Who ever said possessiveness is a ‘very’ human emotion? Have you noticed your dog stealing angry glances at you when you are not spending enough time with him? Or is your cat ignoring you because you didn't give her enough attention? Your pet animal also gets emotional, every time there is a new member in the family or when you ignore him.
Recently, actor Amitabh Bachchan claimed that his pet dog gets annoyed when he spots Amitabh giving a hug to his son and tries to get his attention all the time. There are many pet owners who have noticed such behaviour.
Doctor Pawan Kumar states that pets, who displaying possessiveness suffer from a disorder. “Dogs can get possessive with their home, owner, environment and their surroundings. You find this trait mainly in breeds like Pomeranians, German Shepherds, Lhasa Apsos, and Labradors, among others,” he adds.
Sangeeth C. owned a Pomeranian. “My dog was extremely possessive. He would snap at anyone who would come close to me,” says Sangeeth, whose biggest challenge was to make time for her pet when she became a mother. “Initially, she displayed a completely resigned attitude towards me and ignored my son’s presence. She spent a lot of time sulking, not playing with me and sometimes even growled at my son. It took a long time for her to accept my son.”
Pawan talks about one specific case. “We are treating a German Shepherd. She had stopped eating because her family just got a new member — the owners are proud parents of a new born baby,” he says adding, “We are forcefully feeding her and have put her on mood-elevation treatment.” The doctor states that such dogs suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
Your dog has its private owner, to whom he swears his undivided loyalty. “My dog loves my father. He would insist on staying by his side all the time,” says Vaishali, a student. “He howls for long hours if my father goes out.”
Keep an eye out for such behaviourial patterns and discuss them with your vet. “When dogs get aggressive with strangers or get very upset when the owner is not around — one has to realise that the dog suffers from OCD.” How does one deal with this? “Your pet needs to socialise,” says Pavan. “Take your pet out often, let him meet people who are close to you and expose him to a different environment apart from your house and always discuss your worries with the vet,” he concludes.