Owning a Dog and Working: A Telephone Survey of Dog Owners and Employers in Sweden

ABSTRACT

Many dog owners are faced with the problem of what to do with their dog when they go to work. Different solutions to the problem may affect dogs, owners, and employers. In this study, 204 working, Swedish dog owners and 90 employers were interviewed by telephone regarding practical issues and attitudes, in order to identify problems and possible solutions. Results show that leaving the dog at home was the most common solution (73%), followed by bringing the dog to work (16%) and using some form of dog day care (11%). Although dogs were rarely left alone at home for longer than 6 hours, 53% of dog owners preferred or would prefer to bring the dog to work, if possible. However, 81% of all employers had never noticed such a demand. Written dog policies at the workplace were unusual (18%), and there seemed to be great uncertainty among dog owners about the current rules. Studies support the beneficial effects of dogs on many human health aspects, and a majority of dog owners (76%) felt they were healthier because of the dog. There was also a widespread view among employers (59%) that dogs contribute positively to a more social and pleasant workplace, but many argued that allergies (68%) and fear of dogs (66%) could be a problem. Leaving the dog at home will probably remain the practical solution for many dog owners, while bringing the dog to work could be the option with the greatest potential for expansion.     

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.     

Characterizing the Data in Online Companion-dog Obituaries to Assess Their Usefulness as a Source of Information about Human–Animal Bonds

Online pet obituary sites host hundreds of obituaries regarding the passing of companion animals. Often composed by the owner or primary caretaker of the animal, they are a potential source of data about human–animal bonds where there were strong positive human emotions surrounding the animal at point of death. The aim of the present study was to characterize on-line pet obituaries and to evaluate their usefulness as a source of information on the human–animal bond. One hundred and thirty full obituaries of dogs were studied. Where the role of the writer could be identified, the majority of obituary writers identified themselves as a female parental figure to the dog (34.6%); however, obituaries were also written by male parental figures (7.7%) and children (5.4%). Most obituaries (60%) fell within the 100-400 words length range. Obituaries were seen to express several key concepts. For instance, dogs were described as “child-like,” “part of the family,” showing “sympathy” and/or “gratitude” to the owner, and having a “sense of humor.” For their part, writers expressed “guilt” over the dog’s death, discussed a concept of the “afterlife” and noted an “instant connection” between themselves and the dog. A high proportion of the obituaries discussed the afterlife (51%) and indicated that the dog was considered part of the family (49%). There were some significant associations between concept usage within obituaries. Dogs that were described as “child-like” were more often perceived to be in an “afterlife” and to have had an “instant connection” with obituary writers (x² = 38.08, p < 0.001). We conclude that online pet obituaries can be a valuable source of information on human feelings surrounding a companion animal death.     

Making errors at work due to sleepiness or sleep problems is not confined to non-standard work hours: results of the 2016 Sleep Health Foundation national survey

Almost one-third of Australians report having made errors at work that are related to sleep issues. While there is significant literature investigating the role of sleep in workplace health and safety in shiftworking and nightwork operations, long working hours, work-family conflict, and commute times getting longer also impact day workers’ sleep behaviors and opportunities. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between sleep duration and disorders, sleep health and hygiene factors, work-related factors and errors at work in Australian workers. From a sample of 1011 Australian adults, age-adjusted binary logistic regression analyses were conducted in 512 workers who provided responses to the question “Thinking about the past three months, how many days did you make errors at work because you were too sleepy or you had a sleep problem?” A number of sleep behaviors and poor sleep hygiene factors were linked with work errors related to sleepiness or sleep problems, with age-adjusted odds of errors (confidence intervals) up to 11.6 times higher (5.4–25.1, p < 0.001) in those that snored, 7.7 (4.6–12.9) times higher in those reporting more than three sleep issues (p < 0.001), 7.0 times higher (3.4–14.8) in short (≤5 hours/night) sleepers (p < 0.021), 6.1 times higher (2.9–12.7) in those staying up later than planned most nights of the week (p< 0.001) and 2.4 times higher (1.6–3.7) in those drinking alcohol ≥3 nights/week before bed (p < 0.001). More than 40% of participants working non-standard hours reported making errors at work, and they were more likely to be young (compared to the main sample of workers) and more likely to engage in work activities in the hour before bed. Sleep factors (other than clinical sleep disorders) were associated with an increased likelihood of sleep-related work errors. Both day workers and those working non-standard hours engage in work, sleep and health behaviors that do not support good sleep health, which may be impacting safety and productivity in the workplace through increased sleepiness-related errors.     

