Is your dog your real valentine?
Still searching for someone to be your valentine? The answer may already be staring you in the face and is probably drooling in anticipation of treats: your beloved dog.
Data from BarkBox, the company that sends monthly boxes of goodies for your dog, shows that we often like our canine companions more than our partners, and we're not shy about letting them share our most intimate moments. One third of people even said they’d had sex in front of their dogs.
Of the 1,000 American dog owners BarkBox surveyed, 87 percent said they were more accepting of their dog’s irritating behaviors (think snoring, snacking and making a mess) than they were of their human companions. Twenty-eight percent of those in relationships even said they’d opt to share their bed with the dog rather than their partner.
Humans apparently need to step up their game.
Just over half of people said they were more comfortable sharing affectionate moments with their dog in public than with their significant other. And on average, people in relationships tell their pups they love them six times per day -- that’s just as often as they tell their significant others.
Why do we have such bottomless love for these creatures? There are a million reasons, of course, but at least one of them is that we feel that our dogs have made us better people. Ninety-three percent of respondents said that was true, and 85 percent of dog owners said their pet had helped them get through a hard time in their life. Talk about a beneficial relationship.
Maybe it’s not surprising, then, that we want to share our puppy love with friends. Dog owners post pictures or mention their dogs on social media an average of six times a week. Eleven percent of them have even created a dedicated account for their pet.
So this Valentine’s Day, even if you have plenty of humans you care for in your life, you should feel no shame about celebrating the love of your furry friend. Make it Facebook official or snap a pic of you and your beloved pup, maybe even with matching dog filters.
Cassie Murdoch is Mashable's Culture Editor.. Before coming here, Cassie was Senior Culture Writer at Vocativ. She previously wrote for Jezebel and The Hairpin. Cassie spends most of her time thinking about and consuming cheese in all its glorious forms.
