In some countries, dogs have outnumbered children, a shift that has sparked growing discussions about the changing role of pets in society. While the emotional significance of dogs is clearly on the rise worldwide, experts are divided on whether people are choosing dogs over children or if other factors are at play. Professor Enikő Kubinyi, head of the Department of Ethology at Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), is among those offering a new theory in a leading psychology journal that sheds light on this phenomenon.