Our research shows it’s the latest trend amongst pet parents!
It’s commonplace to appoint godparents for a newborn baby to act as a role model and help with the upbringing. And, with more people treating their pets as family, it perhaps comes as little surprise that ‘pet parents’ are now doing the same. Here at Rover we polled 2000 people about this new trend and uncovered that over a third of Brits (37%) have already officially appointed ‘dogparents’ for their pups.
A ‘dogparent’, much like a godparent, means being taking on the responsibility of a friend or family’s dog, when or if they can’t look after them. Whether it’s for the holidays or a single day out, a dogparent will offer all the love and support the dog needs.
Of the breeds who are most likely to have an appointed dog parent are Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (60%), Golden Retrievers (56%) and Staffordshire Bull Terrier (53%).
What Are the Roles of a Dogparent?
According to our pet parents, the main roles and responsibilities for an appointed ‘dogparent’ include:
- Treating the pup like family (76%)
- Being a positive influence (35%)
- Caring for them when they are sick (48%)
- Never forgetting their birthday (18%)
How Should You Appoint a Dogparent?
A quarter (23%) ask someone to be a ‘dogparent’ by sending a card or a gift. So, to make your life easier, we’ve created a bespoke Rover invite card for your prospective ‘dogparent’. You can download and print out the card here — or simply pop the attachment on an email to them!
The Top Celebrity Dogparents Brits Want Are…
We also polled Brits on who their favourite celebrity dogparent would be. With pet parents and dogs alike watching more TV, it comes as little surprise that Paul O Grady, TV host of ‘For The Love Of Dogs’, hits top spot. Swiftly followed by children’s author and TV personality, David Walliams and comedian Ricky Gervais.
The full list is as follows:
- Paul O’ Grady
- David Walliams
- Ricky Gervais
- Stacey Solomon
- Simon Cowell
- Amanda Holden
- Barack and Michelle Obama
- The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
- Lorraine Kelly
- Phil Schofield
For those who may not have found their perfect dogparent yet, why not check out some of our sitters here.
