Lupine Publishers | Scholarly Journal Of Psychology And Behavioral Sciences
Abstract
Despite
that pets play an important role in contemporary society; little is known about
the inner world of adults who have close relationships with dogs. The
researcher conducted a qualitative, phenomenological study to develop a better
understanding of the lived experiences of adults who have close relationships
with dogs as companions. Attachment theory served to illuminate on the
cognitive and developmental aspects regarding relationships with dogs during
adulthood. Interviews were conducted with 15 adult dog owners to gain insights
into the inner world of dog owners who have close relationships with dogs.
Essential elements constituting the regulation of negative emotions,
facilitation of positive emotions, promotion of increased physical activity,
enhancement of interpersonal socialization emerged as core themes to shed light
on adults’ experiences of close relationships with dogs. Additionally, the
companionship and security of unconditional love, and the fulfillment in
meeting a loved one’s needs emerged as central elements in adults’ attachment
experiences. This study provided an in-depth understanding of how close
relationships with dogs inform dog owners’ psychological and physical
well-being in adulthood. Implications of these findings are important for
practices given that adults’ well-being can be developed and promoted through
close relationships with dogs.
Keywords: Well-being; Dogs; Pets; Attachment theory;
Adult development; counseling
Introduction
Companion
animals, which are more commonly known as pets, are an important role in
individuals’ lives. Child psychologist Boris Levison was of the first to
recognize the potential pets have in enhancing human health and well-being
[1-5]. A landmark study conducted by Friedmann shed light the potential health
benefits of pet ownership among heart patients [6]. Despite that researchers
for over two decades have provided scientific evidence that pets have the
potential to promote many benefits for humans, little was known regarding the
role of pets in human well-being was still lacking [7-9]. What continued to
remain unresolved was the question of how pets can promote human wellness.
Well-being is considered an important component of the human life span.
However, little is understood as to how individuals’ experience, achieve, and
maintain well-being in their every-day lives [2,10]. Many scholars have
suggested that pets play important roles in human health and well-being because
they can be sources of comfort and companionship [11-15]. Given the potential
implications of pets imparting well-being for their human companions, there was
a dire need to developing an understanding of how pets influence human
well-being. This study was conducted to contribute to a limited body of
research on the benefits from adults’s close relationships with their pet dogs.
The development of an in-depth understanding of people’s close relationships
with their dogs can shed light on how pets provide opportunities to enhance
mental, emotional and physical health via these social connections.
Background
In
the 1960s, scientific researched evidence regarding the therapeutic effects of
interactions between humans and animals emerged in the field of psychology. In
the 1980s, scientists learned about the potential cardiovascular effects among
heart attack patients who owned pets [7]. Despite these important findings,
researchers only focused on therapeutic and physiological effects among young
populations or populations that needed ongoing and specialized care [16-18].
Moreover, the main focus of the research pertained to the alleviation of
negative signs and symptoms (i.e., depression, loneliness). As reflected in the
lack of scientific research, an understanding of the lived experiences of
normal, healthy adults’ close relationships with their pet dogs remained scant.
Attachment theory provided a lens to understand the emotional bond that
develops in relationships. Attachment underlies healthy development throughout
the human lifespan. [19]. Attachment in adulthood affects one’s ability to
nurture ones’ self as well as others.
Data Collection
Authorization
was obtained from the institutional review board. The researcher intended to
obtain visceral views of participants as dog owners who have close
relationships with their dogs and hear their voices. Given that experiences
regarding relationships with pets can be quite subjective and nuanced [20],
phenomenology was appropriate for this study. Rigor within a study was
established to reflect on the trustworthiness, value, and meaningfulness of the
study’s findings. Measures undertaken to establish trustworthiness of the study
included member checking, reviewing the newly developed instrument with an
expert panel, field testing, reflexive journaling and maintaining a meticulously
detailed audit trail. Fifteen interviews were conducted with adult participants
via video conferencing applications and all interviews were audio recorded. The
researcher also observed participants’ situational and natural interactions
with their dogs and developed field notes immediately after each interview.
This interview protocol was best suited for this study given that participants
were interviewed in their own homes whereby the relationships naturally develop
and occur [13]. The data were analyzed using a thematic analysis procedure [8].
Six themes emerged in the study, which are discussed in the next section.
