A recent study from Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) reveals the unique role dogs play in human social networks.
Published in Scientific Reports, the study describes the dog-owner relationship as a combination of a parent-child bond and a best-friend dynamic.
The research emphasizes affection, trust, and low conflict, mirroring elements of our closest human relationships.
The study compared dog-owner bonds with relationships with a child, romantic partner, relative, and best friend.
It found the dog-owner relationship includes nurturing love, similar to that directed toward children, and harmony, like that in close friendships.
However, there is a clear power imbalance, with the owner in a dominant role.
Interestingly, people with strong human support systems also reported greater support from their dogs.
This suggests dogs complement, rather than replace, human social bonds.
Enikő Kubinyi, head of ELTE's Department of Ethology, explained that owners have near-total control over their dogs.
This control and the dog's dependency may contribute to owners' high satisfaction with the relationship.
Borbála Turcsán, the study's lead author, noted that dogs offer varied emotional and social support based on owner needs.
The ELTE researchers used a multidimensional framework to capture the complexity of the dog-owner bond, providing a more accurate understanding of how dogs fit into human social networks.