As Valentine's Day approaches, many people with dogs will not care one bit whether they get a card.

情人节即将来临，但许多狗主人根本不在乎是否能收到贺卡。

A survey by the Kennel¹ Club has found almost one in five would rather have a dog than be in a relationship.

英国养犬俱乐部的一项调查发现，近五分之一的人宁愿养狗也不愿谈恋爱。

Almost half said they were so attached to their pet because 'dogs don't let you down' in the same way that other people might.

近半数人说，他们如此依恋自己的狗狗，是因为“狗不会像其他人那样让你失望”。

Although a dog might not buy you roses or take you out for dinner, it seems unconditional² love and a wagging tail can make being single a less lonely prospect³.

虽然狗狗可能不会给你买玫瑰或带你出去吃饭，但似乎无条件的爱和摇摆的尾巴可以让单身变得不那么孤单。

The research, which asked 2,612 dog owners for their thoughts on romance, found just under a quarter agreed that having a dog would make them feel less concerned about not being in love.

这项调查询问了2612名狗主人对爱情的看法，结果发现，近四分之一的人认为养狗能让他们不那么担心单身状态。

Perhaps the findings are unsurprising, as celebrities⁴ have long used dogs as their plus-ones.

也许这些发现并不令人惊讶，因为很多名人一直都把狗当作他们的另一半。

Hollywood legend Glenn Close took her Havanese dog Pip to the Oscars last year, describing her pet as 'the best date a girl can have'.

好莱坞传奇人物格伦·克洛斯去年带着她的哈威那犬皮普参加奥斯卡颁奖典礼，称她的宠物是“女孩的最佳约会对象”。

Comedian⁵ Miranda Hart and racing⁶ driver Lewis Hamilton have gone on holiday with their dogs, and actor Ryan Gosling has taken his cross-breed George, who he describes as 'the great love of my life', on to chat shows for moral support.

喜剧演员米兰达·哈特和赛车手刘易斯·汉密尔顿带着他们的狗狗去度假了，而演员瑞恩·高斯林则带着他的混血狗乔治上了谈话节目寻求精神支持，他称自己的狗狗是“生命中的挚爱”。

Jennifer Aniston has credited her dogs and female friends with making her happy, stating: 'I've had more fun post-40 than I can remember - from a work point of view, a physical point of view, a psychotherapeutic point of view.'

詹妮弗·安妮斯顿将自己的快乐归功于她的狗狗和女性朋友，她说：“从工作、身体和心理治疗的角度来看，40岁以后，我比以前更快乐。”

Bill Lambert, a spokesman for the Kennel Club, said: 'There certainly seems to be a growing number of dog-lovers who would rather share their lives with a four-legged friend instead of a human partner.

养犬俱乐部的发言人比尔·兰伯特说：“越来越多的爱狗人士表示，与人类伴侣相比，他们更愿意和狗狗一起生活。”

'This could be due to the numerous benefits that come with dog ownership - from the psychological to the physical.

“这可能是因为养狗有很多好处——从心理上到生理上。”

'Dogs help their owners unwind, whether that's with a daily walk in fresh air, or with a cuddle on a sofa. They can also be great listeners, help their owners combat stress, and can play a part in improving the health and fitness of their two-legged counterparts.'

“狗狗能帮助主人放松身心，无论是每天呼吸新鲜空气散步，还是在沙发上抱抱。它们也可以成为很好的倾听者，帮主人减压，还有助于改善主人的健康状况。”

Nonetheless, for those dog owners who are still looking for love, the research suggests their pet might help.

尽管如此，研究表明，对于那些仍在寻找真爱的狗主人来说，他们的宠物可能会有所帮助。

More than a fifth of those questioned said they had been asked out on a date or found love while out with their dog, with beagles, springer spaniels and German Shepherds appearing best for attracting a potential partner.

超过五分之一的受访者称，他们曾在遛狗时被人邀约，或找到真爱，其中，比格猎犬、史宾格猎犬和德国牧羊犬最能吸引潜在伴侣。

People who owned golden retrievers and corgis were also very likely to say their pet may have helped them out romantically.

养金毛猎犬和柯基犬的人脱单的几率也较高。

Mr Lambert said: 'This is quite unsurprising when you consider that dogs are a great ice-breaker, when strangers may otherwise not look twice at each other, and that we tend to have very positive associations about people who love dogs.'

兰伯特先生说：“狗狗很能打破僵局，否则陌生的人们可能不会再看对方一眼，而且我们往往对爱狗的人有非常积极的联想，因此这就不足为奇了。”

Among those responding to the survey, 21 percent said they were more likely to date someone who also had a dog.

在受访者中，21%的狗主人说，他们更愿意和养狗的人约会。