Japanese Business Organizations' Level of Familiarity with Assistance Dog Legislation and Their Acceptance of These Dogs in the Workplace

ABSTRACT

In 2003, Japan passed the Act on Assistance Dogs for Persons with Disabilities, requiring public facilities, public transport, and private businesses serving the general public to allow access for people with physical impairments who use assistance dogs. One purpose of this law is to enable people with disabilities to lead independent and fulfilling lives as active members of society. In order to achieve this goal, the law requires public facilities such as national institutions and public transport, as well as private businesses serving the general public, such as hotels and restaurants, to allow access to people with physical impairment accompanied by assistance dogs. In 2007, the law was amended to stipulate acceptance to the workplace of people with a physical impairment accompanied by an assistance dog. We conducted a questionnaire survey of 6,062 business owners covered by the legislation, to ascertain the extent of knowledge of the law and acceptance of assistance dogs. In cases where the respondents had not employed any assistance dog users, they were also asked about the possibility of employing them in the future. The results indicate that assistance dog users are seldom accepted in the workplace, and familiarity with the law has not improved since the last survey in 2004, despite the 2007 amendment which is directly applicable to employers. Regarding the attitudes toward employment, most business owners answered that they would not or might not employ an assistance dog user. The level of knowledge of the law and the related financial support system differs among facility owners carrying out different types of business. Those positive toward employment tended to know much about the Act on Promotion of Smooth Transportation, etc. of Elderly Persons, Disabled Persons, etc. These findings suggest that there is a need for better dissemination of information about the obligation to accept assistance dog users in the workplace, of information about the users' obligations, how to cope with problems, and accessing consultation services.     

Attitudes Towards Dogs: A Study of University Students in Japan and the UK

ABSTRACT

The attitudes of 229 (142 females, 87 males) Japanese and 212 (131 females, 81 males) British students towards dogs were measured using a questionnaire comprising 46, seven-point Likert scale items, taking the cultures of both Japan and the UK into consideration. Their responses were separately subjected to Principal Factor Analysis with Varimax Rotation, which suggested seven and five independent sub-scales from the Japanese and British data, respectively. Two of these sub-scales, describing willingness to train and acceptance of dogs as equals, were essentially identical between the two countries. Concern over hygiene, and freedom of access for dogs, were grouped as a single sub-scale in Japan, but split into two sub-scales in the UK. Euthanasia and intolerance of aggression were addressed by two separate sub-scales in Japan but one sub-scale in the UK. Sub-scales relating to stray dogs, and usefulness of dogs, were detectable in the Japanese data but not in the UK. Both Japanese and British women were more likely to consider dogs as their equals, and were less accepting of euthanasia, than men in the same country. The greatest difference between the two countries was in attitudes towards euthanasia, which the British found more acceptable than did the Japanese.     

How dogs influence the evaluation of psychotherapists

Abstract

Research has shown that the presence of a companion animal reduces anxiety, encourages interaction among humans and enhances the way in which people are perceived. These are all effects which would be useful in a psychotherapeutic setting. On this basis the current study investigated the effect of the presence of a dog on the way in which people perceive psychotherapists. The study utilized an experimental design in which participants viewed a videotape of one of two therapists who were either with or without a dog. It was hypothesized that people would respond more positively to the psychotherapists when accompanied by a dog; specifically, that they would be more generally satisfied and would be more willing to disclose personal information, and that these effects would be influenced by attitudes towards pets. The first two hypotheses were confirmed. The effect was most pronounced among those who were the least positive toward the psychotherapist, demonstrating a ceiling effect. Contrary to the last hypothesis, attitudes toward pets had no influence on the perceptions of psychotherapists. History of pet ownership had only minimal impact on the results. Practical applications and directions for further research are discussed.     

What Do Current and Potential Australian Dog Owners Believe about Shelter Practices and Shelter Dogs?

