Learn the real reasons you enjoy having your dog by your side and what this could mean for future relationship development.
Dogs are commonly seen as “a man’s best friend” or the “human’s eternal companion” which describes the loyalty and unconditional love that dogs have for humans and that humans reciprocate for dogs. In the United States, about seventy-million homes have at least one pet in their household, with the seventy-four million dogs owned in the United States (Dotson). In addition, fifty-one percent of dog owners consider their dogs to be a “family” member according to the U.S. Pet Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook. Ninety-nine percent of people talk to their dogs and believe that their dogs understand them to a certain degree. Dog-related expenditures have also risen in the U.S., resulting in an annual household budget of 1,000 for a dog excluding medical fees. Along with this, the pet-service industry has grown drastically (Dotson). Pet owners are also spending more money these years on preventative health to benefit their dogs. Most people are willing to help their dogs through better nutrition, supplements, and dental work, paying for the top and new veterinary medicine, and for big procedures in any health crisis that might occur (Dotson). All of this information doesn’t seem so surprising to dog owners at this time, but have you ever stopped to think what has caused humans to devote large parts of their life to this one species?
In the modern world, the number one use for a dog companion for humans is the psychological relationship. Psychologist, Shloka Ramshankar argues that the driving force that unites all dog owners today is loneliness. Under this thought, humans have been naturally seeking out a reliable support system and mutual understanding. By fitting both the human needs for either a “no understanding” mentality, when you need support from someone that you know will not understand what you say or your intentions, or “total understanding” mentality, when you feel your dog fills the role of someone who understands you as a whole. Overall, dogs do not question a human’s current state which humans prefer, but they also are still able to sense every human emotion, which humans also prefer. In this way, dogs are filling the role of a human in a relationship that no human can truly achieve due to a dog’s qualities of thoughtful inference and unconditional sensitivity (Ramshankar). Dogs are more consistent and reliable, making them the perfect companions.
This human-canine relationship is called mutualism, in which owners believe that by giving love and affected, they will also receive it without any chance of betrayal (Dotson). There are four subsects of this canine-human relationship which are object-oriented, utilitarian/exploitative, need-dependency, and actualizing. The object-oriented relationship is when the dog serves as the possession. The utilitarian and exploitative relationship is when the dog serves to benefit the human in some way, usually through work (Dotson). The most common relationship, need-dependency, is when a dog serves as a companion or child surrogate. The last relationship, actualizing, is when a dog fills the role of a respected significant other (Dotson). All of these relationships have different psychological impacts on the human and dog in the relationship, but in many ways, they also intertwine.
In many cases, dog owners use baby talk, usually referred to as “Motherese” in case studies, to speak to their dog. Why do people do this? Well, the obvious answer is because dog owners associate dogs to the role of babies or young children (Dotson). Dogs are also used to replace the mother and child bond for the “satisfaction of giving and receiving complete and total love and devotion” says research-analyst Michael J. Dotson. In the human’s psychological thinking, this replacement is not inferior or less real, even though it is a substitute for a relationship within the species instead of across species. On the dog’s end, they take over the role of facilitating interactions with whom they deem is unacquainted and to establish trust in order to protect their human companion. Through domestication, dogs have gained the psychological understanding that they must bark at strangers or individuals that they do not trust yet.
To learn more about this understanding from our human perspective, we must first understand the common categories and differences in our experiences with our dogs. The top three major social-psychological functions that dogs do for humans, according to a 1985 study conducted by Jean Veevers, are categorized as the projective function, the sociability function, and the surrogate function. The projective function is an extension of the social self in a symbolic fashion, the sociability function is when one uses interpersonal interaction to ease their way into other endeavors, and the surrogate function is the mentality behind the surrogate for human companionship (Dotson). According to consumer studies like the 1994 study by prevalent psychoanalyst Hirschman, the human psychological passion for keeping dogs as pets consist of many varying needs being met. Some humans see dogs as objects or property in their environment, something that just adds to their story and their identity. This is why these people will see dogs as an extension of themselves. Other owners use dogs for aesthetic value, a status symbol, or as avocations for showing off (Dotson). Humans also use dogs for equipment or as a worker to either protect, guide, help in therapy, or help in search and rescue (Dotson). And then of course, they are used as a companion in addition to these other needs to either be or replace a friend, family member, sibling, or child (Dotson).
These special relationships are most valued by humans when there is attachment which is generally established over a varying period of time. This attachment helps with the understanding of why the relationships are generally non-replaceable. This results in owners grieving and experiencing a loss of self when their dog passes away the same way that they would experience psychological and emotional hurting from the loss of a human. In a sense, dogs are exploited by humans in order to have more opportunities as a naturalistic consumer (Dotson). This could be the ability for them to appreciate nature and wildlife by having a reason to go out, to find inspiration and insight learning, to be able to be childlike and playful, to have a reason to be altruistic and nurturant, and gain the companionship which gives them comfort, care, and calmness (Dotson).
Habitual coexistence between humans and dogs is another way to explore the psychological effects of the relationship. Humans and dogs are able to live together peacefully and beneficially because they have similar generational social units. The social behavior aspects of dogs are still similar to wolves (Read our article on domestication for more information). Wolves and human families have many similarities such as that wolves are territorial and always protect their own “property”, they hunt cooperatively in a pack that works together, pack members have an emotional bond that keeps them together and allows them to joyously reunite after separation, and there is an alpha male and alpha female that lead the pack, similar to humans and their household structures (Barber). These similarities between social units allow dogs to live in homes with humans while being perfectly happy (Barber). When humans live with their dogs, they are more likely to have stronger bonds and more attachment, leading to the family designation that people place on their dogs.
To continue psychological bonding with your dog, one of the best things to do is participate in activities that help to reinforce the bond throughout you and your dog’s lifetime. This consists of spending time with your dog, for example, petting your dog while you sit on the couch. The other simple ways are exercising together, doing sports that strengthen communication such as agility testing, dog training, games, and possibly becoming a therapy team (Stregowski). Strengthening your bond with your dog has health, emotional, and well-being benefits that are not only beneficial for you, but also for your pal.
Works Cited
Dotson, Michael J. “Understanding Dog–Human Companionship.” Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, 30 Aug. 2007,
www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0148296307002214.
Ramshankar, Shloka. “Why Dogs Are Man's Best Friend- a Psychological Take on Humanity's Relationship with the so-Called...” Medium, Medium, 10 Jan. 2016,
medium.com/@Shlok7/why-dogs-are-man-s-best-friend-a-psychological-humanity- s-relationship-with-the-so-called-da05e80a84a0.
Barber, Nigel. “Why Are Humans and Dogs so Good at Living Together?” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 30 Apr. 2009, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the- human-beast/200904/why-are-humans-and-dogs-so-good-living-together.
Stregowski, Jenna. “The Special Bond Between Humans and Dogs.” The Spruce, The Spruce, 19 Mar. 18AD, www.thespruce.com/the-human-canine-bond-1117458.
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