A Dog Brings More Happiness Than A Partner
Published: July 10, 2006
Owning a dog brings greater happiness than being in a steady relationships, according to a survey.
Money cannot buy you love - but man’s best friend can, claim researchers.
Forget about the weather, job satisfaction or a Lottery win, the key to happiness comes in a far hairier form.
The MORI poll of 2,000 people, commissioned by Pedigree, reveals that 81 per cent of people’s happiness significantly improves once they become dog owners.
In fact, according to the research, a dog tops the ‘happiness index’ and is way ahead of other factors which improve people’s moods.
Dog ownership beats off other feelgood factors including the weather, job satisfaction and even being in a steady relationship.
And proving that it really can’t buy happiness, money comes firmly at the bottom of what makes people really happy.
Indeed the benefits of owning a dog extends to far more than general happiness - not only have over a fifth (21 per cent) of people expanded their social network through their four-legged friends but, like Big Brother’s Davina McCall and her husband Matthew Robertson, as many as 36 per cent have met a partner whilst walking their dog.
Potential suitors should also beware - a quarter (25 per cent) of dog owners confess to sometimes loving their dog more than their partners!
And whereas in the past it was important to get along with your partner’s parents, the same now applies to your partner’s dog - over half of all dog owners admit that their relationship becomes strained if their partner takes a dislike to their dog…
The study also shows how man’s best friend has considerably grown in stature to take an even more significant role in modern life.
A staggering 96 per cent of owners now consider their dog to be a member of the family, with 55 per cent believing them to be great substitutes for children - good news for dogs but bad news for errant kids!
Pedigree spokeswoman Justine Hare said: “As dog lovers ourselves, even we were taken aback by the increasing role dogs have in today’s society.
“Of course we all know about the health benefits of having a dog and the companionship they provide, but to have such a significant impact on a person’s happiness or even chances of finding love is astonishing!”
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