Highly Educated Men Establish Strong Emotional Links with Their Dogs: A Study with Monash Dog Owner Relationship Scale (MDORS) in Committed Spanish Dog Owners

Abstract

The characteristics of the human-animal bond may be influenced by both owner-related and dog-related factors. A study was designed to explore the existence of different dog ownership patterns and their related factors. We created an on line questionnaire that included demographic questions about the dog and the owner, a Spanish version of the Monash Dog Owner Relationship Scale (MDORS) and a validated measure of satisfaction with life (Cantril’s ladder). We collected 1140 valid responses from adult dog owners, who were recruited using the client databases of Spanish veterinary practices. We explored the presence of groups within the population using Principal Components Analysis (PCA) of the MDORS variables combined with Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA). Two groups were found; Group I having a higher level of emotional involvement with their dogs compared with Group II. Binary logistic regression was used to explore demographic factors that influenced group membership. Four variables were significantly associated with membership of Group I (p<0.0001); male gender of the owner (OR = 32.36), high school level of maximum educational attainment (OR = 0.052), university level of maximum educational attainment (OR = 8.652), and owner Cantril’s score (OR = 0.807). The results obtained from this convenience sample demonstrate that different patterns of dog-ownership may be present within a population of owner-dog dyads, and that certain owner characteristics are associated with the type of owner-dog relationship. Future research could apply a similar approach to different types of sample population in order to identify specific patterns of dog-ownership.

The Relationship Between Dog-Related Factors and Owners' Attitudes Toward Pets: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study in Korea

“…Moreover, Seoul has a lower proportion of families with children in our sample population than in the Western studies. Other studies report similar findings: single people or couples without children represent a high proportion of pet owners (33) and have strong emotional bonds with their dogs (48). There were statistical differences between the socio-economic factors of the study population and the general Korean population, including education level, employment, and income.…”

“…There were statistical differences between the socio-economic factors of the study population and the general Korean population, including education level, employment, and income. Most study participants were university graduates (94.65%); this rate is higher than that for the general Korean population and of other countries like Australia (62%) (49) and Spain (57.71%) (33). Moreover, income levels and the proportion employed were also higher than those of the total population.…”

“…Despite the importance of research on human-animal relationships in Korea, we were unable to locate published studies on Korean pet ownership demographics that focus on this relationship. Previous studies of human attitudes toward pets focused mostly on aspects of pet ownership such as education level, family size, and gender (33,34). Unlike these previous studies that examined existing socio-economic factors, this study investigates pet owner behaviors, including dog acquisition and subsequent veterinary care.…”

Making the Case for Multi-Axis Assessment of Behavioural Problems

“…Benefits of pet ownership include providing emotional support, opportunities for enjoyable interactions, and opportunities to develop shared activities. Perceived costs of pet ownership include restrictions imposed on lifestyle, changes in the social network, and financial constraints [54].…”

“…Following this theoretical framework, psychometric scales have been developed for owners of dogs and cats, that are able to quantify the three main dimensions of the human-animal bond: The pattern of interaction, emotional closeness, and the perceived cost [55,56]. From a practical point of view, it is important to note that emotional closeness is the most influential dimension on the overall quality of the relationship [54]. In other words, if the owner is highly satisfied about the positive elements of the relationship, the negative impact of a behaviour problem will be perceived to be reduced.…”