ABSTRACT

Many displaced dogs are unable to find new homes in developed countries, including Australia, each year, even though demand for dogs in general remains high. Understanding community attitudes towards shelter dogs and beliefs about common shelter practices, particularly behavioral assessments conducted by shelters, may help shed light on this issue. To investigate what current and potential dog owners think about shelter dogs, we used an internet-based survey to probe the beliefs and attitudes of 1647 self-selected adult participants, using the online Public Attitudes towards Animal Welfare Shelter-Dogs (PAAWS-D) Survey. Over 80% of the sample indicated they would be likely or very likely to obtain a future pet dog from an animal shelter or rescue organization. Nonetheless, one-third of the participants believed that adult shelter dogs often have behavioral problems. Most participants were aware of routine shelter procedures, such as health and behavioral checks, and the consequences of a dog failing these. Moreover, most participants considered the assessment of shelter dog behavior, using scientific methods, for adoption suitability important. These findings may be used to inform strategies to increase the number of shelter dogs adopted, by clarifying the content of tests used to assess adoption suitability. This could be complemented by daily training and rehabilitation programs to improve shelter dog behavior, increase adoptability, and enhance public perceptions of shelter dogs.     

Factors Affecting the Human Interpretation of Dog Behavior

Several factors influence how we interpret the behavior of another individual. In the current study, we investigated the effect of level of animal empathy, as well as the level of experience with dogs, on the interpretation of dog behavior. Forty-seven veterinary students participated in the study. Each student filled out a printed questionnaire on their experiences and skills with dogs, and then completed the Animal Empathy Scale. They were shown five 2-minute videos of dogs, and asked to cross off 19 visual analogue scales after each video clip, assessing 19 adjectives for each of the dogs. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed on all of the visual analogue scale scores for each of the five videos. For every PCA, one of the components retained related to aggressiveness. For students with no prior responsibility for a dog, animal empathy score showed significant inverse correlations with the aggressiveness-component for four of the five videos watched by the students (r = –0.38, p = 0.044; r = –0.39, p = 0.039; r = –0.38, p = 0.047; r = –0.51, p = 0.005). Animal empathy did not show any significant correlation with components related to other types of emotion or behavior. There was no effect of any of the self-reported skills with dogs on the interpretation of dog behavior, and having had a dog in the family as a child only had sporadic effects. These results indicate that people with a low level of animal empathy and no prior responsibility for a dog assess dog behavior and emotion related to aggressiveness as more pronounced than people with a high level of animal empathy. The results also point to possible interactions between animal empathy, experience with dogs, and interpretation of dog behavior.     

Adopting shelter dogs: Owner experiences of the first month post-adoption

Abstract

A number of studies have examined factors associated with the relinquishment of pet dogs to animal welfare shelters. In Australia, however, there has been little investigation of new owners' experiences when they subsequently adopt one of these dogs. To address this, telephone interviews were conducted with 62 persons who had recently adopted a shelter dog in Melbourne, Australia. Data relating to adopter demographics, factors influencing the selection of a dog and problems experienced post-adoption were collected. Shelter dogs were primarily acquired to replace a deceased pet or as companions to humans or other dogs. Selection was influenced by the dog's size, general appearance and behavior, with adopters preferring dogs who behaved in a calm and friendly manner. Common problems reported during the initial post-adoptive period were hyperactivity/boisterousness, compatibility issues with an existing pet and pulling on the lead. Escaping was strongly associated with separation-related problems. Three-quarters of the sample walked their dogs daily for 30 minutes or more, with larger dogs exercised for longer. Most dogs were exercised off-lead for some period, particularly larger dogs. This study indicates that improving assessment and matching procedures, and providing in-house and post-adoptive training could increase rehoming success rates.     

Employee Attitudes about the Impact of Visitation Dogs on a College Campus

Therapy and visitation dogs are becoming more common on college campuses to provide comfort and support to students, but little attention has been given to the concerns of faculty and staff who share space with the dogs in their workplaces. The purpose of this study was to assess the perceptions of faculty and staff with regard to both the benefits and the hazards (e.g., dander, bites, fleas) and risks associated with the presence of visitation dogs in their workplaces. One hundred and thirty-eight employees who worked in buildings with resident visitation dogs completed an online survey about their perceptions of the hazards and risks of the dogs and the effects of dogs on the wellbeing of both students and employees. In general, employees perceived that the dogs presented minimal risks, and most employees believed that they can reduce stress and provide comfort to students on campus. There were a few employees, however, who reported that the dogs did not improve the work environment and conferred no benefits to the staff or students. The findings of the present survey support the mostly positive attitudes that people have for dogs in the workplace, but they also highlight a potential challenge: accommodating individuals who believe very strongly that dogs do not belong in work environments.     

