FROM THE BARN TO THE BED: HOW CANADIANS FELL HEAD OVER PAWS FOR THEIR DOGS

Dogs moved from our earliest settlements into our homes — and over the past century, from the barn to, in many cases, the bed. Today, 95 per cent of Canadians consider their pets part of the family, a number that rises to 99 per cent in households without children.

The shift is generational. The proportion of Canadians who identify as “pet parents” has grown from 44 per cent among boomers to 54 per cent among millennials. For most of Canada’s 8.3 million dogs, the doghouse is a relic of the past — more than half now sleep in bed with their owners, and nine in 10 dog owners consider their pet’s health just as important as their own.

A Billion-Dollar Bond

The humanisation of pets has reached new levels. Canadians are structuring their days around dog walks, sending pets to daycare, buying human-grade food, and spending on apps, wellness products, premium grooming, and even pet costumes. Canadian households spent $7.4 billion on pets and pet food in 2024, up from $5.7 billion in 2019, while spending on veterinary and other services rose from $3.9 billion to $6.6 billion in the same period.

Some companies have taken note, introducing “pawternity leave” — paid time off to help a new pet settle in. Others now offer pet bereavement leave as well.

The Flip Side

But as the human-dog bond deepens, so do the complications. Evidence suggests that over-humanising pets can interfere with owners’ ability to understand their animals’ needs, leading to behavioural issues. Separation anxiety increased sharply after pandemic-era owners returned to the office, and some owners find their dogs’ needs genuinely constrain their lives.

Doggie daycare has surged in response — particularly among Gen Z owners — but behaviour consultants warn that large facilities with too many dogs can be overwhelming and overstimulating, contributing to frustration and reactivity on walks.

Experts also point to indiscriminate pandemic-era breeding as a lasting problem, producing animals without adequate early socialisation — something researchers describe as an “inoculation against stress” that shapes behaviour for life.

The bond between Canadians and their dogs has never been stronger. Whether that is entirely good for the dogs, say the experts, is a more complicated question.