Toronto, Ontario — More than half of Canadian pet owners polled recently by Harris/Decima say animals are more reliable than people.

The study, conducted for Purina and PawsWay.ca/, is said to offer new insight into the human-animal bond.

Ninety percent of Canadian pet owners revealed that they talk to their pets, and one-third of those respondents said they confided their deepest secrets to their four-legged friends. Survey respondents say their pets help them improve relations with other people, and 41 percent credit their pets with helping them initiate a new relationship with someone. Sixty-one percent say their neighbors talk to them more when they have their pet with them, according to Purina.