Overview of Thesis so Far:

The project has been divided into 2 sections, the first comprising the MPhil stage and the second progressing onto the PhD section of the work.

MPhil: The Advantages & Disadvantages of Dog Ownership

We started off by conducting a survey, using 900 face to face interviews, of the general population across 9 different UK locations, to investigate current attitudes to dogs in the UK.

This survey allowed comparisons of previous and current dog owners against people who have never owned a dog before. This was an important comparison to allow investigation of owner expectation in that people’s experience of dog ownership would influence their attitude towards dogs. New and potential dog owners may or may not have previous experience of dog ownership and the results of this survey confirmed that current and previous dog owners had similar expectations in relation to the advantages and disadvantages of dog ownership, compared to people who had no experience of dog ownership at all.

Analysis of the responses from this survey also identified which of the advantages and disadvantages of dog ownership were most important to people from differing backgrounds: age, household membership, presence or absence of children in the household as well as differing dog ownership experience, affinity for dogs and how much they value dog ownership overall.

199 current dog owners were surveyed and the advantages and disadvantages of dog ownership were prioritised according to the rankings allocated by these respondents. The top 5 advantages of dog ownership were: companionship, encourages a healthier lifestyle, teaches children responsibility & respect for animals, provision of security & protection and emotionally enrichment. The top 5 disadvantages of dog ownership were: restriction on freedom of movement, financial cost, time commitment, household hygiene and illness or death of the dog.

The advantages identified have been the subject of a number of studies relating to the positive effects of pet, and particularly dog ownership for people. The disadvantages have been given less attention in published research to date. Where people experience difficulties with dog ownership there are potentially detrimental effects on the owner, dog and the resultant human: dog bond. In order to identify which factors may be important in achieving a successful human: dog bond, it was this agreed that investigation into this aspect of dog ownership  may reveal a more meaningful insight into what makes the bond not only endure, but also provide satisfied owners and well cared for dogs.

PhD Studies: Time Commitments & Dog Ownership

A: Dog Time Survey (Owners)
Dog owners were recruited through veterinary practices to complete a survey relating to the way in which they spend time with their dogs. Respondents were asked to list the activities that their dog engages in on a daily/ weekly/ monthly/ annual basis and to give an estimate of the time in which they spent on each activity. 40 surveys were collected and the results collated to produce a list of dog activity items and a range of time allocations for each activity.

B: Dog Time Survey (Experts)
Having produced a list of dog activity items in Part A of activities that dog owners regularly engage in with their dogs, we then wanted to ensure that there were no additional activities that dog owners should be engaging with their dogs, but that were not identified in the dog owner survey. A survey was then developed using the list of activity items and the time allocation categories and a number of canine welfare & behavioural experts were approached to comment on the items identified by the dog owners and to add any items that they considered important that had been omitted from the owner survey.

C: Doggy diaries (Internet survey)
Based on the responses from both the dog owner and expert surveys an internet based survey has been developed which will allow investigation into the time dogs spend engaging in the list of activity items. We will also collect data relating to the frequency/ predictability/ control and actual time spent of each activity and investigate the influence this may have on owner satisfaction and the welfare of the dogs concerned.
A second shorter survey has also been developed which asks dog owners to record the additional time they spend on dog ownership, which does not directly involve engaging with their dog and also to record an estimate of the costs associated with ownership of their current dog.

Summing Up