Relationship between Dog Walking Behaviour and Owner-Dog Attachment Using the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale

Authors

  • Sandra Foltin University Duisburg-Essen, Germany
  • Udo Ganslosser Institution of Zoology & Evolutionary Research, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Germany

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/jzr.v4i2.4526

Abstract

Human-dog attachment is a special relationship and has been studied from various perspectives. Attachment or social bonding has a positive effect on the psychological and physiological wellbeing of a dog owner, increasing physical health and quality of life. Attachment is idiosyncratic, induced by neuroendocrinological functions like an oxytocin increase after an interaction, but also based on subjective perceptions of the quality of bonding and relationship. Dog-owner attachment was measured in this study using the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale in its validated German version as a tool to compare owner perception with factual movement data of their dog. The question posed was whether the perceived dog behaviour impacted on the attachment score as assessed through the LAPS. The authors could show that perceived problematical or unwanted conduct, like hunting behaviour, had a negative effect on LAPS scores whereas perceived obedient behaviour had a positive effect upon attachment. The authors found that actual walking data of the dogs were not in congruence with owner assessments. Thus, owner reports alone possibly will not be a sufficient measure of dog-human relationships and animal behaviour.

Keywords:

Bonding; Canine; Companionship; Ownership; Pets; Perception; Questionnaire; Welfare

References

[1] Hielscher, B., Ganslosser, U., Froboese, I., 2021. Impacts of Dog Ownership and Attachment on Total and Dog-related Physical Activity in Germany. Human-Animal Interaction Bulletin. 10(1), 22-43.

[2] LaFollette, M.R., Rodriguez, K.E., Ogata, N., et al., 2019. Military Veterans and Their PTSD Service Dogs: Associations between Training Methods, PTSD Severity, Dog Behaviour, and the Human-Animal Bond. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 6, 23.

[3] Barker, S.B., Barker, R.T., McCain, N.L., et al., 2016. A Randomized Cross-over Exploratory Study of the Effect of Visiting Therapy Dogs on College Student Stress Before Final Exams. Anthrozoos. 29(1), 35-46. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/08927936.2015.1069988

[4] Payne, E., DeAraugo, J., Bennett, P., et al., 2016. Exploring the existence and potential underpinnings of dog-human and horse-human attachment bonds. Behavioural Processes. 4(125), 114-121.

[5] Nagasawa, et al., 2015. Oxytocin-Gaze Positive Loop and the Coevolution of Human-Dog Bonds. Science. 348(6232), 333-336.

[6] Kaminski, J., Marshall-Pescini, S., 2014. The Social Dog: Behaviour and Cognition. Burlington, VT: Elsevier Science.

[7] Johnson, T.P., Garrity, T.F., Stallones, L., 1992. Psychometric evaluation of the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale (LAPS). Anthrozoös. 5(3), 160-175.

[8] Hielscher, B., Ganslosser, U., Froboese, I., 2019. Attachment to Dogs and Cats in Germany: Translation of the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale (LAPS) and Description of the Pet Owning Population in Germany. Human-Animal Interaction Bulletin. 7(2), 1-18.

[9] Kanat-Maymon, Y., Antebi, A., Zilcha-Mano, S., 2016. Basic psychological need fulfilment in human-pet relationships and well-being. Personal Individual Differences. 92, 69-73.

[10] Serpell, J.A., 1996. Evidence for an association between pet behaviour and owner attachment levels. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 47(1-2), 49-60.

[11] Bennett, P.C., Rohlf, V.I., 2007. Owner-companion dog interactions: relationships between demographic variables, potentially problematic behaviours, training engagement and shared activities. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 102, 65-84.

[12] Clark, G.I., Boyer, W.N., 1993. The effects of dog obedience training and behavioural counseling upon the human-canine relationship. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 37, 147-159.

[13] Reevy, G.M., Delgado, M.M., 2015. Are Emotionally Attached Companion Animal Caregivers Conscientious and Neurotic? Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science. 18(3), 239-258.

[14] Stoeckel, L.E., Palley, L.S., Gollub, R.L., et al., 2014. Patterns of brain activation when mothers view their own child and dog: An fMRI study. PLoS One. 9, 10.

[15] Wiener, P., Haskell, M.J., 2016. Use of questionnaire-based data to assess dog personality. Journal of Veterinary Behaviour. 16, 81-85.

