Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

More people buy dogs, which leads to more dogs in society and so, more frequent meetings between dogs. How the experience of such a meeting turns out is governed by a variety of factors that affect both dog and owner. A dog's attachment to its owner is similar to that of a child to its parent, where the dog feels more secure with the owner than with a stranger. The owner's adult attachment style affects how the owner takes care of the dog and thus the attachment the dog develops to its owner. The aim of this study was to find out how the owner's presence affected the dog's behaviour in a greeting situation with an unfamiliar dog. Three questions were answered based on observations of dog behaviour during dog meetings and measures of owner adult attachment style. The results showed that (1) dogs exhibited more security-related behaviours such as wagging their tails, looking less toward the exit, and being closer to the other dog when accompanied by their owners compared to a stranger, (2) that older dogs stayed physically closer to their owners compared to younger dogs who instead more often were oriented to the owner, and (3) dogs of owners with a more secure attachment style spent more time longer away from their owners than dogs whose owners were more insecure in their attachment styles. By examining different aspects of the owner's nursing style and learning how the dog reacts in different situations, there is a chance to be able to prevent, facilitate and act in a way that promotes positive experiences for the dog. This in turn contributes to increased well-being for dog and owner, strengthened relationships and a more sustainable ownership in society.