Scientists in California have proven in a study released this week that jealousy is not just a human condition, but is also hard wired into the brains of canines.
When dog owners showed affection to a stuff dog in tests they became jealous, according to the researchers.
Previously, experts argued that jealousy requires complex cognition and is unique to people. The authors say that their work proves that it may come in a more basic form, according to a UC San Diego press release.
These findings won't come as a huge surprise to anyone who's ever owned a canine, but the team is likely the first to conduct tests to prove the jealous behaviors in dogs.
Human jealousy is a complicated emotion, normally requiring a "social triangle," which usually takes places when an interloper threatens an important relationship.
It is believed to be the third leading cause of non-accidental homicide across cultures, according to BBC News.
The scientists studied 36 dogs in their homes and video recorded their actions when their owners displayed affection to a realistic-looking stuffed dog.
Over three quarters of the dogs were likely to push or touch the owner when they interacted with the fake dog, according to the release.
The dogs were more than three times as likely to do this for interactions with the stuffed dog compared to when their owners gave their attention to other objects, like a book, for example.
Around a third tried to get between the owner and the fake dog, while a quarter of the jealous canines snapped at the dummies, according to the release.
"Our study suggests not only that dogs do engage in what appear to be jealous behaviors but also that they were seeking to break up the connection between the owner and a seeming rival," said Professor Christine Harris from University of California in San Diego, according to the release.
Research has been published in the journal PLOS One.
The researchers believe that the dogs thought the stuffed dog was real. Authors cite the fact that 86 percent of the animals sniffed the toys rear end, during and after the experiment.
"Many people have assumed that jealousy is a social construction of human beings - or that it's an emotion specifically tied to sexual and romantic relationships," said Harris. "Our results challenge these ideas, showing that animals besides ourselves display strong distress whenever a rival usurps a loved one's affection."
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