Americans are asking too much of their dogs

Photo credit: Wade Austin Ellis via Unsplash. Article by Margret Grebowicz. The Conversation – February 9, 2026.

Americans love dogs. Nearly half of U.S. households have one, and practically all owners see pets as part of the family – 51% say pets belong “as much as a human member.” The pet industry keeps generating more and more jobs, from vets to trainers, to influencers. Schools cannot keep up with the demand for veterinarians. It all seems part of what Mark Cushing, a lawyer and lobbyist for veterinary issues, calls “the pet revolution”: the more and more privileged place that pets occupy in American society. In his 2020 book “Pet Nation,” he argues that the internet has caused people to become more lonely, and this has made them focus more intensely on their pets – filling in for human relationships. […]

Click here to view original web page at www.theconversation.com