Those who know, know: Self-care isn’t always just about the self, but about the ones we love too. Perhaps no one knows this better than dog owners (there, I said it), because our furever friends not only bring us many benefits through sheer companionship alone, but in letting us spoil them too (if you’re want for inspiration, check out these top customized gifts for dog lovers).
In lead-up to National Love Your Pet Day on Feb. 20, a survey of 2,000 American dog owners explored all the ways respondents showed love for their pooch, and came away with some surprising findings.
Related: How much owning a dog actually costs.
Not only would 72 per cent of owners gladly put themselves in harm’s way to save their pooch (as many have), but additionally, 65 per cent consider spoiling their doggo a form of self-care.
This makes sense considering just under 80 per cent (78 per cent) consider their pups full-on members of their family. For some, their dogs were the most important relationship, with three in five people (61 per cent) even preferring their dog to some human relationships.
See also: Our 10 favourite dog influencers for 2021.
The survey, conducted by JustFoodForDogs also found that almost half of those surveyed have canceled plans in the past just to stay in with their pet; and considering the best sleep of your life happens with your dog and not your partner, we can’t blame them.
Here are additional findings from the survey:
