What leads people to acquire a dog?
With an estimated 12.5 million dogs in the UK alone, many people get a dog at some point in their lives. However, it is not known exactly what are the reasons why the decision to have a dog is finally made.
A team from the dog behavior and research group Dogs Trust in London, UK, has carried out a study to investigate the main motivations behind this decision.
Using a convergent mixed-methods design, this study identified the reasons behind dog acquisition in a sample of current and potential owners in the UK. Through an online survey of current (n = 8,050) and potential (n = 2,884) dog owners, they collected quantitative and qualitative data.
Current owners were asked about their most recent dog acquisition, while potential owners were asked about their dog-owning aspirations. Additional qualitative data was collected through semi-structured interviews with current (n = 166) and potential (n = 10) owners. The interviews focused on the factors that determine why and how people acquire dogs.
The company and the increase of physical exercise, the main reasons
Of the survey responses, companionship was the most common reason for wanting a dog, cited by 79.4% and 87.8% of current and prospective owners, respectively. 48.2% and 69.7% of current and prospective owners indicated that increasing exercise was a reason for wanting a dog, respectively.
There were significant differences between current and potential owners in the likelihood of reporting predefined reasons, factors, and influences involved in their decision to own a dog. Compared to current owners, potential owners were much more likely to indicate that they were motivated by most of the survey response options offered (including companionship for themselves or other adults in the household, helping a dog in need, lifestyle changes, and previous experiences of meeting dogs), suggesting that the current state of ownership may affect the experience and/or expectations of information about dog ownership.
Thematic analysis of qualitative data confirmed the importance of these motivations and identified additional reasons and factors driving dog acquisition. These were organized into three general themes: self-related motivation, social-based motivation, and dog-related positive affect-based motivation. Most respondents reported that their decision to get a dog was influenced by a desire for companionship, helping a dog in need, and having owned a dog before.
Are expectations met?
This study suggests several avenues for future dog acquisition research and indicates that more research is needed to explore whether the experience of living with a dog is consistent with owner expectations about the role of dogs in their lives for maximize the welfare of both the dog and the human being.
Katrina E. Holland, Rebecca Mead, Rachel A. Casey, Melissa M. Upjohn and Robert M. Christley. Why Do People Want Dogs? A Mixed-Methods Study of Motivations for Dog Acquisition in the United Kingdom. Front. Vet. Sci., 10 May 2022 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2022.877950
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