• Lately my dog Fiona has not been herself. I adopted a new one-year-old Chihuahua, and now Fiona will walk away whenever we try to play with our new Chihuahua. Is Fiona jealous of the new puppy? How can I get the Chihuahua and Fiona to know that they will need to wait their turns when we play with the other dog?

  Dogs can show signs of jealousy when a new pet is added to the household. It is important that you give the Chihuahua just as much attention as you are giving the new puppy.
  
  When a new puppy comes in, a lot of times the older dog does not get as much attention as the new addition does. One thing that you can try is to play with the Chihuahua first. This will give her some time alone with you and may help to decrease the jealousy. Another thing that you can try is to have someone play with the Chihuahua at the same time that someone else is playing with the Jack Russell.
  
  If these don’t work, I recommend that you talk to your veterinarian about the concerns that you have. They can give you some recommendations that are more specific to your situation.

Answered by:

John Smith, DVM
Veterinarian

Dr. John Smith is a graduate of LSU, Class of 1998. He has over 10 years of experience...

Tags

Behavior