Factors affecting human-dog relationships

Although dogs are mens` closest animal companions, little is still known regarding the social core of this relationship which may vary widely between dyads. Socializing between humans and dogs is facilitated by a common toolbox of brain and physiological mechanisms (Kotrschal 2009) and is governed by general rules for conflict managements in long-term valuable dyads (Aureli & de Waal 2000). Within such an evolutionary framework our proposed interdisciplinary project (behavioural, physiological, psychological) aims at a better understanding of the relationship between humans and their dogs as a topic of considerable heuristic interest itself and as a model for exploring the basic rules of long-tem vertebrate relationships (including human-human). Our recent pilot studies (Kotrschal et al. 2009, Wedl et al. 2010a) suggests that owner personality, owner and dog gender, as well as owner attitude towards the dog affect dyadic interaction style, the behavioural expression of dog personality, owner and dog stress modulation and the operational functionality of a dyad. We propose to test this human-dog social contingency model in a representative sample of 120 dyads, 30 for each owner-dog gender combination. In particular, we expect to substantiate effects of the combination of owner gender and dog sex, owner personality and attitude towards the dog on dog personality, dyadic interaction patterns (e.g. behaviour initiation, temporal patterning of interactions), mutual attachment as well as on stress hormone levels in both owner and dog (Kotrschal et al. 2009, Schöberl et al. subm.). According to the experience we gained through our pilots, we aim at collecting five related data sets in the course of two meetings: I) owner-dog behaviours and interactions will be observed and videotaped for behaviour coding (OBSERVER) and for subsequent analysis of their temporal structure (THEME) during five challenges: 1. a visit to the owners home, 2. a dog attachment test, 3. a "vet check" of the dog by the experimenter, 4. a dyadic operational functionality test and 5. mild threats to the dog; II) owner personality shall be estimated via the NEO-Five Factor Inventory; III) dog personality shall be gained via the revised Monash Canine Personality Scale (Ley et al. 2008, 2009); human-dog relationship and attachment factors shall mainly be gained from the Monash Dog Owner Relationship Scale (Dwyer et al. 2006); and V) saliva samples shall be collected from owners and dogs to measure cortisol and testosterone levels in the context of test situations and during control days as we did in the pilot (Schöberl et al. 2009, subm.). As appropriate, General and Generalized Linear (Mixed) Models (GLMs and GLMMs) and other relevant statistical tools will be applied. Our proposed research may also shed new light on factors structuring human-human dyadic relationships (Topal et al. 2009). In practice, our results may allow for a more individualized counselling and training of owner-dog dyads. Hence, this topic is of substantial societal importance and meets great interest by the public and the media.

Since some 35 000 years, dogs are mens closest animal companions. Hence, it is important to know about the nature of this relationship. We know that humans are biophilic (sensu E. Wilson) and that socializing between species is facilitated by a common toolbox of brain and physiological mechanisms. Our pilot studies suggested that owner personality, owner gender and dog sex, as well as owner attitudes towards the dog affect dyadic interaction style, the behavioural expression of dog personality and the operational functionality of a dyad. We tested this social relationship model with a sample of 132 dyads, featuring each owner-dog gender combination. Via questionnaires, we measured owner personality and attitudes in the 132 participants and in 1400 online respondents. In a series of experimental situations (including ana mild staged threat, performance task, owner-dog play) we measured human-dog behavioural interactions, heart rate and heart rate variability of dogs and humans and their cortisol (stress hormone) responses from saliva samples. We qualitatively and quantitatively expanded our project by attracting additional sponsors and a Waltham-Mars add on project for measuring dog-human attachment (via the Ainsworth Strange situation test-ASST) by integrating a total of 10 masters projects, which all produced publishable results. Except for these extensions data collection and analysis in P23345-B17 worked exactly according to plan due to the devotion and logistic skills of all our project collaborators and students. This project produced a rich harvest in scientific results, but also in communications to the public. We essentially found that owner-dog dyads are profoundly social, with partners affecting each other behaviour and stress modulation to a significant degree, with the owner personality, interaction style and gender affecting dog performance more than the other way round. Some of the results we already published and this will carry on well into 2020. Our results shed new light on the human-dog partnership and support a new complex view of the dog-human social relationship and partnership.