It’s well known that most dog lovers treat their furry canine as they would a human family member. Most dogs are able to sleep in their owner’s bed, lay on the couch, and enjoy going on road trips with their family.
Dogs are typically treated as good, if not better than, most of the family members in the house. We wanted to dig a bit deeper into the reasons why humans treat their dogs like family and so we did and are sharing the information with you today.
Humans Equate Dogs to Children
A study showed that over half of all dog owners equate their dogs to children. This means they treat their dogs and love them in the same way they’d love their children. While a dog obviously has different needs, the dog owners surveyed said they would put their dog’s needs at the same level of priority as they do their human children’s needs.
Excellent Companionship
Over 77% percent of dog owners admit to talking to their pet dog like they’re another human friend. This has proven to help reduce anxiety and stress. If you sit down and watch someone interact with their dog, you’ll find that they change their tone and talk in a similar way they would when speaking to a child. This just goes to show that dog owners seem to think their dogs are children.
Partially Due to Marriage Decline
Marriage has been on the decline so many experts think dog owners have started exchanging a spouse for a dog. The dog is easier to take care of, extremely loyal and provides similar companionship that a friend would without the stress. Many experts feel that dog owners have started to treat their dogs like family because the dog is indeed their family.
A Belief in Animal Rights
Lastly, there are a growing number of people who feel strongly about animal rights. This means people who believe animals have similar rights as humans do and so they tend to treat their dog like family. In these cases, the pet dog may have their own chair, bed, and so forth so that they’re an equal member of the family with the children in the home.
We’re not entirely sure why most humans treat their dogs like family but it seems to be something within our DNA or perhaps how dogs make us feel. It’s rather obvious that a dog is man’s best friend and provides the companionship one needs to stay happy, and healthy in life.