04/08/2015
Why Your Dog Really Is Your Best Friend
Dogs have long been described as "man's best friend." But why is the bond between human and canine so strong?
It may all be due to your dog's behavior, according to researchers from Canisius College in Buffalo, New York.
The study: Led by Dr. Christy L. Hoffman, an assistant professor of animal behavior, ecology and conservation, the team analyzed human-animal attachment among 60 dog-owning families, including parents and children. This study is notable because it is the first to look at canine attachment in children.
The participants completed questionnaires that asked about their attachment to their pet dogs, their levels of responsibility for the animals, such as feeding and walking them, and their general attitudes toward pets. They were also asked to rate their dogs on behavioral characteristics, including excitability, trainability, stranger fear and aggression, separation problems and attention-seeking behavior.
The results:
• Those who had more positive feelings in general about pets and who took more responsibility for the care of their dogs (compared with others in the family), were the ones who had the highest attachment to their pups.
• Regardless of gender, age or race, owners had a greater attachment to their dog when the animal scored high on trainability and separation-related problems. In other words, if the dog is well-behaved and likes to socialize with humans, then the bond between the dog and its owner is greater.
• The more a dog demonstrates attention-seeking behavior with his adult owners, the more attached to the dog those owners are likely to be; however, this made no difference with the children in the study. Children's attitudes and levels of attachment toward their pets remained high even when dogs showed low levels of
