The development of owners attachment to their recently adopted dogs

• Grant number: 18/06924-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2018
• End date: May 31, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology
• Principal Investigator: Carine Savalli Redigolo
• Grantee: Mariana Vitória Hess
• Host Institution: Instituto de Saúde e Sociedade (ISS). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus Baixada Santista. Santos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Dogs are considered for many owners as member of the human family and the affective relationship that is established between them can be very significant. However, how this attachment develops after the adoption and which characteristics of the owner, dog and of the relation between them can interfere in this development require more studies. This research aims to investigate the development of this attachment of the owner to his dog, recently adopted, during the period of four months. It will also be investigated how the demographic data of the owner (e.g. age, sex, marital status) and dog (e.g. adopted age, posture, race) can influence the development of this attachment. A Portuguese version of the Lexington Attachment to Pet Scale (LAPS) questionnaire will be used to measure the degree of attachment on the moment of adoption and after four months. By evaluating the difference between the scores obtained in the first and second application, we will investigate whether there will be changes in the degree of attachment, in which sense, and which demographic variables are related to these changes of the degree of attachment. (AU)