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Human-canine dyads : identifying dysfunctional relationships, a portuguese case
Publication . Teixeira, Rute Saraiva Canejo dos Santos Rodrigues; Niza, Maria Manuela Grave Rodeia Espada; Baptista, Luís Vicente
The human-dog dyad is thought to be the oldest existing domestic partnership and is generally
mutually beneficial for both members of the partnership. Dysfunction in the human-dog dyad,
however, produces serious consequences for each member of the partnership and also for
society at large. Research into these relationships has addressed only the consequences of
dysfunction, making prevention difficult. This project set out to evaluate the possibility of
pre-emptively identifying dysfunction in such dyads by using dog health histories easily
available in clinical contexts. To that end, the researcher developed a simple, one-page
questionnaire that was disseminated in the greater metropolitan areas of Lisbon, Portugal, and
was made available online. By identifying a dog’s biting history, trauma, or involvement in a
vehicular accident, the researcher was able to suggest the possibility of the dog’s involvement
in a dysfunctional dyad. To classify the canine behaviour traits essential for establishing the
general characteristics of dysfunctional dyads, the researcher developed the European
Portuguese Canine Behaviour Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ). The
psychometric properties were evaluated, and the instrument showed excellent to respectable
consistency. The result was a canine behavioural questionnaire that established 13 different
personality traits. A more extensive questionnaire was then administered to the same
population in Lisbon, Portugal, aimed at identifying husbandry and noting dog and human
characteristics within dysfunctional dyads. The results suggest that dogs housed on verandas
or on plots of land, dogs that were fed diets purchased at agricultural cooperatives, dogs with
C-BARQ scores showing high owner-directed aggression (ODA), dog-directed
agressoion/fear (DAF) and dog rivalry (DR) were more likely to be part of dysfunctional
dyads. Similarly, owners with high neuroticism scores and low lie/social desirability scores on
the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ-R) were also more likely to be part of these
partnerships. These characteristics were then used to develop two predicative models – the
Predicted Dysfunction with Dog and Owner Characteristics (PDDOC) and the Predicted
Dysfunction with Dog Characteristics (PDDC) – that successfully predicted dysfunction in
79.7% and 80.1% of cases respectively. These findings reveal the feasibility of pre-emptively
identifying dysfunctional human-dog dyads. As a result, this pre-emptive identification can be
used to take preventative action – specifically the development of educational programs, the
improvement of human-dog pairings, and the equipping of veterinarians to better prevent
and/or correct dysfunction.
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Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
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SFRH
Número da atribuição
SFRH/BD/91362/2012