It’s no secret that furry friends can steal our hearts. However, new research suggests there are three different types of dog owners, and what category you fall into may dictate the kind of relationship you have with your pup.
A recent study conducted by researchers at Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary surveyed nearly 800 participants and asked them to detail what they liked most and least about their pet dogs.
This revealed that practically all dog owners, or almost 98%, enjoyed petting and engaging in physical contact with their pups. This was followed by “unconditional love” at just under 94% and their dog’s beauty at about 88%.
On the flip side, some of the most common problems reported by dog owners included socialization issues and lack of time.
Then, when it came to canine behavioral concerns, jumping up was reported by about 33% of participants, while chasing animals and territoriality were reported by over 28% and 26%, respectively.
What’s perhaps most fascinating, though, is how the authors were able to determine three distinct “profiles” of dog owners, and their four-legged friends played varying social and practical roles in their lives.
“Interestingly, even though we collected data from online groups dedicated to family dogs, the owners weren’t all the same,” explained Laura Gillet, the study’s lead author.
The first category of dog owners, the “friendly colleague,” views their pup as more of a security guard or coworker.
Approximately 31% of the study participants landed in this category, and these kinds of dog owners are more likely to own breeds such as German Shepherds, Belgian Shepherds, or Border Collies.
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The second category is known as the “dog parent” and may more closely align with common portrayals of human-dog relationships on social media. These owners have a human-like bond with their pets and don’t view their pups as serving a practical purpose.
Nearly 50% of the study participants fell in this “dog parent” category, owning dog breeds such as Dachshunds, Boxers, and Vizslas.
The final category is referred to as the “companion” dog owner. As you can probably infer, these individuals likely adopt dogs to fulfill a sense of companionship. Still, they tend to remain emotionally distant from their pets.
Just over 19% of the study participants were determined to be “companion” owners and typically own dog breeds like Labrador Retrievers, Mudi, and English Cocker Spaniels.
“Despite the general trend observable in Western countries, in which dogs are more and more perceived as family members providing unconditional love and support, this study highlights that not all dog owners are the same, even in a convenience sample interested in dog behavioral studies,” Gillet concluded.
To read the study’s complete findings, which have since been published in Scientific Reports, visit the link here.