Results
Data
analysis revealed that participants perceived their close relationship
experiences with their dogs as promoting anxiolytic effects that contributed to
their well-being. Participants indicted that the temperament of their pet dog
enhanced their mental state and overall well-being, and especially during
stressful situations. Participants’ lived experiences of their close relationships
with their dogs included assistance with regulation of negative emotions
including stress, depression, grief, and loneliness. Providing care for dogs
provided comfort, and close contact (e.g. cuddling and petting) was viewed as a
source of comfort and companionship. Life enrichment and happiness was
discussed at length by most participants [21-23]. Participants reported that
their lived experiences regarding their close relationships with their dogs
provided a sense of joy and purpose, which they might not otherwise have
experienced. Positive emotions also included expressions of feeling needed and
loved. Participants were also sensitive and responsive to cues expressed by
their dogs to indicating the need for feeding, grooming and exercise. Participants
emphasized that they made it a priority to meet their dog’s need for physical
activity by sharing walks or runs together.
Participants
reported that their experiences regarding close relationships with their dogs
included increased social interactions with neighbors and friends than they
otherwise would have engaged in. Outings shared with the dog provided
opportunities to start conversations with strangers met along the way.
Companionship and security of unconditional love also emerged as a prominent
theme. This theme consistently emerged during discussions and it was expressed
as a sense of feeling unconditionally loved, accepted, and comforted. Moreover,
participants strongly expressed their attachment to their dogs as a source of
unconditional love [24]. Dogs were described as companions or family members
that were non-judgement and always approving. Participants expressed that their
attachment to their dogs is even more secure and fulfilling than attachments to
humans could ever be. Central to attachment experiences was the sense of
fulfillment in meeting a loved one’s needs [25]. Dogs were interpreted to
communicate their needs and wants to their caretakers, and this was a prominent
feature in attachment experiences. Providing care for dogs in turn generated a
sense of fulfillment in meeting a loved one’s needs and a positive outlook on
life. A notable finding that emerged was that participants viewed their dogs as
important members of the family and required the same quality of care compared
to human members of family.
Limitations, Summary and
Conclusions
This
study pointed to the notion that dogs can be important for human health and
well-being in adulthood. Phenomenology was used as a research paradigm to
obtain a visceral view of participants [11]. The research on the phenomena of
relationships with dogs indicated that there are psychological and physical
benefits to pet ownership [26-27]. The present study provided insight on adult
dog-owner relationships and embedded dynamics of attachment theory as the
theoretical framework. Understanding how ownercompanion dog relationships
promote positive well-being among adults may help develop key insights to
inform professionals in mental health [3,5,19]. The information from this study
may also be used as a basis for future therapies when treating dog-owners with
psychological challenges or who are experiencing stressful periods. Findings
from this study can also provide practical information to help others make
informed decisions on the potential benefits and challenges from
owner-companion dog relationships in adulthood. Given that this study only
explored the lived experiences of dog owners in the southeastern region of the
US, future researchers could extend this study to include other geographical
areas in the United States. Rental property owners could consider this study
when ruling over the presence of pets in the rental property. Policies that
enforce “no pets” on the premises are likely to force homeowners and
condominium dwellers to relinquish their pets [16]. By simply excluding pet
ownership in rental policies, the potential lessee forfeits the positive
benefits of being a pet owner. The implications of findings from this study
also apply to policies pertaining to natural disaster planning.
Findings
from this study should be communicated to state and local emergency planners as
they could consider this research when implementing policies and evacuation
assistance programs for pet owners during emergency planning and natural
disasters. That during natural disasters such as hurricanes and floods, pet
owners were unwilling to leave their pets behind due to lack of support and
sufficient resources. Owners resisted evacuation orders and those who left
their pets behind attempted to re-enter dangerous evacuation zones to rescue
their pets [4,7]. Intense grief and depression were often experienced by
individuals who were forced to abandon their pets during natural disasters [1].
Given these considerations, emergency planning protocols must be reformed to
include the safety of pets. Pets have been established as family members and
ensuring human well-being and maintaining health. Pets have the potential to
become catalysts to bring humanity together through crisis, while at the same
time they require care and compassion [2]. Given that this study was not
conducted during the Covid-19 Pandemic outbreak, future research could focus on
the role of pets in managing or maintain well-being, as well as the concerns,
stressors and difficulties in caring for pets during uncertainty and stress
related to the Covid-19 pandemic. The dog owners who participated in this study
expressed that pet dogs are reliable friends in good times and bad times. While
providing companionship and unconditional love, dogs can contribute to the
owners’ well-being. It can be concluded that dogs can be “man’s best friend”.
Relationships with dogs can be beneficial in many areas of an owners’ life.
Similar interspecies relationships and benefits accrued from them may be
discovered in other parts of the world.
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