Why do people get dogs?

It is unlikely that it will ever be possible to calculate how many dogs around the world live in families as pets. However, studies show that the number of dogs is steadily increasing year by year. At the same time, the maintenance of animals is associated with many troubles. Why do people get dogs?

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The dog as part of the family system

In psychology, there is a direction called “systemic family therapy”. The followers of this direction consider the family as a system, each member of which is its element, performing certain functions to solve important problems. Moreover, each family system solves two problems:

1. Development.
2. Preservation of stability (homeostasis).

If one of the elements of the system changes, the whole system changes. And this is inevitable, because all elements of the system (family members) constantly interact with each other and with the outside world, even if not always realizing it.

What’s with the dogs, you ask? The fact is that dogs are also full-fledged elements of the family system, whether we like it or not.

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What role does the dog play in the family?

Anna Varga, Systemic Family Therapist, identifies 3 functions that dogs can perform in a family system:

1. Substitution. For example, children grow up, and parents take a puppy to take care of him together.
2. Separation of a teenager. A dog sometimes helps a teenager to “defend” independence, a special relationship is formed with it, which can be the prototype of a future family of its own.
3. Participant of the “triangle” (triangulation). For example, if tension builds between a husband and wife, they get a dog to have a “go-between” and/or relatively safe topics to talk about, as well as to establish an acceptable distance, which reduces the level of tension in the family.

That is why the appearance of a dog in the family is not accidental. Often a puppy or an adult dog appears at a time when the family is in crisis and stabilization is needed. And in order to understand what role the dog plays in the family, it is important to know what preceded its appearance.

Of course, other people can play all these roles. For example, children are often drawn into “triangles”. But people are still creatures that are difficult to control. A dog is a creature whose life is completely controlled by the owner.

The role of the dog in the family may change over time – it depends on the stage of development of the family and on the relationship between its members.