Women likely to test parenting skills on ‘fur babies’ before having a child, survey finds

According to the survey, about 42 per cent of women said their pet-parent experiences gave them valuable parenting skills that they can use with their kids.

Are you an animal lover? Chances are, you will make a good parent, too. A recent survey has found a link between being a dog-mom, and being an actual mother to a baby.

The survey of 500 female dog owners — conducted by Rover.com, an online dog walker and sitter company — found that before adding a child to the family, nearly half of ‘dog moms’ decided to get a dog first.

According to the survey, while 46 per cent of women opted first for a dog, about 42 per cent said their pet-parent experiences gave them valuable parenting skills that they can use with their human children. Another 23 per cent of respondents said they plan to do the same.

The survey was conducted ahead of Dog Mom’s Day, which falls on the second Saturday in May, before Mother’s Day. Amid the ongoing pandemic, for 54 per cent of women, it was their first-time celebration of Dog Mom’s Day. Additionally, 57 per cent said they have welcomed a new dog into the family in the past year.

It was also found that quarantining has fostered a stronger bond between women and their dogs, with 70 per cent stating they feel more attached than ever with their dog, and 71 per cent saying their family groups have dogs at the centre.

The only downside has been that for 48 per cent of respondents, the pandemic has raised their level of parental concerns about the well-being of their dog.

In addition to that, about 78 per cent of women said they consider themselves to be ‘dog moms’ and not just ‘dog owners’, while more than 75 per cent affectionately refer to their dogs as ‘fur babies’, ‘son’ or ‘daughter’, ‘kid’, ‘child’, ‘baby’ or other such terms on the regular.

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