[16] D’Aniello, B., Fierro, B., Scandurra, A., et al., 2021. Sex differences in the behavioral responses of dogs exposed to human chemosignals of fear and happiness. Animal Cognition. 24, 299-309. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-021-01473-9

[17] Westgarth, C., Boddy, L.M., Stratton, G., et al., 2013. A CrossSectional Study of Frequency and Factors Associated With Dog Walking in 9-10 Year old Children in Liverpool, UK. BMC Public Health. 13, 822. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1471- 2458-13-822

[18] Bowlby, J., 1969. Attachment: Attachment and loss (Vol. 1). London, England: Hogarth.

[19] Green, J.D., Campbell, W.K., 2000. Attachment and exploration: Chronic and contextual accessibility. Personality Society Psychological Bulletin. 26, 452- 461.

[20] Green, J.D., Coy, A.E., Mathews, M.A., 2018. Attachment Anxiety and Avoidance Influence Pet Choice and Pet-directed Behaviours. Anthrozoos A Multidisciplinary Journal of The Interactions of People & Animals. 31(4), 475-494.

[21] Lord, M.S., Casey, R.A., Kinsman, R.H., et al., 2020. Owner perception of problem behaviours in dogs aged 6 and 9-months. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 232, 105147.

[22] Hayama, S., Chang, L., Gumus, K., et al., 2016. Neural correlates for perception of companion animal photographs. Neuropsychologia. 85, 278-286.

[23] Weiss, E., Gramann, S., 2009. A comparison of attachment levels of adopters of cats: Fee-based adoptions versus free adoptions. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science. 12(4), 360-370.

[24] Stephens, N.M., Townsend, S.S., Markus, H.R., et al., 2012. A cultural mismatch: Independent cultural norms produce greater increases in cortisol and more negative emotions among first-generation college students. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 48(6), 1389-1393.

[25] Kruger, K.S., Stern, S.L., Anstead, G., et al., 2014. Perceptions of companion dog benefits on well-being of US military veterans with HIV/AIDS. Southern Medical Journal. 107(3), 188-193.

[26] Singer, R.S., Hart, L.A., Zasloff, R.L., 1995. Dilemmas associated with rehousing homeless people who have companion animals. Psychological Reports. 77(3), 851-857.

[27] Ley, J.M., Bennett, P.C., Coleman, G.J., 2009. A refinement and validation of the Monash Canine Personality Questionnaire (MCPQ). Applied Animal Behavioural Science. 116(2-4), 220-227.

[28] Westgarth, C., Knuiman, M., Christian, H.E., et al., 2016. Understanding how Dogs Encourage and Motivate Walking: Cross-Sectional Findings From RESIDE. BMC Public Health. 16(1), 1019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-016-3660-2

[29] Kotrschal, K., Schöberl, I., Bauer, B., et al., 2009. Dyadic relationships and operational performance of male and female owners and their male dogs. Behavioural Processes. 81, 383-391.

[30] Miklósi, A., Turcsán, B., Kubinyi, E., 2014. The Personality of Dogs. The Social Dog. 7, 191-222.

[31] Arhant, C., Bubna-Littitz, H., Bartels, A., et al., 2010. Behaviour of smaller and larger dogs: effects of training methods, inconsistency of owner behaviour and level of engagement in activities with the dog. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 123(3-4), 131-142.

[32] Kovács, K., Virányi, Z., Kis, A., et al., 2018. Dog-owner attachment is associated with oxytocin receptor gene polymorphisms in both parties. A comparative study on Austrian and Hungarian border collies. Frontiers in Psychology. 9, 435.

[33] Lefebvre, D., Diederich, C., Delcourt, M., et al., 2007. The quality of the relation between handler and military dogs influences efficiency and welfare of dogs. Applied Animal Behavioural Science. 104(1- 2), 49-60.

[34] Diverio, S., Boccini, B., Menchetti, L., et al., 2016. The Italian perception of the ideal companion dog. Journal of Veterinary Behaviour. 12, 27-35.

[35] King, T., Marston, L.C., Bennett, P.C., 2009. Describing the ideal Australian companion dog. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 120(1), 84-93.

[36] Konok, V., Kosztolányi, A., Rainer, W., et al., 2015. Influence of owner attachment style and personality on their dogs ‘separation-related disorder. PLoS One. 10, e0118375.

[37] Wells, D.L., Hepper, P.G., 2000. Prevalence of behaviour problems reported by owners of dogs purchased from an animal rescue shelter. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 69, 55-65.

[38] Salonen, M., Sulkama, S., Mikkola, S., et al., 2020. Prevalence, comorbidity, and breed differences in canine anxiety in 13,700 Finnish pet dogs. Science Report. 10, 1-11. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-59837-z

[39] D’Aniello, B., Scandurra, A., Prato-Previde, E., et al., 2015. Gazing toward humans: A study on water rescue dogs using the impossible task paradigm. Behavioural Processes. 110, 68-73.

