Are Dogs ‘Kids?’ Owner-Dog Relationships Share Striking Similarities to Parent-Child Relationships

Another interesting article from ScienceDaily about the relationship similarities people have with their children vs their pets. For me this isn’t much of a surprise and the greater question is whether this is a good thing or a bad thing.

“People have an innate need to establish close relationships with other people. But this natural bonding behaviour is not confined to humans: many animals also seem to need relationships with others of their kind. For domesticated animals the situation is even more complex and pets may enter deep relationships not only with conspecifics but also with their owners. Scientists at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna (Vetmeduni Vienna) have investigated the bond between dogs and their owners and have found striking similarities to the parent-child relationship in humans.” Read More