The Preadolescent/Pet Friendship Bond

Interparental Conflict and Youth Maladjustment: The Buffering Effects of Pets

“…As has been reflected in the earlier review of the literature on children and pets, the childÀpet bond has been associated with higher self-esteem (Covert et al, 1985;Triebenbacher, 1998b), positive selfconcept (Davis, 1987;Davis & Juhasz, 1995), pro-social behavior (Covert et al, 1985) and increased social support (Bryant, 1990;Covert et al, 1985;Guerney, 1991). Although these findings do not reflect the actual mechanisms through which emotional regulation is enhanced by the childÀpet relationship, they do support an association between the childÀpet bond and positive outcomes for children.…”

“…Covert, Whiren, Keith, and Nelson (1985) report that 48.5% of the children turned to their pet when they were upset. Davis and Juhasz (1995) found that more than 50% of the children in their sample responded affirmatively to statements that pets would make of their owners, such as ''I love you,'' ''I like you the way you are,'' ''I can be myself around you.' ' Paul and Serpell (1996), in a longitudinal study of 27 pet-owning and 29 non-pet-owning middle school children, found that 6 months after acquiring a dog or cat, those children more attached to their pets were also higher in confidence and less tearful and weepy at 12-month follow-up.…”

“…The unconditional love, enduring affection, contact comfort less emotional entanglement, and sense of mastery from caring for a pet are all associated with children's experiences with their pets (Bryant, 1990;Davis, 1987;Davis & Juhasz, 1995;Kidd & Kidd, 1985, 1990Melson, Peet, & Sparks, 1991;Triebenbacher, 1998a;1998b). Children often feel their pets are their best friends with whom they can share secrets and to whom they can turn for emotional comfort (Bryant, 1990;Kidd & Kidd, 1985;Triebenbacher, 1998b).…”

Evaluating the Impact of a Humane Education Summer-Camp Program on School-Aged Children's Relationships with Companion Animals

“…Pet Friendship: The Pet Friendship Scale (PFS) is a 26-item, 5-point Likert scale, which measures the emotional relationship between the child and their companion animal (Davis 1995). Children stated the extent to which each statement was like them and their companion animal, with anchors from "exactly like" (5) to "not like" (1); for example, "I like spending time with you."…”

Comparison of normative and diagnosed dissociation on attachment to companion animals and stuffed animals.

“…In early childhood, preschoolers articulate a great deal of love and affection between themselves and their pets (Triebenbacher, 1998). The preadolescent human-animal bond is characterized as a "friendship" that is best described as mutual love and unconditional acceptance (Davis & Juhasz, 1995). Unconditional love and affection from animals were also shown to be the major benefits of human-animal relationships in a study of adult cat owners (Zasloff & Kidd, 1994).…”