A new study has revealed that many dog owners rate their relationship with their pets as more or equally satisfying compared to their closest human relationships, highlighting the unique emotional connections formed with dogs. The study, conducted by researchers from Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary, sheds light on the multi-faceted role of dogs in the lives of their owners.
The research involved 717 participants, who were asked to evaluate their relationships with their dogs, romantic partners, best friends, children, and closest relatives across 13 different characteristics. These included aspects like companionship, intimacy, affection, reliability, and conflict. The findings indicated that dogs ranked higher than human relationships in many areas, particularly in companionship, nurturing needs, and reliability.
Borbála Turcsán, the lead author of the study, explained that the bond between dogs and their owners does not replace human relationships but rather complements them. “Dogs offer something different—a unique blend of characteristics that enhance our social connections,” Turcsán stated.
The study, which gathered data over two periods—April 2011 to February 2013 and January 2022 to December 2023—found that dog owners experienced fewer negative interactions with their pets than with human family members or romantic partners. For instance, dogs were seen as providing affection and support without the same level of conflict or frustration that can sometimes arise in human relationships.
Dogs were also rated higher than best friends and closest relatives in terms of affection and emotional reliability, though romantic partners outperformed dogs in intimacy. When assessing overall satisfaction, owners reported higher levels of contentment with their dogs than with their best friends or closest relatives, with little difference in satisfaction levels when compared to romantic partners or children.
One striking finding was the power imbalance in the dog-owner relationship. While dogs require ongoing guidance and care, unlike children who eventually become independent, this dynamic contributes to the special nature of the bond. “Dogs offer a positive, conflict-free relationship with strong social support, where owners have significant control over their pets’ lives,” noted Professor Enikő Kubinyi, senior author of the study.
Despite the power imbalance, the relationship between dog owners and their pets closely resembles that between parents and children, with dogs exhibiting much lower levels of antagonism compared to children. The team also emphasized the adaptability of the role dogs play in the lives of their owners, as they can be companions, children, or even sources of support for elderly individuals living alone.
While acknowledging the study’s limitations, including the self-selecting nature of the participants, the researchers underscored the versatility of the human-dog bond. “Dogs can fill many roles in our lives—be it a playmate, a best friend, a surrogate child, or a source of companionship for elderly people,” Kubinyi concluded.
Turcsán echoed this sentiment, adding that dogs truly have the potential to be “almost anything we want them to be.”