The role of dogs is associated with owner management practices and characteristics, but not with perceived canine behaviour problems.

ABSTRACT: Owned dogs are often regarded as family members, best friends, or even as substitutes for children. These new roles and their effects on human well-being have received scientific attention, but little is known about how attributing such social functions to dogs might influence the caring behaviour of the owner, which in turn can impact canine welfare. Our online survey of Hungarian dog owners (N = 790) aimed to describe what owners appreciate the most and the least in their dogs and to investigate the relationship between the social and non-social functions of the dog, the characteristics of the owner and the dog, the management practices of the owner, as well as the dog's behaviour, including behaviour problems. We found that most owners appreciated petting and physical contact with their

SUBMITTER: Gillet L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11557872 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature