In a nutshell

• Dogs outrank most human relationships in satisfaction and support. Dog owners reported higher emotional fulfillment, greater companionship, and fewer conflicts with their pets than with relatives, partners, or friends. Only parent-child bonds offered comparable benefits.
• The dog-owner bond most closely mirrors a parent-child relationship. It combines strong affection and nurturance with minimal conflict, without the emotional baggage often found in human connections.
• Dogs don’t replace human relationships, they complement them. People with strong human connections also tended to have strong bonds with their dogs, suggesting our canine companions enhance, rather than substitute, our social lives.