The Relationship between Empathy,Perception of Pain and Attitudes toward Pets among Norwegian Dog Owners

ABSTRACT

Anthropomorphism, attachment level, and belief in animal mind, as well as owners' level of empathy and attitudes toward their pets, are some of the factors that affect human–animal interactions. Owners' ability to identify painful conditions in their pets may have important consequences for the welfare of these animals. In addition to characterizing the typical Norwegian dog owner, the aim of this work was to study the relationship between empathy, attitudes, and perceived animal pain. A sample of 3,413 dog owners in Norway received an internet-based questionnaire (QuestBack?), to which1896 responded. The questionnaire included four parts: demographics, the Pet Attitude Scale (PAS), the Animal Empathy Scale (AES), and the Pain Assessment Instrument (PAI). For the PAI, participants were presented with 17 photos, showing dogs experiencing painful situations of varying degrees, and were asked to rate the level of pain they believed each animal was enduring, using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Results showed that Norwegian dog owners had very high levels of animal-directed empathy and equally high levels of positive attitudes toward pets. There were differences based on gender, childhood pet keeping, income and education. Differences were also found rooted in owners' use of their dog, whether kept for companionship or hunting, as well as household size, an indication of human social relations. A strong, positive correlation (r = 0.58) was found between animal-directed empathy and positive attitudes toward pets. Empathy was found to be the best predictor of how people rated pain in dogs. The correlations were, however, moderate, indicating that other processes are also involved when observing animals in pain.     

A Longitudinal Study of Decision Making in the Process of Acquiring a Dog

To prevent potential problems in the relationship between people and their dogs, it is important to engage in a thoughtful decision-making process with regard to acquiring a dog. To map the most important elements in the decision-making process, a social cognitive model was applied using seven psychological constructs: perceived advantages of having a dog; perceived disadvantages; the social norm; self-efficacy; optimism; expected commitment; and the intention to acquire a dog. People who were planning to acquire a dog within one year were asked to fill in an online questionnaire and another one 14 months later. The social cognitive constructs were operationalized in the baseline questionnaire, and in the follow-up participants were asked to report whether they had actually acquired a dog during the 14-month interval. The sample (n?=?588) largely consisted of females (88%) and those who had a high level of education (64%). The mean age of the participants was 40.9 years. The data showed significant relations among the decision-making variables, and significant differences between demographic variables related to these. In univariate longitudinal analyses, several social cognitive variables significantly predicted acquiring a dog in the 14-month period. When intention to acquire a dog was entered into the multivariate model, it remained the only predictor (OR = 2.16, p?<?0.001); the model explained 33% of the variance in acquiring a dog. It was possible to assess the main constructs that play a role in decision making regarding acquiring a dog: Most baseline measures were related to actual later behavior, also when taking into account all changes in other internal and external factors that may have taken place. Insight into the decision-making process makes it possible to intervene in it for the good of people, dogs, and their relationships.     

Physical Activity and Welfare of Guide Dogs and Walking Activity of Their Partners

ABSTRACT

Appropriate physical activity is beneficial for physical and psychosocial wellbeing, and it is recommended for people to have 30 minutes of activity on most days of the week, to yield 150 minutes per week. Getting sufficient physical activity particularly challenges people with visual disabilities, and few health-promotion interventions have focused on adults with this disability. Recently, dog walking has been promoted in communities as a way to increase people's physical activity. We surveyed guide-dog partners to assess whether their guide dogs facilitated walking. We also assessed the welfare of these dogs, including their physical activity and social interactions with other dogs and people, especially as there is some concern that these dogs have too little freedom. For comparison, we assessed large and small companion dogs and their handlers, as well. A web-based survey was conducted among people living with guide dogs or companion (pet) dogs: large companion dogs (51 lb or more) and small companion dogs (50 lb or less). Guide-dog partners walked significantly more than handlers of either small or large companion dogs (Guide-dog partners met the healthy standard of 150 min per week of walking, at a level 10 times more than owners of large companion dogs). Guide dogs walked with their partners more frequently and for longer durations per day than owners of companion dogs. Guide dogs with their handlers met more people outside of their homes than did owners of companion dogs, but the groups did not differ in the number of dogs they greeted outside of the house. The frequencies of going to off-leash areas did not differ among the three groups. The findings indicate that having a dog as a guide can lead to a higher amount of walking among guide-dog partners, and that guide dogs have a higher quality of life, in terms of quantity of physical activity and social interactions, compared with large or small companion dogs.     

