Why do homeless people have the best-behaved dogs?

If you walk down almost any metropolitan sidewalk, you will likely observe a striking urban paradox. On one hand, you see an affluent pet owner struggling to control an anxious, barking dog on a designer leash. On the other hand, just a block away, you may be surprised to see a homeless individual navigating crowded streets with an unleashed pit bull trailing calmly and contentedly at their heels. This exact visual served as the focal point during a recent episode of the Huberman Lab Podcast (@hubermanlab), where host Dr. Andrew D. Huberman sat down with dog behaviorist Cesar Millan on July 6, 2026. The episode has since garnered over 65,000 views.

Elite urban owners

The entire conversation stemmed from Milan's bold claim that homeless people are frequently the best, most effective dog owners in modern society. Dr. Huberman then reflects on this profound observation, noting how it flips conventional wisdom on its head. "You were the first person I ever heard say that homeless people are the best dog owners," he told Milan. He then goes on to explain that while affluent people buy material comforts for their pets, homeless owners instinctively offer the exact psychological anchoring and leadership that the dog needs.

The pack migration

Milan attributes this incredible behavioral success to the natural state of constant movement. To put it simply, in the wild, the dog's primary instinct is to follow the pack leaders to locate food and water. Because homeless dog owners are constantly on the move, their pets exist in a perpetual, structured state of migration that perfectly satisfies their hardwired biological need, leaving no room for boredom or frustration that plagues typical household pets. The conversation then highlighted how these dogs instinctively master a mindset of calm surrender. 

It revealed that because the owner is focused on navigating the environment for survival, the dog is not allowed to get distracted, take the lead, or assume a protective role. Whether the owner is navigating a crowded sidewalk or resting in a fixed spot, the dog naturally holds its position in the middle or back of the pack, remaining entirely dependent on its owner for direction. This is exactly why most of the dogs owned by homeless dog owners appear to be extremely well-behaved, especially when interacting with strangers. 

Behavior of homeless dogs

A study led by Cammile King sheds further light on this positive behavior. It revealed that dogs owned by homeless people react positively while interacting with strangers. Out of the dogs they studied, nearly 81% of them reacted positively to an unfamiliar person. Meanwhile, another 16% had a neutral reaction, with only about 3% of dogs acting poorly while interacting with strangers. Additionally, most of these owners (59%) confirmed that they owned a dog purely because they needed companionship, while 38% cited protection and companionship both as their reasons to own a dog. 

Interaction also plays a factor

Nonetheless, while Milan stated why he believes dogs with a homeless owner behaved so well, people had their own beliefs. In the comment section of a Reddit post by u/Guava_, people put forward their views. u/djnastynipple wrote, "Well, yeah. They’re constantly exposed to people, traffic, noise, and all kinds of situations. A lot of dog owners barely socialize their dogs, so it’s no surprise many of them end up poorly behaved." While u/No-Tar-1157 noted, "Fair point. A lot of homeless people spend a significant amount of time outdoors, or in public spaces, and by extension their dogs do as well, allowing for more socialization."

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