Your Pet Is More Anxious Than You, Study Reveals
In 2020, pet adoption rates skyrocketed, creating more pet-human bonds and giving the luxury of having more pet and human quality time together indoors.
As the world slowly transitions back to normalcy and office life, one might wonder: is it man or man’s best friend who experiences separation anxiety the most?
It’s safe to say that most of us spent more time at home in 2020 than ever before. From offices transitioning to remote work, to restaurants opting for curbside pickup, COVID-19’s ravaging impact left us all largely confined by the walls of our homes. Yet, while the world was kept apart, we were brought together with our beloved pets.
CertaPet surveyed over 2,600 American dog owners to determine the anxiety rates between pups and people. The study also shows in which states dog owners and dogs experience separation anxiety the most.
And as it turns out, our pups are significantly more anxious than we are. On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is the least anxious and 5 the most anxious, the national average anxiety rating is:
- 2.9 for dog owners
- 3.9 for dogs
Other findings
- The top 10 states where dog owners experience the most separation anxiety from their dogs are Arizona, New York, Virginia, Maryland, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Florida, Alabama, Oregon, and Colorado.
- The top 10 states where dogs experience the most separation anxiety from their owners are Colorado, Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Georgia, Louisiana, Washington, Indiana, and Missouri.
- 47% of Americans experience separation anxiety from their dogs, and 76% of American dogs experience separation anxiety from their owners.
- 69% of Americans would prefer to work from home permanently for the sake of their dog.
To find out more, read the full study here.