Dogs and Owners Resemble Each Other in the Eye Region

ABSTRACT

Although several studies have shown perceived facial resemblance between photos of purebred dogs and their owners, none of these studies has clarified which part of the face is critical for such an impression to arise. The series of experiments presented here identified the critical feature underlying the perceived dog–owner facial resemblance. In total, 502 Japanese undergraduate students participated in the study. Two sets of 20 dog–owner photo pairs had been color-printed on a test sheet: the dogs varied in breed and the owners were Japanese males and females in their twenties to sixtieswho were unknown to the participants. One set comprised real pairs, while the other was a fake set (i. e., each dog was paired with another dog's owner). As in a previous study, the majority of participants (from two-thirds to three-quarters) reported that the former set was more similar than the latter. This was also the case even when the mouth regions of the owners' faces were masked by black bars. However, masking the eye regions of either dogs or owners reduced the choice performance to a chance level of around 50%. Furthermore, choice performance was equally good and above the chance level, regardless of whether the entire faces were shown or only the eye regions of the dogs and owners were visible. These results strongly suggest that dogs and owners resemble each other in the eye region. This finding also ruled out the possibility that any nonphysiognomic features (e. g., owners' hairstyles and people's stereotypical concepts about dog ownership) or similarity of obesity are determinate for the perceived dog–owner resemblance.     

Exploration of Perceptions of Dog Bites among YouTube™ Viewers and Attributions of Blame

Dog bites are a human public health and dog welfare problem. This qualitative study is the first to use YouTube^? to examine how viewers perceive risk of, and attribute blame for, dog bites. Comments underneath 10 videos, chosen to represent a diversity of dog-bite scenarios, were analyzed inductively using thematic analysis. Six themes emerged: 1) Commentators thought that dogs are inherently good-natured but wild animals and emphasized how dogs try to avoid biting people; 2) all recognized breeds of dogs were stereotyped and breed stereotypes were used to shift the blame away from the dog and onto a bite victim, unless the dog identified in a video was a pit bull type. The dog was often blamed in such case; 3) It was argued that a breed limits the extent to which a dog can be trained and controlled; 4) Owners/handlers were often blamed for bites due to their inability to control the dog, and commentators identified the need for appropriate training and socialization in order to control dogs and reduce bite risk; 5) Bite victims were also blamed for the bites when their behavior was perceived as provoking a dog. Although children's behavior was identified as causing a risk, parents of children bitten in the videos were blamed for bites instead due to their approach to child supervision; 6) Bites in a range of contexts, such as play or when viewers thought that the victim's behavior provoked a dog, were seen as well-de-served and normal. It was concluded that although comments on publicly available videos need to be interpreted with caution due to a self-selection bias, their analysis can help to identify attitudes and perceptions towards risk around dogs that could aid bite prevention interventions and policies.     

Living with Wild Dogs: Personality Dimensions in Captive Dingoes (Canis dingo) and Implications for Ownership

Despite the commonly held belief that wild canines do not make “good” household companions, many people choose to live with them. The aim of the present study was to investigate owner-rated personality in a population of dingoes living as companion animals. Owners recruited from a registered dingo organization assessed the personality of 40 dingoes using the Monash Canine Personality Questionnaire- Revised (MCPQ-R). The dingoes (22 female; 18 male) ranged in age from 6 months to 11 years (M = 3.6 years, SD = 2.4); weighed an average of 19.07 kg (SD = 3.41); were mostly entire (i.e., not de-sexed or spayed or neutered; 62.5%) and lived in multiple dingo households (72.5%). Results show that dingoes were rated significantly higher than domestic dogs (n = 455; various breeds from a previous Australian study) for the dimension Motivation/Self-Assuredness (p < 0.001), and significantly lower than dogs for Training Focus (p < 0.001). Many of the personality traits of dingoes reside outside what is considered “ideal” characteristics important for a successful and rewarding dog–owner relationship. It is possible that dingo personality rests within the realms of what is “acceptable” pet canine behavior, at least for some owners, and that they may have adjusted their perception and attitudes to meet their expectations of the species. Motivations for dingo ownership and the applicability of using a domestic dog personality questionnaire on wild canids are discussed.     

