Boo Boo the Barking Blogster
Pets are treated like family members in most American households. However, when looking at who rules the roost, I dug up some tag wagging facts. We all know that many common problems that couples face relate to poor communication skills and large part of communication is listening. According to a pet ownership study, “the results indicate that pets are getting preferential treatment as they become more important as members of the household. Of the survey respondents: when asked, ‘Who listens to you best?,’ 45 percent choose their pet, while 30 percent choose their spouse or significant other.” More interestingly, the study showed that 82 percent think of their pet more than once while they are away from him or her during the day. (Unfortunately I couldn’t find statistics on how often significant others ranked.) Another fetching favorite: If they were deserted on an island and could choose only one companion, 50 percent would pick a dog or cat rather than a human.
Seriously folks? I’m proud of the pet statistics but really these statistics bode quite poorly for humans. Why not learn from us and help your relationships? First listen, tilt your head gently to one side with wide eyes, nuzzle your nose into your significant other’s neck and snuggle. Get excited to see your love when he or she comes home. Greet him or her at the door with a spring in your step and say, “Yippee, I missed you!” These simple acts of love will warm hearts and create a more equal balance in the household. After all, dogs are pack animals. We really like a balanced roost and are happy to be just one of the many loved members of the family.
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