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It's no secret, America LOVES their dogs. But what you may not have known is that more than a THIRD of Americans admit to thinking they love their dog more than their other half!
In a new survey of 1,000 American dog owners in relationships performed by pet subscription box service PoochPerks.com, a whopping 94 percent say that it is important that their dog likes their significant other, and 71 percent say that if their significant other disliked or couldn't get along with their dog, it would cause problems in the relationship.
Forty-three percent of respondents were even willing to end a relationship in its early days or weeks if their partner could not get along with their dog.
And why might this be the case? Well, nearly 80 percent of dog owners in a relationship say that their dog is the first to greet them when they get home, and the same number of respondents also claims to like their dog better than other people. One in five of those polled even admitted to trusting their dog more than they trust their partner!
America also has quite a few extra-pampered pooches out there as one third of those polled admit to buying an equal or greater number of presents for their dog as their significant other - and over 60 percent are always sure to buy their fur-baby a present at Christmas.
And going beyond just daily treatment, Americans sometimes seem to be more attached to their pups than their partners. In fact, respondents using a scale from 1 to 10 (10 being completely devastated) estimated that they would be MORE devastated if their dog ran away (9.1) than if their significant other broke up with them (8.8).
"Our dogs are more than just pets. They are companions who provide emotional support and joy in our lives - much in the way a spouse is meant to. So the fact that so many Americans would choose their dog over their partner may not come as a surprise to those of us who would do anything for our pup," said Tina Vidal, President and Pack Leader at Pooch Perks, a subscription box service for people looking to pamper their pooches.
People love their dogs so much that money is no object. Fourteen percent of respondents say they would be willing to spend over $20,000 on medical treatments if it meant saving their pooch's life.
Women were more likely to choose their pup over their spouse than men, with one in four admitting they were much more likely to carry around a photo of their dog than of their significant other, and one in five saying they feel more emotionally supported by their dog than their partner.
But it does go both ways! Twenty-three percent of respondents say that their dog loves them more than their significant other, while nearly 20 percent of these dog owners also admitted that they sometimes think that their partner loves his or her dog more than them.
ENDS
