Dog Emotional Health Survey Shows Just How Much We Need Them

Unsplash/Valerie Elash

Sure, babies are cute and all, and we certainly fell for our partners for a good reason, but when the going gets tough, a lot of us turn to a different family member for some unconditional love and support: the dog.

According to a new survey from Wag!, the popular on-demand dog walking app, pooches reign supreme in American households when it comes to fostering emotional health. Of the 2,000 pet parents who participated in the survey, 38 percent said the “person” that they show the most love and attention to in their household is their pup. (Only 31 percent picked their children, and only 23 percent picked their significant others.)

What’s more, a solid 44 percent of the survey respondents said that they’re most likely to turn to their best doggo friend for comfort when they’re feeling sad or angry, while only 34 percent said they go to their romantic partner first. That gives an entirely new meaning to the term “therapy dog,” doesn’t it?

Unsplash/Eric Ward

As if man’s best friend didn’t already feel appreciated enough, we humans go to great lengths to let these furry members of our families know just how much we need them around. For example, the same survey revealed that 60 percent of pet parents buy their pups birthday presents, 88 percent of them feed them a special treat or meal on their big day and a whopping 25 percent of them go as far as to throw them legit birthday parties.

Even when we’re at work, we’re thinking about our favorite floofs. Over the years, nanny cams for pets have grown tremendously popular for pup parents who work long hours but still want to tune into their dog’s well-being. In this survey, 19 percent of participants have purchased tech that allows them to check in on their fluffy loved one at any point in the day.

Clearly, there’s a lot of love going out to the canine crew. But honestly, we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Want more dogs in your life? Sign up for Friday Fluff, a newsletter featuring the week’s cutest pups!

5 Fun Ways To Work Out With Your Dog