Do people use dogs to fill emotional needs?

[Anonymous]

I see a lot people who get dogs are obsessed, then have kids and are totally over the dog.

I see a lot of people who don’t have kids with dogs who they treat like it’s a person. Like they can’t vacation without their dog, their dog is all over me when I go to their house, they’re constantly snuggling with their dog, their social media has so many pictures of their dog, etc.

Is a dog a surrogate for a human relationship in these situations?

[Anonymous]

Absolutely. Without question. Surprised you needed to ask.

[Anonymous]

Yes and it’s been so for many years. Maybe centuries. Maybe millennia.

[Anonymous]

It’s been proven that petting a dog improves your Seratonin by 412% and provides an endorphin rush and 72% decrease in overall stress cortisol levels. Duh.

[Anonymous]

Some people have dogs for a working purpose - whether that's a hunting dog, guard dog or service dog. Otherwise, why else would you take on the expense and effort of caring for another living creature for 12-15yrs if it were not for an emotional tie?

We have kids and dogs, and love them all. Not equally, of course, but the dog never talks back or is in a bad mood the way the teenager is so sometimes I get a lot more love from the four-legged one in the house!

[Anonymous]

People use kids to fill emotional needs as well. One isn’t superior to the other.

[Anonymous]

Of course they do

[Anonymous]

Obviously. I think there's a healthy and unhealthy (ie, "emotional support animal") way to approach having dogs for emotional needs. If you feel the need to bring your dog with you everywhere, disregard or pressure business owners or put your needs above other patrons, then that's a problem.

Exciting to come home to your furry friend because it gives you lots of joy (at home), then fine.

[Anonymous]

A dog can be a surrogate for human relationships but it can also be something to have a relationship with, human to animal in terms of bonding and companionship.

I have a house full of people I love yet I spend most of my day with my dog by my side. He isn't substituting for anyone human.

[Anonymous]

Everything fulfills emotional needs.

[Anonymous]

People do, but it contributes to the overweight, anxious, reactivity, neurotic dogs you see everywhere.

Raising a dog is a balance between the dog's best interest and the human's. Unfortunately, it's so often weighed in the human's favor at the expense of the dog's mental health.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People use kids to fill emotional needs as well. One isn’t superior to the other.

I beg to differ; I think it’s much less destructive using a dog to fill your emotional needs than using a child. The way that dynamic manifests for many children results in a painful childhood and a lifetime of recovery. Dogs only have to endure 10-15 years.

[Anonymous]

People also do this to kids right? Like I'm anxious, codependent, etc and going to use my kids to make me feel better...

[Anonymous]

Yeah, if the question is use a dog or use a child, the answer is clearly, use a dog.

But, is it right to use either?

[Anonymous]

At least the kids eventually can speak up and get the heck out of there. The dog spends its whole life like that.