You’ve probably heard by now that experts all over the world have concerns about how quickly the birth rate is declining.

You’ve probably even heard a few reasons scientists and researchers think this is happening – but you might not have considered the theory that people are choosing pets over kids.

But while it is true that pets (particularly dogs) outnumber babies in some countries, the whole answer is that Fido alone isn’t to blame.

Eniko Kubinyi, author of a new paper looking at the connection between a rise in pet ownership and a decline in birthrates, says the topic is certainly controversial.

“Some day dogs are the new children, while others find this idea outrageous. Pop Franci, for example, has called it selfish for childless people to pamper pets.”

And she says that some studies do seem to back up the idea that people who really love their dogs have negative views of motherhood.

“Some studies suggest that dog owners indeed have more negative views of motherhood, and mothers who own dogs find parenting more burdensome, which could reduce their willingness to have more children. In some cases, dogs may even harm romantic relationships.”

That said, there’s more than one side to every story.

For instance, there is some proof to suggest women find men with dogs more attractive, and that child-free couples see a dog as kind of a “practice child.”

Not to mention that families with children are more likely to own dogs.

So to her view, the two things might correlate, but that doesn’t prove that an increase in dog ownership is causing the decrease in people choosing to have children.

“The number of children is not declining because the number of dogs is increasing, but the same trend lies behind both phenomena: the transformation of social networks.”

Kubinyi says that the shrinking of our communities is more likely to blame.

“Humans evolved to engage in so-called cooperative breeding, where childcare duties were shared within the community, but in modern societies, these support networks have broken down.”

She believes people are getting dogs to help connect them with others when having a child seems out of reach, financially or emotionally.

“My concept, referred to as the companion animal, or more specifically, the companion dog runaway theory, suggests that the popularity of dogs is rooted in biological evolutionary causes, but it has culturally escalated, ‘run away.’ The caregiving instinct and the need for social support are genetically encoded in human behavior, but these drives have shifted toward companion animals because human relationships are often damaged or absent.”

The rise in dog ownership is concerning for another reason; it’s a symptom of how humans are struggling with increasing social isolation.

“Dog ownership is a wonderful thing when it connects people rather than isolates them. We need to strengthen family-based social support systems, and reduce social isolation.”

Of course, that’s easier said than done.

But at least we don’t have to deal with people blaming our adorable dog children for the world’s woes.

In fact, according to this study, it’s the other way around.

If you thought that was interesting, you might like to read about the mysterious “pyramids” discovered in Antarctica. What are they?