With more households in the United States owning pets than children, the concept of pet parenting has become deeply embedded in family life. Owners frequently describe themselves as “pet parents,” celebrating birthdays, providing premium food, and scheduling social activities for their dogs. But along with this affection often comes a sense of dog-parent guilt.
Heather Dye (2024) conducted a survey of 332 U.S. dog owners to examine how pet attachment and human attachment styles influence feelings of guilt. The study used validated tools, including the CENSHARE Pet Attachment Scale, the Guilt About Dog-Parenting Scale, and the Revised Adult Attachment Scale. Results showed that stronger pet attachment increased dog-parent guilt, work-dog conflict, and compensatory “make-up” behaviors, such as spending extra time or providing treats after absences.
Importantly, owners with anxious human attachment styles were significantly more likely to experience heightened guilt, similar to the “disenfranchised guilt” seen in parents of human children when work or life obligations interfere with caregiving. In contrast, demographic variables such as age, sex, income, or relationship status were unrelated to levels of dog-parent guilt.
The findings underscore that dog-parent guilt mirrors human parental guilt, suggesting that canine caregiving occupies a comparable emotional role within modern families. Dye advocates for a multi-system approach, involving veterinarians, educators, mental health professionals, and advocacy groups, to create support networks that validate these feelings and help owners manage the pressures of balancing work, life, and pet care.
Source: Dye, H. (2024). Exploring dog-parent guilt: Do human attachment styles play a role? Human-Animal Interactions. Published October 21, 2024.
