Abstract
Attachment styles have been shown to affect quality of life. Growing interest in the value of companion animals highlights that owning a dog can also affect quality of life, yet little research has explored the role of the attachment bond in affecting the relationship between dog ownership and quality of life. Given that the impact of dog ownership on quality of life may be greater for assistance dog owners than pet dog owners, we explored how anxious attachment and avoidance attachment styles to an assistance dog affected owner quality of life (n = 73). Regression analysis revealed that higher anxious attachment to the dog predicted enhanced quality of life. It is suggested that the unique, interdependent relationship between an individual and their assistance dog may mean that an anxious attachment style is not necessarily detrimental. Feelings that indicate attachment insecurity in other relationships may reflect more positive aspects of the assistance dog owner relationship, such as the level of support that the dog provides its owner.
Highlights
There is growing recognition that owning a pet can benefit individual well-being [1,2,3,4,5,6]
In order to understand the effects of gender and length of ownership, attachment avoidance, and attachment anxiety on quality of life in owners of assistance dogs, an ordinal logistic regression was run
Our results showed that greater anxious attachment to an assistance dog predicted higher quality of life, suggesting that for assistance dog owner’s anxious attachment has a positive effect on perceived quality of life
Summary
There is growing recognition that owning a pet can benefit individual well-being [1,2,3,4,5,6]. Mechanisms underlying the “pet-effect” are unclear, one theory which has received considerable attention is that pets act as secure attachment figures, providing comfort and support in times of need [7,8,9]. One cohort of individuals who may, in particular, experience the benefits of attachment to a pet are those who own an assistance dog, since these individuals rely on their dog for support with essential daily tasks. Research in this area is primarily focussed on the benefits that assistance dogs bring to their owners’ immediate physical daily needs, as opposed to broader quality of life.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