Cross-sectional study on attitudes toward sex and sexual behavior among Japanese college students

A total of 978 Japanese students, who visited the health services center of a college in Japan for medical check-ups, were asked to anonymously complete a 55-item questionnaire which assessed their attitudes toward sex and sexual behavior. Seven hundred eighty-five Japanese students (80.3%) responded to the questionnaire. In this survey, 90% of male students and 83% of female students indicated that they expected to have sexual intercourse before marriage, while 8% of male students and 3% of female students indicated that it was not wrong to have extramarital sexual intercourse after marriage. In addition, 75% of sexually experienced students reported that they used a condom during their first sexual intercourse, while 73% reported using a condom during their most recent sexual intercourse. The more sexual partners students had had up to the time of the study, the less condom use they reported for both their first and most recent sexual intercourse. The proportion of Japanese students who used a condom is high in comparison to that of students in other countries. However, as students are prone to have sexual intercourse with non-steady, casual partners, more efforts are needed to promote safe sex practices among college students in Japan.     

Nonverbal Communication and Human–Dog Interaction

Human–dog interaction relies to a large extent on nonverbal communication, and it is therefore plausible that human sensitivity to nonverbal signals affects interactions between human and dog. Experience with dogs is also likely to influence human–dog interactions, and it has been suggested that it influences human social skills. The present study investigated possible links between human nonverbal sensitivity, experience with dogs, and the quality of human–dog interactions. Two studies are reported. In study 1, 97 veterinary students took a psychometric test assessing human nonverbal sensitivity and answered a questionnaire on their experience with dogs. The data obtained were then used to investigate the relationship between experience with dogs and sensitivity to human nonverbal communication. The results did not indicate that experience with dogs improves human nonverbal sensitivity. In study 2, 16 students with high, and 15 students with low, levels of human nonverbal sensitivity were selected. Each of the 31 students interacted once with an unknown dog in a greeting situation, and these human–dog interactions were videoed. We found that a combined score of dog behaviors relating to insecurity was associated with the students' level of nonverbal sensitivity and experience with dogs: the dog showed more of the insecure behavior when interacting with students with a low level of nonverbal sensitivity and no experience with dogs than it did when interacting with students with a high level of nonverbal sensitivity (irrespective of experience with dogs).     

Attitudes to Animal use in Children

ABSTRACT

Six hundred and fifty children, aged between 11 and 15 years, from an urban and a rural area, completed a questionnaire in which they provided information regarding their attitudes towards 13 issues involving the use of animals. Information regarding the pets the children owned was also obtained. The child's sex (male, female), age (11–15 years), and residence area (urban, rural) were related to pet ownership, and, including pet ownership, to attitudes towards the use of animals. Over 90% of the sample owned a pet, with the dog being the most common. More pets were owned by children from rural than urban areas. With regards to the animal-use issues, all the children discriminated between animal uses that lead to death of or injury to the animal and those regarded as exploitation. Children disagreed more with uses leading to the animal's death or injury. Females expressed more disagreement than males, and children from urban areas expressed more disagreement than children from rural settings. The study revealed pet ownership to be high among school children. This was matched by a high concern over activities leading to the animal's death or injury, indicating that strong attitudes to animal use are formed early during development. Early education may be important in shaping these attitudes.     

Interpretation of Dog Behavior by Children and Young Adults

This study investigates people's ability to interpret dog behavior. Inability to interpret dog behavior correctly may be a factor contributing to young children's higher likelihood of being bitten by dogs. Children (4- to 10-year-olds) and adults (total n = 550) watched videos of dogs displaying friendly, aggressive, and fearful behavior. They were asked to interpret the dogs' behaviors and to describe which features they had attended to in making their decision. Four- and 6-year-old children were unable to identify fearful dogs, while participants in all age groups were capable of identifying friendly and aggressive behavior (p < 0.001). Misinterpretations of fearful behavior were significantly associated with reports of attending to the dog's face rather than other features (χ² = 80.2, df = 1, p < 0.001). Four-year-olds were particularly likely to report looking at the dog's face and together with 6-year-olds they focused more on one feature rather than multiple features in order to make their decisions. The results show that younger children are less good at interpreting dog behavior, and that they are particularly poor at recognizing fear in dogs, while aggression is the most readily recognized behavior. Children's lower ability to interpret dog behavior seems to be due to the features they focus on. Younger children appear to focus on the dogs' most salient features and not the features that would allow them to correctly interpret the dogs' behavior. For example, 4- and 6-year-olds tended to report attending to the fearful dog's face rather than its tail and general posture. The results suggest it would be beneficial to include information about how to interpret dog behavior in dog-bite prevention programs.