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Animals
Special Issues
The Complexity of the Human–Companion Animal Bond
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The Complexity of the Human–Companion Animal Bond

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Companion Animals".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2025 | Viewed by 8020

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Rosemary Strasser

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behavior, University of Nebraska, Omaha, NE, USA
Interests: human-animal social bonds; pet-owner relationship; animal behavior; behavioral neuroendocrinology; wellness; animal welfare

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Social relationships and early life histories play an important role in the physical and psychological well-being of many animal species. The close relationships some humans form with companion animals can be both beneficial and, in some cases, detrimental, to the well-being of that animal and their human. While numerous studies have examined the benefits of the human–animal bond to humans, few investigations have been performed on the benefits or their lack thereof to the animals. In addition, studies investigating the early life histories and husbandry of animals on future behaviors such as forming beneficial bonds with humans are also sparse.

In this Special Issue, studies or review papers exploring the variables important for forming healthy human–companion animal bonds are encouraged. Similarly, studies or review papers examining unhealthy or dysfunctional relationships between humans and companion animals are also encouraged.

Dr. Rosemary Strasser
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • human–animal bond
  • human–animal relationships
  • companion animals
  • early life histories
  • social behavior
  • stress
  • welfare

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 2794 KiB  
Article
Variations in Canine Behavioural Characteristics across Conventional Breed Clusters and Most Common Breed-Based Public Stereotypes
by Barbara Peťková, Lenka Skurková, Martin Florian, Monika Slivková, Zuzana Dudra Kasičová and Jana Kottferová
Animals 2024, 14(18), 2695; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14182695 - 17 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1290
Abstract
Dog breeds are grouped based on scientific agreement, whether for traditional reasons or specific tasks during their domestication. Discrepancies may occur between public views of breed behaviour and actual evidence. This research aims to investigate differences in five behavioural traits (aggression towards people, [...] Read more.
Dog breeds are grouped based on scientific agreement, whether for traditional reasons or specific tasks during their domestication. Discrepancies may occur between public views of breed behaviour and actual evidence. This research aims to investigate differences in five behavioural traits (aggression towards people, aggression towards animals, fearfulness, responsiveness to training, and activity/excitability) by using the Dog Personality Questionnaire (DPQ) across six conventional groups/clusters of dog breeds (herding, hunting, guarding, companion dogs, potentially aggressive breeds, and mixed-breed dogs) and to assess hypotheses derived from common public presumptions. A cohort of 1309 dog owners sourced through diverse online platforms took part in the study. Contrary to stereotypes, the findings indicate that breeds labelled as “potentially aggressive” display lower levels of aggression compared to guarding breeds (χ2 (5) = 3.657, p = 0.041) and mixed-breeds (χ2 (5) = 3.870, p = 0.002). Additionally, mixed-breed dogs exhibited the highest levels of fearfulness among the six conventional clusters. In terms of aggression and gender, males demonstrated higher aggression levels towards both humans and animals compared to females (p = 0.001). These results challenge established assumptions and emphasise the necessity of evidence-based methodologies in the assessment of canine behaviour. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Complexity of the Human–Companion Animal Bond)
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12 pages, 237 KiB  
Article
Attachment as the Catalyst for the Attribution of Complex Cognition and Emotion to Companion Cats
by Jennifer Vonk and Esther M. C. Bouma
Animals 2024, 14(14), 2123; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14142123 - 21 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1386
Abstract
Companion cat caregivers ascribe complex emotions and cognitions to their cats, and these attributions are greater with a stronger attachment to their animals. We compared attributions of emotional and cognitive complexity to cats in cat caregivers and non-caregivers. We measured attitudes toward animals, [...] Read more.
Companion cat caregivers ascribe complex emotions and cognitions to their cats, and these attributions are greater with a stronger attachment to their animals. We compared attributions of emotional and cognitive complexity to cats in cat caregivers and non-caregivers. We measured attitudes toward animals, belief in animal minds, caregivers’ strength of attachment, and attachment style with a particular companion cat in 448 university students, of whom 251 had owned a cat. We asked the extent to which respondents thought that cats were capable of expressing primary and secondary emotions and cognitive capabilities. Caregivers significantly differed from non-caregivers only in the attribution of primary emotions. Belief in animal minds predicted the attribution of secondary emotions and cognition. For caregivers only, avoidant attachment style was negatively associated with the attribution of primary emotions, whereas attachment strength was positively associated with the attribution of secondary emotions and cognition. These abilities may have greater discriminatory power as most respondents ascribe primary emotions to cats, perhaps for anthropomorphic reasons. Housing conditions (indoor and outdoor) were not associated with attributions, suggesting that bonds are more important than time spent together within the home in predicting the attribution of emotional and cognitive complexity in cats. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Complexity of the Human–Companion Animal Bond)
14 pages, 991 KiB  
Article
The Associations between Human–Companion Animal Relationship Duration, Companion Animal Life Stage, and Relationship Quality
by Annalyse Ellis, Steve Loughnan, Roxanne D. Hawkins and Sarah C. E. Stanton
Animals 2024, 14(11), 1606; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14111606 - 29 May 2024
Viewed by 1361
Abstract
Although many companion animal (or “pet”) owners report that their relationships with their pets are important, we know little about how animal ownership duration and animal life stage are related to relationship quality. In a sample of 1303 dog and cat owners, the [...] Read more.
Although many companion animal (or “pet”) owners report that their relationships with their pets are important, we know little about how animal ownership duration and animal life stage are related to relationship quality. In a sample of 1303 dog and cat owners, the present research explored the associations between relationship duration, pet life stage (puppy/kitten, young adult, mature adult, and senior), and four markers of relationship quality: pet-related self-expansion, perceived pet responsiveness, perceived pet insensitivity, and human–animal bond. We found that relationship duration was negatively and linearly associated with self-expansion for both dog and cat owners. Results comparing relationship quality markers across pet life stages revealed that for both dog and cat owners, self-expansion was higher for owners of younger animals compared to owners of older animals. There were no significant effects for perceived pet responsiveness, perceived pet insensitivity, or human–animal bond based on relationship duration or animal life stage. These findings indicate that the duration of the relationship with one’s pet and animal life stage have implications for how much people feel a pet helps them grow, whereas other markers of human–pet relationship quality likely vary based on other experiences. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Complexity of the Human–Companion Animal Bond)
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11 pages, 1168 KiB  
Article
Where Do They Come From and Where Do They Go? Socioeconomic Patterns in Dog Acquisition and Rehoming
by Tom Kremer and Sue M. Neal
Animals 2024, 14(9), 1378; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14091378 - 3 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1641
Abstract
This research examines the ways people acquire dogs in the US as well as the ways the dogs leave the household and the way these differ by income level in seven geographically diverse study communities. A web-based panel survey was distributed and received [...] Read more.
This research examines the ways people acquire dogs in the US as well as the ways the dogs leave the household and the way these differ by income level in seven geographically diverse study communities. A web-based panel survey was distributed and received 6318 responses. Individuals were asked a series of demographic and socioeconomic questions as well as how they acquired their current dogs, how previous dogs left their household, and where they left to. The results indicate that the likelihood of acquiring a dog through friends and family decreased monotonically as income increased, while the opposite was observed for adopting and purchasing a dog. The likelihood of giving a dog away to a friend or family member also decreased as income increased, as opposed to shelter surrender—a person earning over USD 100,000 annually was more than four times likelier to surrender to a shelter than a person earning under USD 15,000. The results suggest a stronger reliance on informal social networks in lower-income communities for both obtaining and placing dogs. As these dogs would otherwise end up in the shelter system, animal shelters may support low-income pet owners to help keep their dogs within their community of care. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Complexity of the Human–Companion Animal Bond)
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Review

