Dogs are treated like child surrogates, new study finds

A global rise in dog ownership worldwide reflects a growing desire to nurture without the demands of raising children, researchers have suggested.

- JABED AHMED

Academics found that much of Europe, North America, and East Asia are now experiencing “sub-replacement fertility” – meaning people have fewer children than needed to maintain the population.

In contrast, dog ownership has gained in popularity over the last few decades. In most European countries, a quarter to half of all households now own at least one dog, the researchers said.

While dogs have long been considered members of the family, the researchers found that “an increasing number of owners have begun to regard their dogs as their children".

They added that "some owners might see their dog as a child surrogate to spoil, others actively choose to have dogs and not children". Owning a dog could "offer an opportunity to fulfil a nurturing drive similar to parenting, but with fewer demands than raising biological offspring", the researchers said.