“Dogs are a man’s best friend,” is no longer just a saying, but is the truth. Researchers in Hungary asked 717 dog owners to rate their relationships with their dogs to relationships with their children, partners, close relatives, and best friends.
The owners rated their dogs higher that close relatives and even best friends. People said that the dogs provided more affection, reliability, and support too. They also gained more satisfaction than other relationships except with their children.
“Dogs play a unique role in our social lives,” said the researchers, “They offer emotional closeness like children, low conflict like friends, and predictability derived from the structured, human-led relationship.”