[40] Persson, M.E., Roth, L.S., Johnsson, M., et al., 2015. Human-directed social behaviour in dogs shows significant heritability. Genes Brain and Behaviour. 14(4), 37-44.

[41] Scandurra, A., Alterisio, A., Di Cosmo, A., et al., 2018. Behavioural and Perceptual Differences between Sexes in Dogs: An Overview. Animals. 8(9), 151.

[42] Holland, K.E., 2019. Review Acquiring a Pet Dog: A Review of Factors Affecting the Decision-Making of Prospective Dog Owners. Animals. 9, 124.

[43] Bir, C., Widmar, N.J.O., Croney, C.C., 2017. Stated preferences for dog characteristics and sources of acquisition. Animals. 7, 59.

[44] Pogány, A., Torda, O., Marinelli, L., et al., 2018. The behaviour of overweight dogs shows similarity with personality traits of overweight humans. Royal Society of Open Science. 5(6), 172398.

[45] Rehn, T., Beetz, A., Keeling, L.J., 2017. Links between an Owners’s Adult Attachment Style and the Support-Seeking Behaviour of Their Dog. Frontiers in Psychology. 8, 2059.

[46] Dodman, N.H., Brown, D.C., Serpell, J.A., 2018. Associations between owner personality and psychological status and the prevalence of canine behaviour problems. PLoS One. 13(2), e0192846.

[47] Siniscalchi, M., Stipo, C., Quaranta, A., 2013. “Like owner, like dog”: correlation between the owner’s attachment profile and the owner-dog bond. PLoS One. 8, e78455.

[48] Riener, C.R., Stefanucci, J.K., Proffitt, D.R., et al., 2011. An effect of mood on the perception of geographical slant. Cognition and Emotion. 25(1), 174-182.

[49] Proffitt, D.R., Bhalla, M., Gossweiler, R., et al., 1995. Perceiving geographical slant. Psychonomic Bulletin Review. 2(4), 409-428.

[50] Stefanucci, J.K., Proffitt, D.R., Clore, G.L., et al., 2008. Skating down a steeper slope: fear influences the perception of geographical slant. Perception. 37(2), 321-323.

[51] Zadra, J.R., Clore, G.L., 2011. Emotion and perception: the role of affective information. Wiley Interdis-ciplinary Revised Cognition and Science. 2(6), 676- 685.

[52] Stefanucci, J.K., Storbeck, J., 2009. Don’t look down: emotional arousal elevates height perception. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. 138(1), 131.

[53] Grommet, E.K., Hemmes, N.S., Brown, B.L., 2019. The Role of Clock and Memory Processes in the Timing of Fear Cues by Humans in the Temporal Bisection Task. Behavioural Processes. 164, 217-229.

[54] Angrilli, A., Cherubini, P., Pavese, A., et al., 1997. The influence of affective factors on time perception. Perception Psychophysics. 59(6), 972-982.

[55] Rynearson, E., 1978. Humans and pet attachment. Psychiatry. 133, 550-555.

[56] Kanat-Maymon, Y., Antebi, A., Zilcha-Mano, S., 2016. Basic psychological need fulfillment in human-pet relationships and well-being. Personality and Individual Differences. 92, 69-73.

Downloads

Issue

Vol. 4 , Iss. 2 (April 2022)

Article Type

Articles

License

Copyright and Licensing

The authors shall retain the copyright of their work but allow the Publisher to publish, copy, distribute, and convey the work.

Journal of Zoological Research publishes accepted manuscripts under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0). Authors who submit their papers for publication by Journal of Zoological Research agree to have the CC BY-NC 4.0 license applied to their work, and that anyone is allowed to reuse the article or part of it free of charge for non-commercial use. As long as you follow the license terms and original source is properly cited, anyone may copy, redistribute the material in any medium or format, remix, transform, and build upon the material.

License Policy for Reuse of Third-Party Materials

If a manuscript submitted to the journal contains the materials which are held in copyright by a third-party, authors are responsible for obtaining permissions from the copyright holder to reuse or republish any previously published figures, illustrations, charts, tables, photographs, and text excerpts, etc. When submitting a manuscript, official written proof of permission must be provided and clearly stated in the cover letter.
The editorial office of the journal has the right to reject/retract articles that reuse third-party materials without permission.

Journal Policies on Data Sharing

We encourage authors to share articles published in our journal to other data platforms, but only if it is noted that it has been published in this journal.