The following research and graphics originally appeared here. Reproduced with kind permission.
Anyone who’s spent time in the company of a dog will know they can bring bundles of joy, loads of laughter, smiles and ‘squees’. But did you know there’s evidence that owning a dog can improve your love life?
According to research by Compare the Market, owning a dog can help people more likely to suffer from loneliness, such as people over the age of 55. Also benefiting from the loneliness-busting effects of owning are a dog are widows – 45% of whom have started up a conversation with a stranger and 34% of whom have made new friends with their pooch at their side.
The romantic and social benefits aren’t just limited to the older generation. Younger women are more likely to find dog-owning men attractive, as they are supposedly appealing as prospective fathers.
We’re more likely to strike up a conversation with a stranger than if we were out and about without our pooch by our side – so dogs aren’t just good company, they’re a confidence boost, too!
The research also confirms that, even with dogs to help, Londoners are less socially friendly than people living in the northern parts of the UK. Come on, London – up your game!
Check out more of the dog-life affirming statistics in this infographic. Why not share it with your dog-loving friends?