When Your Furry Friend Hates Your Man Friend

"He's super friendly," you assure him sweetly as he approaches the front door to your apartment for the first time, unaware of the terror to follow. "He never bites and he loves people!"

Well, you were right, little Sparky is super friendly - when he's not super jealous. Now that Steve is occupying your time, the usually fun and frisky ball of fur is better described as channeling Cujo and can be found urinating on your man's shoes most nights - when he's not gnawing at his leg and nudging his way between the two of you.

It's an unfortunate reality that our pets don't always get along with our partners. Dogs and cats respond differently to the concept of an intruder in their life, but can be trained similarly to adjust - here are some tips for your partner to try:

Treats - Whatever bag of treats you have hidden especially for your pet, it now belongs to your partner. Let them be the one to reward your pet for good behavior, that way they will be associated with positivity. 

Meals - Have your partner set out the bowls of food more regularly and within plain sight. Animals bond with the people who take care of them, so when they're hungry and need a top up they will go to the hand that feeds them.

Toys - Play time! Spending some time throwing a frisbee around or a ball of yarn can be very effective in changing your dog or cat's attitude. Have your partner bring some toys of his own to present to your pet.

Responsibilities - This is not merely a way of shirking your duties as the pet owner. You want your partner to understand that your pet is important to you and requires some work, which will allow for more routine time with them. Changing the litter box, teaching them new tricks, going for walks in the park - all of these tasks will help the two adjust to a new arrangement.

Help your partner will realize that winning your pet is over is just as important as winning your parents over. After all, he's going to be spending considerably more time with the former! Be patient and allow this "retraining" process to run its course and in no time Steve and Sparky will be prancing through fields of daisies. Let's hope.

 

 

Image from MorgueFile