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13 pages, 679 KiB  
Review
Mechanisms of Social Attachment Between Children and Pet Dogs
by Olivia T. Reilly, Leah H. Somerville and Erin E. Hecht
Animals 2024, 14(20), 3036; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14203036 - 20 Oct 2024
Viewed by 1641
Abstract
An increasing body of evidence indicates that owning a pet dog is associated with improvements in child health and well-being. Importantly, the degree of the social bond between child and dog may mediate the beneficial outcomes of dog ownership. The formation of social [...] Read more.
An increasing body of evidence indicates that owning a pet dog is associated with improvements in child health and well-being. Importantly, the degree of the social bond between child and dog may mediate the beneficial outcomes of dog ownership. The formation of social bonds is an intrinsically dyadic, interactive process where each interactor’s behavior influences the other’s behavior. For this reason, it is critical to evaluate the biological mechanisms of attachment in both children and their pet dogs as a socially bonded pair. Here, we review the physical, mental, and emotional outcomes that are associated with pet dog ownership or interaction in children. We then discuss the evidence that suggests that the strength of a social bond between a child and their pet dog matters for maximizing the beneficial outcomes associated with pet dog ownership, such as possible stress-buffering effects. We review the existing literature on the neural and endocrinological mechanisms of social attachment for inter-species social bonds that form between human children and dogs, situating this emerging knowledge within the context of the mechanisms of intra-species bonds in mammals. Finally, we highlight the remaining open questions and point toward directions for future research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Complexity of the Human–Companion Animal Bond)
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