Does your dog get jealous?

Step away from my human! According to new research, dogs, like people, are capable of feeling jealous.

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In a study of 36 pet owners and their pups, researchers asked the people to focus on three objects, one at a time: a book, a plastic jack-o'-lantern pail, and a lifelike toy dog that barked and wagged its tail.

When the owners read the book out loud or paid attention to the pail, few of the dogs showed any interest. But when the people petted the toy dog, their real canines pushed them or the toy, and some barked.

The results show that dogs can be green with envy, says Christine Harris, a psychologist at the University of California and a co-author of the study. Harris has studied jealousy in humans, but she got the idea to test dogs' emotions after playing with her parents' border collies. When Harris petted the pups, "one would take his head and knock the other's head away," she told The New York Times.

The research indicates that dogs might be capable of complicated emotions--which may explain why man's best friend sometimes acts like he wants to be your only friend.