Mar 26, 2025 06:54 PM
(This post was last modified: Mar 26, 2025 06:56 PM by C C.)
Are dogs the new children? How is dog ownership connected to declining birth rates?
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1078087
INTRO: In some countries, the number of dogs has increased so much that it now exceeds the number of children. While the emotional significance of dogs is clearly rising worldwide, it remains uncertain whether people are choosing to keep dogs instead of having children or whether other factors are driving this trend.
Professor Enikő Kubinyi, head of the Department of Ethology at Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), has proposed a groundbreaking theory in one of the world's leading psychology journals. According to her, there is indeed a connection between dog ownership and declining birth rates — but not in the way we might think.
Many people consider their dogs to be family members, and some even place them above human relationships. While the number of dogs increases, human fertility rates are declining. "Even among parents, some value their dog more than any other person."
Nineteen percent of childless individuals and ten percent of parents valued their dog at least partially more than any human in a recent Hungarian survey. What could be the reason for this? Kubinyi’s theory, published in Current Directions in Psychological Science, aims to explain this surprising phenomenon.
"Some say dogs are the new children, while others find this idea outrageous. Pope Francis, for example, has called it selfish for childless people to pamper pets," Kubinyi notes. "Some studies suggest that dog owners indeed have more negative views of motherhood, and mothers who own dogs find parenting more burdensome, which could reduce their willingness to have more children. In some cases, dogs may even harm romantic relationships. But that’s only one side of the story."
The opposing argument is that dog ownership might actually increase human fertility rates. "Families with children are more likely to own dogs, and some couples see their pet as a 'practice child,' a preparatory step toward starting a family. Women also tend to find men with dogs more attractive, which could increase the chances of fatherhood." According to this view, dog ownership does not replace parenting but rather complements or precedes it.
Dogs may also act as a kind of "social glue," facilitating human relationships — for example, dog walking increases opportunities for social interaction. Thus, dogs may play an important role in creating social networks among people. However, certain dog behavior problems (such as aggression or excessive barking) can complicate social interactions, especially if the owner relies solely on their dog for emotional support. \
"The number of children is not declining because the number of dogs is increasing, but the same trend lies behind both phenomena: the transformation of social networks," argues Kubinyi.
"My concept, referred to as the companion animal, or more specifically, the companion dog runaway theory, suggests that the popularity of dogs is rooted in biological evolutionary causes, but it has culturally escalated, "run away". The caregiving instinct and the need for social support are genetically encoded in human behavior, but these drives have shifted toward companion animals because human relationships are often damaged or absent." (MORE - details, no ads)
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1078087
INTRO: In some countries, the number of dogs has increased so much that it now exceeds the number of children. While the emotional significance of dogs is clearly rising worldwide, it remains uncertain whether people are choosing to keep dogs instead of having children or whether other factors are driving this trend.
Professor Enikő Kubinyi, head of the Department of Ethology at Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), has proposed a groundbreaking theory in one of the world's leading psychology journals. According to her, there is indeed a connection between dog ownership and declining birth rates — but not in the way we might think.
Many people consider their dogs to be family members, and some even place them above human relationships. While the number of dogs increases, human fertility rates are declining. "Even among parents, some value their dog more than any other person."
Nineteen percent of childless individuals and ten percent of parents valued their dog at least partially more than any human in a recent Hungarian survey. What could be the reason for this? Kubinyi’s theory, published in Current Directions in Psychological Science, aims to explain this surprising phenomenon.
"Some say dogs are the new children, while others find this idea outrageous. Pope Francis, for example, has called it selfish for childless people to pamper pets," Kubinyi notes. "Some studies suggest that dog owners indeed have more negative views of motherhood, and mothers who own dogs find parenting more burdensome, which could reduce their willingness to have more children. In some cases, dogs may even harm romantic relationships. But that’s only one side of the story."
The opposing argument is that dog ownership might actually increase human fertility rates. "Families with children are more likely to own dogs, and some couples see their pet as a 'practice child,' a preparatory step toward starting a family. Women also tend to find men with dogs more attractive, which could increase the chances of fatherhood." According to this view, dog ownership does not replace parenting but rather complements or precedes it.
Dogs may also act as a kind of "social glue," facilitating human relationships — for example, dog walking increases opportunities for social interaction. Thus, dogs may play an important role in creating social networks among people. However, certain dog behavior problems (such as aggression or excessive barking) can complicate social interactions, especially if the owner relies solely on their dog for emotional support. \
"The number of children is not declining because the number of dogs is increasing, but the same trend lies behind both phenomena: the transformation of social networks," argues Kubinyi.
"My concept, referred to as the companion animal, or more specifically, the companion dog runaway theory, suggests that the popularity of dogs is rooted in biological evolutionary causes, but it has culturally escalated, "run away". The caregiving instinct and the need for social support are genetically encoded in human behavior, but these drives have shifted toward companion animals because human relationships are often damaged or absent." (MORE - details, no ads)