearfulness
- Thieving things
- Leash reactive
- Staring hardly.
- Eating faster when someone approaches.
If resource gardening is a problem here, it should be corrected right away. The most horrible fact about the fixing process is that it’s a time-consuming process.
But it should be done efficiently and effectively by following the right approaches and proven methods.
5. Due to boredom.
A dog that spends dull life is always seeking someone to hang in. As the dog parent, that person is you.
Are you living in an apartment for several years who actually several months? If yes, the chance of your dog getting bored is slightly high compared to dogs living in houses with a nice backyard.
Lack of exercise and mental stimulation are the main reasons why dogs get bored. When your dog is bored, he comes to you for cuddles and entertainment. It makes sense, right?
But, what if the dog is always bored and you do nothing about that?
Perhaps, you need to go through its exercise schedule with the help of our vet, correct if there are any changes to be made. Because the exercise schedule should be changed as the dog grows.
We gonna cover how to help your canine friend with its boredom under the solutions. But for now, let’s head over to the next reason.
6. Because of a health issue.
When a dog is feeling unwell, it may tend to seek more attention from you.
If your dog interrupts the relationship between you and your spouse and ex-boyfriend all of a sudden, chances are the dog is suffering from some kind of illness.
Besides that, check if the dog tries to isolate himself in dark rooms. If yes, it’s better to meet your veterinarian right away prior to things get serious. You don’t know what’s wrong, eh?
So, that’s pretty much it about the reasons. Now we gonna look into the possible solutions that you can apply by yourself to fix these issues before things worsen.
What to do if your dog thinks you’re his girlfriend?
Well, few things you can do to correct this behavior.
Without any balderdash, let’s head over to the solution.
- Establish yourself as Alpha.
- Ignore him
- Don’t let him come in between you
- Lets The Dog knows its place
- Try to leave the house unattended for a few minutes and several times a day
- Keep him busy
- Provide adequate exercises
1. Establish yourself as Alpha.
If you feel something like your dog is act like you are its girlfriend and tries to dominate over you and your spouse,
In general, needy dogs cause so many troubles because the owner stresses the dog beyond his need. Having a loving dog is nothing to do with providing attention any second the dog wants.
It should be done under your terms.
Establishing yourself as Alpha is not an overnight process. It takes time, consistency, and, more importantly, patience.
You have to perform a combination of tiny tasks in day-to-day life. For example, suppose you gonna go out with your dog. In that instance, you gotta walk toward the door before the dog approaches. By doing so, he can understand who is the leader and who is the follower.
Likewise, we have to do a handful of things to pursuit bat. I would recommend reading this article to learn more about this.
2. Ignore him
What,… Wait a minute… Are you saying to ignore my dog? Yes, it is.
If you feel that your dog acts like your boyfriend, that’s pretty bad behavior, right?
Sometimes, just ignoring him for a minute or two whenever he barks or growls at your spouse could really help, and it can give better results.
If he is still a bad boy even after 1 to 2 minutes, that means that time isn’t sufficient. I will recommend you to increase that time up to 5 to 10 minutes. However, make sure to stick within the range; otherwise, you will have to face different psychological issues.
If he behaves well, just praise him with yummy treats and nice words.
3. Don’t let him come in between you.
Guys… This is really crucial. You shouldn’t let him come in between you (say you are on the couch) if you really need to get rid of this behavioral issue.
It doesn’t matter at all if your dog growl or bark. Don’t let the boyfriend get off the couch in order to accommodate the dog.
In any case, The Dog sits in between you. I need you to get off the couch with your spouse go somewhere else. In that way, you can take the dog away from what’s wrong and what’s acceptable.
However, keep in mind that don’t let him assert his dominance by being rewarded with your boyfriend’s submission and you.
4. Lets The Dog knows its place
Of course, your family is a pack. However, the dog needs to understand its place in the house. This individual member in the Pack only deserves the bottom up the back. It should be treated such like that but with respect.
One of the main reasons why does your dog act like you are its girlfriend and interrupts the relationship is because your spouse is not one of your family members, and due to that, getting respect from your dog is slightly tricky.
But it can be done by letting him know to find its place in your pack and let him be calm and peaceful.
5. Try to leave the house unattended for a few minutes and several times a day
This is an excellent and proven method to get rid of this unusual and unwanted behavior from your canine friend. What you can do is leave the house for about 5 to 10 minutes.
But, ensure to return within 5-10 minutes. Otherwise, the dog will feel insecure and nervous.
You need to complete to forget about him and don’t gush over him.
If you do it correctly several times a day, or I suggest about 3 to 4 times a day would be sufficient, and he will definitely adjust.
6. Keep him busy
If the dog always interrupts your relationship, one of the most straightforward solutions is that keeping him busy.
Perhaps, letting him chew on a bone can make him busy. However, if you are worried about allowing your dog to chew on bones, consider reading this comprehensive article: Can Dobermans chew on bones? [Owner’s Guide]
It’s much better if you can encourage the boyfriend to offer a tasty bone to the dog.
In fact, the same resuls can get with puzzle toys.
7. Provide adequate exercises
Lack of exercise makes dogs bored. Of course, getting bored is one reason why your dog behaves like you are his girlfriend and interrupts the relationship.
So make sure to meet its daily exercise requirements. Chat with your veterinarian in order to come up with an appropriate exercise schedule just for your dog.
By following these tips, you will realize that the dog will get better over time.
Things to be aware of.
Are several important things you need to be aware of.
- Don’t forget the dog for more than 10 minutes to make sure it doesn’t get prone to any psychological issues.
- Since that’s not Rocket Science involved with this method, you need to be consistent.
- Your patience is much appreciated.
- Don’t forget regular vet checkups.
Conclusion.
You can be a dog, people. But, most girls have a common problem in their minds. They are curious to know why do their dogs think or act like their boyfriends. We discussed major reasons why this happens and possible solutions that are easy to implement. I hope you found this helpful. Until next time, have a nice day.
