If you ask a dog owner, they’ll often tell you that getting their pet was one of the best decisions they ever made.
But a new study has warned that ‘man’s best friend’ might be more of a hindrance than a help for some owners.
Researchers from Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary found that the burden of owning a dog is much higher than previously suggested.
While the study found that dogs were generally seen as positive, there are also serious drawbacks that need to be considered.
Vet bills, restrictions on travel, and the inevitability of outliving their pet were all listed as some of the biggest problems.
The worry, sadness, and guilt associated with dog ownership can even lead to long-term medical conditions like chronic stress or depression in the long run.
Lead author, Laura Gillet, told MailOnline: ‘One of the most important things people should think about is how having a dog will affect their daily lives in regard to their personal circumstances, personality and expectations.
‘Not everyone finds the same aspects of dog ownership costly, especially the ones related to the long-term commitment that comes with it.’
While dog owners might be positive about their pets, a new study suggests that keeping a pooch could be more of a burden than many expect. Just like in Marley and Me (pictured), dog owners say that outliving their pet was the biggest drawback
Around the world, the population of pet dogs has been steadily growing after jumping sharply during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Currently, estimates suggest that there are 65.1 million households in the US that own at least one dog and around 104 million in Europe.
While dog ownership is almost always presented as a positive, there are also considerable drawbacks.
Research has shown that having a dog can cause depressive symptoms, poor physical health, and increased stress.
While it might seem counterintuitive, many of these issues arise from the feeling that owners can’t properly care for their pets.
For this reason, Ms Gillet and her co-authors set out to investigate how dog owners actually rate the pros and cons of having a pet.
A group of 246 dog owners completed a questionnaire consisting of 33 neutrally worded statements about owning a dog such as ‘dogs need to be trained and educated’.
Each participant then rated these statements on a scale of minus three (a big disadvantage) to plus three (a big advantage).
Researchers surveyed dog owners to see how they rated different aspects of owning a dog. The expenses associated with pet bills and general care were ranked as one of the most significant burdens (stock image)
These results revealed a mixed picture in which dog owners found both benefits and challenges with dog ownership.
The researchers grouped the facets of dog ownership into three major components.
The first encompassed the emotional, social, and physical benefits of having a dog such as getting out for walks and meeting new people.
The second refers to the negative emotions and challenges of keeping a dog and includes problems like the stress of vet visits and worrying about your dog’s health.
Finally, the third aspect of dog ownership was found to be the commitment and responsibilities that come with keeping a dog happy and healthy.
Overall, dog owners tended to rate positive attributes as more of an advantage than the problems were seen as disadvantages.
On average, positive statements received a rating of plus 2.06 while negative statements only received a rating of -0.66.
According to the researchers, this pushes the cost-benefit scales in favour of owning a dog.
However, Ms Gillet says that it is hard for science to determine whether dogs are a net positive for most people.
When asked for the ‘biggest benefit of dog ownership’ owners gave a variety of answers (illustrated), but the most common response given by 60 per cent of people was the ‘meaningful and valued relationship’
She says: ‘What dogs bring to our lives may not always be easily measurable.
‘For example, in our study, some dog owners reported that their dogs contributed to their self-growth and gave them purpose in life, which can be hard to put in numbers.’
Out of the positive benefits, dog owners rated their dog’s ability to brighten their life as the biggest advantage, with this statement being rated as plus 2.78.
However, there were also serious drawbacks that even the most enthusiastic of dog owners had to admit.
Just like in the film Marley and Me, the emotional toll of outliving our pet was the biggest problem associated with getting a dog.
Owners ranked the fact that dogs have short lifespans as the biggest disadvantage, rating this -1.67 on average.
Likewise, dog owners gave negative rankings to the fact that having a dog can make it hard to find an appropriate place to live or to go on holiday.
Interestingly, the issue that divided dog owners the most was whether the practical commitments were a positive or a negative.
When asked about the biggest drawback of owning a dog, 95 per cent of participants mentioned the financial costs
Dog owners revealed that the responsibilities of having a dog were found to be both a source of joy and a burden.
For example, some owners felt like the need to train their dog was a big benefit, while others ranked this as a major disadvantage.
In the second stage of the study, the dog owners were asked to talk freely about their experiences of owning a pet.
Co-author Eniko Kubinyi says: ‘More than sixty per cent of dog owners spontaneously mentioned that the biggest benefit of pet dogs was the meaningful and valued relationship they developed with them.
‘Dogs were often described as honest, devoted and supportive social partners, showing unconditional, selfless love to their human family.’
However, this test also showed that agreement about the worst part of owning a dog was unanimous.
Unprompted, 95 per cent of dog owners mentioned the costs of caring for their dog – including feeding, vet bills, and other expenses.
According to Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, owning a dog in the UK costs around £2,000 ($2,450) per year.
If those costs grow too great, the feeling that owners can’t give their dogs the care they need can lead to many negative consequences.
The researchers also point out that their study might be underestimating the true costs of keeping a dog since you would expect a group of enthusiastic dog owners to be positive about getting a pet.
Additionally, they note that some dog owners may struggle with their dogs without being able to talk about it for fear of being labelled a ‘bad owner’.
While the researchers don’t say that having a dog is always bad, they do emphasise the need to properly consider the costs before bringing a dog into your life.
Ms Gillet concludes: ‘For the good of both dogs and people, I’d say that having a pet suitable for anyone who feels able to take on the responsibilities of dog ownership.
‘At the end of the day, this is mostly a matter of finding the dog that will make you happier. Not all dogs make a good match with all humans.’
