Feeling Alone in This World -- People are Repairing Themselves by Bonding with their Pets

According to Alan Siskind, the humanization of our dogs is definitely a growing trend in this country. Compared to just 2 years ago, many more dog owners now perceive, treat, and interact with their dogs as though they have the same cognitive abilities, range of emotions, and other human characteristics and traits that parents would associate with a child.

It’s Alan’s belief that we, as a society, are becoming more physically and emotionally isolated and that many people are forging closer bonds with their dogs as a way for many of us to stay better connected with ourselves as well as with other people.

He, also, feels that there is also an instinctual need felt by many people to nurture and care for other living beings, be they family members, people less fortunate than ourselves, or our dogs. According to recently published research, the majority of these people happen to be women 29 to 64 years old who have yet to either have children or whose children are grown and have left the nest. It is estimated that women purchase 80% of all dog products and services thus making them the primary care providers of the more than 73 million dogs in this country.

During the interview, he said that some of the companies and businesses that are benefiting the most from this continued humanization of dogs include dog food and treat manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, clothing companies, entrepreneurial types of businesses, and service providers such as veterinarians, groomers, and kennels.

Some of the products, services, and brands he mentioned that are indicative of this continued humanization include:

1. New car models and add-on options from Honda, Volvo, and Toyota that are designed specifically for dog owning new car buyers.

2. Clothing, grooming, and fashion accessories from Louis Vuitton; Juicy Couture; Burberry, Paul Mitchell, and Ralph Lauren.

3. Saks Fifth Avenue which is opening up pet boutiques within 10 of their stores to sell the above mentioned products among many others

4. Kimpton Hotels which have special room service menus for dogs including appetizers, entrees, and desserts made by the hotel‘s kitchen.

5. Products such as breath mints, mouthwashes, pet strollers, aromatherapy & homeopathic products to ease stress, prescription drugs to treat depression and anxiety; organic beds and toys, air purifiers, raincoats, water fountains that dispense filtered water, and matching sweatshirts and T-shirts so that both dog and owner can dress the same.

In closing, he said that, according to a recent research study, in 2008, dog owners, on average, bought 5 presents for their dogs each with an average price of $9. There are approximately 45 million dog owning households in the US which means that dog owners spent roughly $2.3 billion in 2008 on dog gifts with about half of that being spent during the holiday season.

About Alan Siskind
Alan Siskind is the founder and publisher of Dog News Daily, which launched in January of 2009 and has become, according to Alexa Research, the fastest growing online dog magazine for both dog owners as well as the pet industry. Dog News Daily’s online magazine, also, has within it the largest dog product directory on the internet with information on over 1,450 products from over 350 different pet product manufacturers.

Alan is one of the country’s most knowledgeable and well-spoken pet industry and online marketing experts who can easily and concisely discuss most things dog including dog products and industry trends; dog owner shopping and spending habits; and how, if at all, the current economy has affected the pet industry and sales.

More About Dog News Daily (DogNewsDaily.com)
Because of its rapid growth both in popularity and content, Dog News Daily is currently in the process of undergoing a major redesign and expansion that will be finished by the end of November. When completed it will contain the Dog Product Directory; its popular Dog Blog; its online lifestyle boutique, Club Dog; its Celebrity Dog News section; and a Dog Services Directory that is scheduled to launch on Valentine’s Day, 2010.

When you visit DogNewsDaily.com please be aware that they’re working on it while it is live so please be patient if everything doesn’t work the way it’s suppose to, or if things are missing. Mr. Siskind likes to compare this process to redoing a house while still living in it. I hope that you’ll feel, as he and I do, that the end result of his team’s labors will be well worth this minor inconvenience.