Do Dog Guardians Experience Parental Guilt?

Many animal guardians consider their non-human companions as important as family members. Some go as far as to regard themselves as an animal’s “parent” because, as with human children, they are responsible for the animal’s physical, psychological, and financial needs. 

This study explores feelings of guilt, which research has found are common among (human) parents. Parental guilt often occurs when parents experience the competing demands of work and family responsibilities, and such feelings can lead to depression or anxiety. Here, the authors adapted measures of parental guilt for dog guardians, hoping to understand whether guardians’ guilt is comparable to parents’ guilt. They made three predictions: 

• Work-family conflicts would be similar for dog guardians and human parents.
• Guardians’ views about themselves compared to their perceptions of the “ideal” dog guardian would impact their feelings of guilt.
• Dog guardians would apply coping behaviors and thoughts to deal with feelings of guilt about their companion animal. 

584 U.S. adults completed an online survey about their experiences and perceptions as dog guardians. These respondents were the primary caretakers of their dogs and had been living with the dog for at least six months. When examining how they perceived themselves in comparison to an idealized dog guardian, participants between 30-39 years of age tended to feel they were further away from their perceived ideal. Additionally, while the human-animal bond was strong across the board, women reported closer bonds with their dogs than men.

Participants aged 60 and older reported lower guilt scores than younger respondents. The authors wonder whether older guardians have fewer responsibilities outside their home, which could have influenced the results. Women reported higher levels of guilt than men, which reflects studies of parental guilt. Factors that caused guilt included feelings that a guardian did not spend enough time with their dog, that they didn’t pay enough attention to the dog’s health, that they were away from home or left the dog alone, or because of their rules about furniture.

Since parental guilt is often associated with work and family coming into conflict, the study investigated whether dog guardians experienced this type of guilt too. Over 30% of respondents struggled with work-family conflict related to their dog, with men reporting higher levels than women. 

To cope with their guilt, about 40% of participants reported reducing their time engaging in social activities. Nearly 35% reported spending time with their dog instead of other family members, while 75% coped by reminding themselves that their dog has a good life. Meanwhile, 42% said they sometimes just live with guilt. 

Overall, the results suggest that levels of guilt among dog guardians are similar to those experienced by human parents. Likewise, higher guilt scores among women, younger dog guardians, and those who perceive themselves as different from an “ideal” dog guardian are also things that previous studies on parental guilt have found. The authors wonder whether guilt has evolved as a way to enhance relationships so as not to disappoint others. For example, in the study, some guardians who felt guilt decided to forgo socializing in order to spend more time at home with their dog.

Guilt can lead to mental health concerns, which means that finding ways to support dog guardians who suffer from guilt is critical. Furthermore, as advocates continue to call for societal changes to accommodate companion animals (for example, animal-friendly emergency evacuation policies, temporary housing laws, and more), evidence like this shows how important it is to preserve the human-animal bond.