Abstract
Leaving a dog home alone is part of everyday life for most dog owners. Previous research shows that dog–owner relationship has multifarious effects on dog behavior. However, little is known about the interplay between dog–owner relationship, physical activity of the dog, and affective experiences at the time of the owner leaving home and reunion when the owner comes home. In this paper, we explored how the general (daily, home alone, and over the 2-week study period) physical activity of the dog, and owner's perceptions of the dog's affective state were correlated at those particular moments. Nineteen volunteer dog owners had their dogs (N = 19) wear two activity trackers (ActiGraph wGT2X-GT and FitBark2) for 2 weeks 24 h/day. Prior to the 2-week continuous physical activity measurement period, the owners filled in questionnaires about the dog–owner relationship and the dog behavior. In daily questionnaires, owners described and assessed their own and their perception of the emotion-related experiences of their dog and behavior of the dog at the moment of separation and reunion. The results indicated that the dog–owner relationship has an interplay with the mean daily and weekly physical activity levels of the dog. An indication of strong emotional dog–owner relationship (especially related to the attentiveness of the dog, continuous companionship, and time spent together when relaxing) correlated positively with the mean daily activity levels of the dog during the first measurement week of the study. Results also suggest that the mean daily and over the 2-week measurement period physical activity of the dog correlated the affective experiences of the dog and owner as reported by the owner when the dog was left home alone. More research is needed to understand the interplay between affect, physical activity of the dog, dog–owner relationship, and the effects of these factors on, and their interplay with, the welfare of dogs.
Highlights
Domestic dogs are highly social animals, and due to that, mutual relationships develop with humans [1]
The results indicate that the dog–owner relationship has an interplay with the activity levels of the dog
The more active the dog was, the higher was the ownerreported perception of the attachment of the dog to one person in a family (r = 0.526, p < 0.05, Monash Dog Owner Relationship Scale (MDORS)), attentiveness of the dog (r = 0.468, p < 0.05, MCPQR), continuous companionship provided by the dog (r = 0.518, p < 0.05, MDORS), as well as the time spent together when relaxing (r = 0.480, p < 0.05, MDORS)
Summary
Domestic dogs are highly social animals, and due to that, mutual relationships develop with humans [1]. The strong social bond between dogs and their owners resembles the attachment between a parent and a child, Affect, Physical Activity & Relationship and includes characteristics present in a friendship [reviewed in [4]]. The bond between dog and human, resembles that of the attachment between humans, and the characteristics of the owner and the dog affect the relationship and, the behavior and interaction between the dog and the owner [1]. The quality of relationship is reflected on the behavior of the dogs in situations where the dog is separated from its owner [6, 7]
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