Outdated Perceptions Influence the Acquisition of Pet Dogs in the United States and Quietly Reshape the Dog Market Place

Introduction: As of 2015, 44% of American households had at least one dog, with recent surveys indicating 70 – 80 million in U.S. homes and nearly 7 million dogs needed annually just to replace the ones that die each year.^1,2 Given the popularity of dogs in the U.S. and the economic activity surrounding their acquisition, it is surprising how little notice has been paid to the changing sources of dogs available to the public today. The objective of this study was to examine consumer perceptions and preferences regarding U.S. dog acquisition and to consider how current trends and perceptions impact the availability, type, and quality of pet dogs in the future.

Methods: An online survey was administered to 1000 respondents. The survey asked questions about current dog ownership, future pet dog acquisition plans, consumer dog preferences (e.g. size, breed), and consumer beliefs regarding dog overpopulation.

Results: About half (49.3%) of respondents currently owned at least one dog and 38% of respondents anticipated acquiring a new dog within the next 5 years. The two most important characteristics impacting this decision were the dog’s predictable size (42.8%) and purebred status (41.2%). When asked whether the U.S. had a surplus of dogs based on their perception of the number of dogs entering animal shelters, 63.7% of respondents believed there was a surplus, and of these, 58.8% thought that the domestic surplus of dogs was getting worse. Most respondents (66.6%) were not aware that some animal shelters import dogs from other states or countries. While 43.7% of respondents were supportive of importation of dogs from other states, only 16% were supportive of importing dogs from other countries.

Discussion: The study confirmed high levels of dog ownership, support for future dog acquisitions and identified consumer preferences for specific types of dogs. The study also revealed that prospective dog owners were uncertain about the type of dogs available in animal shelters as well as the perception of continued U.S. dog overpopulation. The degree to which these perceptions affect the marketplace is a major concern. While there will always be overseas street dogs available for importation into the U.S., one concern of the study regards the shrinkage of purebred dog segment in respond to a belief in domestic overpopulation.

References: ¹APPA National Pet Owners Survey, 2015-2016. p. 64-65. ²U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook (2012) www.avma.org/KB/Resources/Statistics/Pages/Market-research-statistics-US-pet-ownership.aspx.

Acknowledgements: This research was supported by the National Animal Interest Alliance.