Joanna Wilson
Researchers have discovered that dogs are not merely “fur babies” or best friends, but rather a combination of both, emphasizing the unique position pets hold in our lives.
The research indicates that pet owners perceive their bond with their dogs to be as fulfilling, if not more so, than their relationships with the humans closest to them. Nonetheless, the researchers did not discover that the bond between owners and dogs was more robust in individuals with less strong human relationships.
“Our findings indicated that it [the bond] does not supplant human relationships but provides something distinct, a unique blend of attributes that enhances what we gain from the human aspect of our social network,” stated Borbála Turcsán, the lead author of the study from Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary.
The team detailed in the journal Scientific Reports their approach to recruiting 717 dog owners via social media across two distinct periods: from April 2011 to February 2013, and from January 2022 to December 2023. Approximately 20% of participants were parents, while around 80% were in a romantic relationship.
Participants were requested to evaluate their relationships with a pet, child, romantic partner, closest relative, and best friend across 13 characteristics, which included companionship, intimacy, reliability, satisfaction, and power balance.
Participants were inquired about the frequency with which they safeguarded and cared for the individual, engaged in enjoyable activities together, experienced disagreements, and noted instances where the individual tested their patience. They were also asked about their confidence in the longevity of the relationship and perceptions of dominance within it.
The team discovered that owners rated their dogs more highly for companionship and the need for nurture compared to their closest relatives, best friends, and romantic partners. Additionally, they reported experiencing fewer negative interactions with their dogs than with their children, romantic partners, or closest relatives.
Dog owners rated their pets more favorably than their best friends and closest family members in aspects such as affection, reliability, and support. Nevertheless, in matters of intimacy, romantic partners surpassed dogs.
They expressed higher levels of relationship satisfaction with their dogs compared to their closest family members or best friends. The level of satisfaction showed minimal variation when comparing the bond to that of a romantic partner or a child.
However, in terms of power dynamics, the relationships between owners and their dogs revealed the most significant disparities. The researchers observed that although children were nurtured to grow into self-sufficient adults, dogs needed continuous direction and oversight.
“Dogs provide a remarkably beneficial relationship with little conflict, robust social support, and the distinct chance to have complete control over another living being’s life,” stated Prof Enikő Kubinyi, the senior author of the research.
Turcsán noted that the relationship between dogs and their owners closely resembles that of a child and a parent. A key aspect of this dynamic, aside from the power imbalance, is that dogs exhibit significantly lower levels of antagonism and conflict with their owners than children do, a similarity the team observed in best friendships.
Although the study has its limitations, such as the self-selecting nature of the participants, the researchers noted that the findings underscored the versatility of the roles that dogs assumed.
“A dog can serve as a playmate for children, a reliable flatmate, a best friend for young singles, a surrogate child for young couples, a sibling figure when children come along, a grandchild for parents in their later years, and perhaps most importantly, a vital source of social support for elderly individuals living alone,” stated Kubinyi.
