Most Dog Owners Call Themselves "Mom" and "Dad"

The dog owners sampled feel that their dogs, without question, are part of the family. In fact, 10% of dog owners just celebrated Mother’s Day with their pets, and will be including their fur-kids in any festivities planned for Father’s Day.

Eighty-one percent of Americans consider their dogs as an equal part of their family, with 35% referring to their dogs as "son" or "daughter." Two out of three pet "parents" in the survey admitted they use at least two nicknames for their pooches, much in the same way they would call their own children.

Seventy-seven percent freely admit they talk about their dogs as if they were human family members.

But what I found most interesting in the survey was 45% of the survey respondents said that they talk more about their dogs than they do about their human relationships and 57% reported that they spend more time chatting about their dogs with their partners, than they do talking about sex.

In referring to the survey, Rob Leibowitz, Del Monte Foods Senior Vice President, Pet products, said, “Dogs are integral members of the family unit, and we want to shed light on this subtle, but important change from ‘owner’ to ‘parent.’ This survey showcases how pet parents today really treat their dogs like their own children. For this reason, we created Milo’s Kitchen Brand home-style dog treats because we believe that as important and integral family members they deserve treats made with the same quality and care of our own food. The survey results reinforce our idea that pet parents want to provide their dogs with the same experiences as other family members.”

Of course, some of these statistics, while fascinating to me in my capacity as a retired social worker specializing in family relationships, at the same time they are not at all a surprise. Since our relationships with our pets are generally freer of conflict than with our human family members, being able to love unconditionally is far easier, giving us a totally different outlet in which we may express love.

When talking with folks about your pets, how do you refer to them? Share in a comment.