London - More than half of all dog owners would be sadder if their pet died than if an uncle, aunt or grandparent passed away.
Nearly nine in ten consider their dog a ‘fully-fledged’ member of the family. Two in five share their suppers with their mutts.
A third of Britain’s dogs even have their own designated chair in the living room.
The survey of 1,500 dog owners was carried out by Crufts sponsor Samsung. It discovered 56 per cent of those polled would mourn the death of their dog more than that of an extended family member.
One in two admitted their dog’s needs had influenced a major life decision such as where they lived or what job they had.
When it comes to dogs’ names, many people are being influenced by TV shows or films. The most popular is Dexter, with Sherlock, Mr Darcy and Yoda also in the top ten. Rex and Rover are nowhere to be seen.
One in four dog owners have also given their pet its own social-media profile.
Andy Griffiths, head of Samsung Electronics UK and Ireland, said: ‘It is fascinating to see how the lifestyles of our pets are evolving in tandem with ours.
‘It’s particularly interesting to see how we are sharing technology and involving our pets in this element of modern life.’
The survey also discovered that the average dog owner splashes out £1,011.72 (R18,198.78)a year on their pet.
The average amount of time spent with a pooch is 13 hours a week. And one in two dog owners believes their pet knows what they are thinking or what mood they are in.
But all that pampering sometimes has an unintended consequence – one in five owners has had to put their dogs on a diet.
Daily Mail