"Need one more reason to love your dog? New research suggests they might be called "man's best friend" for reasons beyond reliable companionship. A recent study experimentally manipulated the presence or absence of pets (mostly dogs), and the findings point to the possibility that pets may provide an indirect boost to romantic relationship quality (Barklam & Felisberti, 2025). Pets and Our Romantic Relationships"
"For instance, single women (more so than men) use a potential partner's pet ownership as a sign of underlying mate quality (Gray et al., 2015). Specifically, owning a dog, as compared to owning a cat, implied socially relevant information to single women, who might see these dog-owning men as better potential caregivers, i.e., better potential partners. Within ongoing relationships, dog ownership might be viewed as a factor that enhances relationships"
A majority of pet owners report that pets contribute to relationship well-being. Single women often interpret a potential partner's pet ownership, especially dog ownership, as a cue of caregiver qualities and mate suitability. Dog ownership within ongoing relationships can enhance relationship perceptions but may also introduce stress and jealousy. Experimental manipulation of pet presence or absence (mostly dogs) produced positive emotional displays that lingered into subsequent interactions. Those lingering positive expressions have the potential to indirectly boost romantic relationship quality and may be particularly beneficial for established partners.
Read at Psychology Today
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]