How far does your love for your dog go? While humans and dogs express their feelings for each other in different ways, pet owners unanimously love their dogs very much. A new report tried to quantify what “very much” really means.
One of the findings suggests that over half of dog lovers would consider ending a relationship if a partner didn’t like dogs or had severe allergies to them. Of the respondents of Rover’s report, 41 percent wanted their dog and partner to get along, too.
In fact, the more a person likes a dog, the more attractive they may become to a potential partner. Up to 69 percent of the respondents confirmed that if a potential partner is a dog lover, they would be more interested in dating that person. Those in the younger bracket of millennials would even consider continuing a relationship or friendship if they liked that person’s dog.
Dog Lovers Might Show Affection More To Pooches Than Partners
Different pet owners show their affection in many ways.
While some people dote on their human children, a growing number of pet parents show even more adoration for their furry family members. Many take photos of their dogs even more than their own human families.
Millennials and younger people, in particular, are trying their hand in parenting in a different sense–raising a dog. They take their dogs’ needs into consideration for their plans. They talk to them in baby voice and cuddle with them whenever they can.
According to the Rover report, almost half of the dog owner respondents even cuddle more with their dog than their partner.
Dogs Love You In Return
What’s amazing about dogs is that the love you give them is unconditionally received and given back. Science proves that human-canine love is backed by facts and hormones.
“Of course dogs love their people! The hormone oxytocin is released (in both dogs and people) when they interact/have contact with someone they like. This “love hormone” helps cement and increase the bond we share,” said Amy Shojai, an animal behavior consultant, in an interview with Inverse.
Dogs feel and return the love. They sometimes even relate their owner’s scent to the sense of pleasure they feel. It’s a special experience for them, and one that is not replicated with other things’ or peoples’ smells.
Another way we connect with our dogs that most of us do naturally is by speaking to them in a higher-pitched voice. Dogs respond more positively to dog speak–which is basically baby talk, but spoken to dogs–than normal, conversation-like tones. When we speak to dogs in this way–you have to admit you do it a lot–it helps solidify that feeling of love between our pooches and us.
What do you think about this new survey? Do you agree with other dog lovers out there about dogs and relationships? Let us know below!
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