Abstract
Simple SummaryThe welfare of most dogs living in homes is largely unknown. However, national surveys carried out by animal welfare charities and findings by animal welfare researchers have shown significant deterioration in some key aspects of dog welfare. For example, more dogs presenting to vets with behavioural problems, obesity, and ill-health due to poor breeding practices. This means that some dogs are suffering due to their owners’ behaviours or ownership practices. Educating dog owners as to how best to look after their dogs is, and has been seen by many, as key to improving the welfare of dogs living in homes. However, the concept of education, the context in which it occurs, and the lack of systematic evaluation of the effectiveness of education interventions means that nobody really knows if this approach works. This paper explores these concepts and draws together a wide range of sources of information to highlight some of the complexities of improving dog welfare by educating owners.Vets, animal welfare charities, and researchers have frequently cited educating owners as a necessity for improving the welfare of companion dogs. The assumption that improving an owner’s knowledge through an education intervention subsequently results in improvements in the welfare of the dog appears reasonable. However, the complexity of dog welfare and dog ownership and the context in which these relationships occur is rapidly changing. Psychology has demonstrated that humans are complex, with values, attitudes, and beliefs influencing our behaviours as much as knowledge and understanding. Equally, the context in which we individuals and our dogs live is rapidly changing and responding to evolving societal and cultural norms. Therefore, we seek to understand education’s effectiveness as an approach to improving welfare through exploring and understanding these complexities, in conjunction with the relevant research from the disciplines of science education and communication. We argue that well designed and rigorously evaluated education interventions can play a part in the challenge of improving welfare, but that these may have limited scope, and welfare scientists could further consider extending cross-disciplinary, cross-boundary working, and research in order to improve the welfare of companion dogs.
Highlights
This paper aims to explore the extent to which educating owners is an effective strategy for improving the welfare of companion dogs
Consideration will be given to the role that education can, and cannot play, in increasing dog owners’ knowledge, behaviours, and ownership practices to improve the welfare of their companion animals
The assumption that to improve the welfare of dogs living in homes, welfare experts, or advocates need to educate owners or the dog owning public makes sense when taken at face value
Summary
This paper aims to explore the extent to which educating owners is an effective strategy for improving the welfare of companion dogs. Information relating to dog welfare, needs, and ownership practices will be reviewed. The concepts and components of education in the context of dog ownership will be examined and some relevant findings from science education and science. Animals 2019, 9, 662 communication literature will be presented. Consideration will be given to the role that education can, and cannot play, in increasing dog owners’ knowledge, behaviours, and ownership practices to improve the welfare of their companion animals
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