Vol. 9, Issue 6, Part E (2024)

Pet dogs have long been cherished companions to humans, providing loyalty and affection but also fulfilling a wide range of emotional, social, and practical roles. The present study revealed that pet parents are mostly graduates and they prefer dogs (93%) that too male dogs as their choice of pet. Keeping a single dog for companionship has become the most common choice. 44% respondents prefer to keep Native dogs and majority of them are familiar to foreign breeds, Labrador Retrievers (92.85%), Pomeranian (92.85%), German Shepherd (89.28%), Pugs (83.3%), Rajapalayam (78.5%) compared to other dog breeds. Most of pet parents (69%) are aware of the pedigree of their dogs. Veterinarians are the most trusted advisors for stud selection and 31% of participants hire commercially available stud dogs for breeding. The awareness of breed health, temperament, and care requirements is increasing, driven by the growing pet care industry and social media influence.