Some people own animals, but dog parents tend to see their bond as something much deeper. A new survey of 2-thousand U.S. adults who have a dog looks at just how close they are and finds that 87% actually consider their pooch to be their best pal. And nearly all respondents (97%) consider them to be as much a family member as anyone else.
According to the poll:
- Three-quarters share dialogue with their dog and 62% “often” use a “dog voice” for those conversations.
- Nearly half (47%) are so close to their dog, they let them sleep in their bed every night.
- And 54% admit they’ve shared a plate of food with their pup at one time or another.
- Others have thrown birthday parties for their dog (40%), created social media accounts devoted to them (45%) and had video calls with them when they were apart (60%).
- Half of those polled have dressed their dog up in clothes, including superhero costumes (13%), bowtie collars (16%), and fancy outfits like tuxedos (10%).
- More than a quarter (28%) have cooked homemade meals for their pup, 21% have taken them for a spa day and 10% have hosted dog photo shoots.
- A few (9%) even had their dog in their engagement or wedding photos.
- Over a third have taken their dog on vacation (35%) or given them a personalized bed or blanket (36%).
- Three in 10 have bought their pets birthday cakes or “pupcakes.”
- All of this helps explain why almost a third (29%) admit their whole lives are centered around their dogs.
- As much as they love their pet, there’s one thing that can make them keep their distance: bad breath.
- More than eight in 10 (81%) confess that dog breath has kept them from getting too close and 37% say the stench was so bad, they had to get some distance from their four-legged friend.
- While 80% of dog parents know that these behaviors may seem strange to people who don’t have dogs, they don’t feel there’s anything odd about the closeness they share.
Source: NY Post
photo: GETTY