Are women starting to choose pet ownership more often than relationships? That is the questions some relationship articles are asking. The new claim is that women in particular are choosing to adopt dogs instead of seeking out relationships with men. A couple articles even claim that women are placing greater importance on their pet than the man in their life. According to various sources, Fido is no longer man’s best friend.
What does yoga have to say about this claim? Is it valid? Are women really turning their noses up to men and choosing to care for a furry four legged friend instead? No one can argue about the loyalty and companionship dogs provide. I will even say in jest that dogs are better than men because of the endless amounts of unconditional love they provide, and are at their owner’s beck and call. But all joking aside, dogs do have a role to fill in a person’s life. Women are more attune to nurturing and giving love. Over time, women, unfortunately, can become cynical after failed relationships. They look for companionship and a dog is the perfect companion for many reasons. Dogs are the perfect balance between a human and an inanimate object. They are very responsive and do not use ego, do not retaliate, and do not cheat on you. They can also continue to be a wonderful compliment to a loving relationship between a man and woman once a woman does find the right one.
Are dogs really taking the place of romantic relationships in women’s lives? I honesty do not see one being more important than the other or any significant trend that dictates dogs as becoming more common than husbands or boyfriends. Everything has its place in life. A dog is not a substitute for a significant other and vice versa. Love is like a muscle. Just like a physical muscle we have to exercise it to condition it and keep it strong and limber. This is a great analogy for love also. We must always be practicing love to develop it further. A pet, such as a dog, is a great way to help develop that muscle of love. You need to give to it and not let it stagnate. Women understand this intuitively. They are lonely and a dog provides companionship and a great way to exercise this love.
Pets can help us develop unconditional love with at least one person and also help us understand our own personality. How you treat a pet can be a good reflection of how you would handle a relationship. When you are in a committed relationship, and even in marriage, you got to take the hard work with the good stuff. There will be days that will take extra work and effort and a pet is good way to learn this and gain an understanding of the kind of commitment a truly loving and worthwhile relationship will take. Yoga wisdom tells us that it is important to develop a relationship with one person and caring for a pet is one of the best ways to prepare for that relationship as well as learn more about you.
"It is about learning to love from the inside out. Yes a big part of the book is about Yoga, but the core message of it , is learning to and how to love yourself on the inside. It emphasizes so much on focusing on yourself, that is such a refreshing perspective on relationships.” Paulina D, San Diego, CA
"The core message of the book is before you unite with someone try to unite with yourself. It is learning about yourself, finding yourself and then if you choose to you can find love on the outside . The book gives ways to do just that in simple step by step way.” 
"Yoga is a life long process and the goal of life is self exploration. The book inspires me to make myself whole, integrated, to feel complete unto myself. Once I do that , I will attract a holistic, integrated person who is a totality of himself, which is how a relationship is supposed to be.” 
"Yoga is love, love is Yoga. It is not a relationship book, it is not just a love book, it is a lifestyle book. It is educational, informative, a message that everybody can apply. It teaches you how to be a better person, so that you don’t just find the love of your life but learn to have better relationships with everyone.” 