In some countries, the number of dogs has increased so much that it now exceeds the number of children. While the emotional significance of dogs is clearly rising worldwide, it remains uncertain whether people are choosing to keep dogs instead of having children or whether other factors are driving this trend. According to Professor Enikő Kubinyi, head of the Department of Ethology at Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), there is indeed a connection between dog ownership and declining birth rates—but not in the way we might think.
Many people consider their dogs to be family members, and some even place them above human relationships. While the number of dogs increases, human fertility rates are declining.
Even among parents, some value their dog more than any other person.
Nineteen percent of childless individuals and 10% of parents valued their dog at least partially more than any human in a recent Hungarian survey. What could be the reason for this? Kubinyi’s theory, published in Current Directions in Psychological Science, aims to explain this surprising phenomenon.
“Some say dogs are the new children, while others find this idea outrageous. Pope Francis, for example, has called it selfish for childless people to pamper pets,” Kubinyi notes.
“Some studies suggest that dog owners indeed have more negative views of motherhood, and mothers who own dogs find parenting more burdensome, which could reduce their willingness to have more children. In some cases, dogs may even harm romantic relationships. But that’s only one side of the story.”
Dogs are increasingly regarded as family members, which is now influencing their evolution and breeding. Small, short-nosed breeds resemble human infants—which may explain their extraordinary popularity. © Eniko Kubinyi
The opposing argument is that dog ownership might actually increase human fertility rates. “Families with children are more likely to own dogs, and some couples see their pet as a ‘practice child,’ a preparatory step towards starting a family. Women also tend to find men with dogs more attractive, which could increase the chances of fatherhood.” According to this view, dog ownership does not replace parenting but rather complements or precedes it.
Dogs may also act as a kind of “social glue,” facilitating human relationships—for example, dog walking increases opportunities for social interaction. Thus, dogs may play an important role in creating social networks among people. However, certain dog behavior problems (such as aggression or excessive barking) can complicate social interactions, especially if the owner relies solely on their dog for emotional support.
“The number of children is not declining because the number of dogs is increasing, but the same trend lies behind both phenomena: the transformation of social networks,” argues Kubinyi.
“My concept, referred to as the companion animal, or more specifically, the companion dog runaway theory, suggests that the popularity of dogs is rooted in biological evolutionary causes, but it has culturally escalated, ‘run away.’ The caregiving instinct and the need for social support are genetically encoded in human behavior, but these drives have shifted toward companion animals because human relationships are often damaged or absent.
“For example, nearly 90% of Hungarian adults do not spend even an hour a week caring for young children, even though humans evolved to engage in so-called cooperative breeding, where childcare duties were shared within the community. But in modern societies, these support networks have broken down. This is why many people feel they lack support in raising children or that they have no one to care for.
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“Others have experienced emotional pain in human relationships, and dogs provide them with comfort and unconditional love. Our current culture encourages the extension of caregiving instincts toward dogs—humorous memes reflect this trend, pet care businesses are booming, and owners increasingly refer to themselves as their dog’s ‘mom’ or ‘dad.'”
“Families with children are more likely to own dogs, and some couples see their pet as a ‘practice child,’ a preparatory step toward starting a family. Women also tend to find men with dogs more attractive, which could increase the chances of fatherhood.” According to this view, dog ownership does not replace parenting but rather complements or precedes it. © Eniko Kubinyi
Dogs can thus become the most important companions for many people in the absence of accepting, supportive human relationships—a role for which their thinking and behavioral traits, shaped through life alongside humans, make them especially suited.
Dogs are increasingly regarded as family members, which is now influencing their evolution and breeding. Small, short-nosed breeds resemble human infants—which may explain their extraordinary popularity. These “cute” traits trigger an instinctive caregiving response in humans, but they also come with significant health problems. This further enhances caregiving, and the owner can rightfully feel that someone truly depends on them. However, overindulgence and misinterpretation of dogs’ needs can lead to behavioral problems.
“The changing role of dog ownership suggests that people in Western societies experience a significant lack of caregiving and social support—and they try to compensate for this, at least in part, with dogs and likely cats as well,”
Kubinyi concludes, “We need to strengthen family-based social support systems and reduce social isolation. Dog ownership is a wonderful thing when it connects people rather than isolates them.”
Some researchers have already recognized the significance of the study. Human-animal interaction researcher Hal Herzog notes that “the companion animal runaway theory provides an important new perspective on the roles that dogs have come to play in human psychological and social lives.”
More information:
Eniko Kubinyi, The Link Between Companion Dogs, Human Fertility Rates, and Social Networks, Current Directions in Psychological Science (2025). DOI: 10.1177/09637214251318284
Provided by
Eötvös Loránd University
Citation:
Are dogs the new children? Birth rates and dog ownership analyzed in study (2025, March 25)
