Ninety-nine percent of dog owners own a dog for companionship and 88 percent of dog owners regard their dog as a beloved family member, according to the American Kennel Club’s first AKC 21st Century Dog Owners Study, which polled 750 owners of AKC registered dogs.

"The study reveals that dog ownership heavily influences both lifestyle and purchasing habits," said AKC spokesperson Lisa Peterson. "We found that owners consider their best friends 47 percent of the time when buying a car. And when it comes to toys, two out of three owners purchased an average of 9.3 balls for their dogs to play with in the past 12 months."

In addition, almost half of dog owners surveyed stated that they specifically look for dog-friendly hotels and other accommodations when booking travel plans.