Defaming Rover: Error-Based Latent Rhetoric in the Medical Literature on Dog Bites

This article examines the accuracy and rhetoric of reports by human health care professionals concerning dog bite injuries published in the peer-reviewed medical literature, with respect to nonclinical issues, such as dog behavior. A qualitative content analysis examined 156 publications between 1966 and 2015 identified by terms such as “dog bite” or “dangerous dogs.” The analysis revealed misinformation about human–canine interactions, the significance of breed and breed characteristics, and the frequency of dog bite–related injuries. Misinformation included clear-cut factual errors, misinterpretations, omissions, emotionally loaded language, and exaggerations based on misunderstood or inaccurate statistics or reliance on the interpretation by third parties of other authors’ meaning. These errors clustered within one or more rhetorical devices including generalization, catastrophization, demonization, and negative differentiation. By constructing the issue as a social problem, these distortions and errors, and the rhetorical devices supporting them, mischaracterize dogs and overstate the actual risk of dog bites.     

The Responsible Dog Owner: The Construction of Responsibility

ABSTRACT

Policy and campaigning messages related to dog ownership and welfare center on the concept of responsible ownership. However, the perspectives and experiences of pet owners and how they perceive and perform their responsibilities has not been studied in depth. This qualitative study used conversations about owning and walking dogs in order to elucidate beliefs and views about responsibility in dog ownership. Data comprised 12 in-depth interviews with dog-owning households, 14 short interviews with dog owners while walking their dogs or representing their breed at a dog show, and autoethnography of the first author’s experiences owning and walking dogs. All participants considered themselves responsible dog owners, yet there was great variation in key aspects of their dog-owning behavior. The feelings of responsibility were rooted in the valued unconditional and reciprocal love that owners believed underpinned their human–dog bond. Dogs were described as dependents, similar to, but different from, children. In deciding how to look after their dogs, owners sought to balance their views of dogs as kin, having individual needs to be met, with consideration of the needs of others. Four processes through which issues of irresponsible dog ownership may arise were suggested: owner–dog relationship being too weak or too strong; differences in interpretation of what is best for the dog; difficulties predicting and avoiding situations of conflict; and differences in tolerance of negative impacts of dog ownership. While “responsible dog ownership” has considerable appeal as a concept, how it is perceived and interpreted varies so extensively that simply telling owners that they should “be responsible” is of limited use as a message to promote behavior change. Facilitating “responsible dog ownership” and reducing “irresponsible dog owner” behaviors relies on a detailed understanding of the variables which influence how the dog’s role is constructed within the family and the wider society.     

Dog Breeding in New Providence,The Bahamas,and Its Potential Impact on the Roaming Dog Population I: Planned and Accidental

This article reports the first known study on dog breeding in an Afro-Caribbean community. The study obtained the information on 517 matings through interviews with dog caregivers. Few litters (6.8%) from mongrels (potcakes) resulted from planned matings, whereas 66.5% of matings between purebred dogs were planned. Confinement of the female is often inadequate, and roaming dogs may have been responsible for 24.8% of the litters. The lack of confinement of potcakes has resulted in the perception that potcakes are “responsible” for the companion animal (pet) overpopulation problem; however, potcakes made up the minority (29.4%) of the breeding females. Until regulations concerning dog breeding are introduced, caregivers can be expected to continue exploiting their nonhuman animals to supplement their incomes from the sale of puppies. A consequence of unregulated breeding may also be inbred offspring of “purebred” dogs as few self-styled “professional” breeders appeared to use dogs who were not their own.     

The three “i”s of workplace accommodation of Muslim religious practices: instrumental,internal, and informal

The accommodation of Muslim religious practices is an increasingly salient political issue across Western Europe. Hitherto, most research has focused on how states accommodate Muslim religious practices, and sociological scholarship on workplace accommodation is still extremely scarce. This article fills the gap in the extant literature by presenting a qualitative analysis of over 300 requests for religious accommodation in the workplace in Belgium. The authors contend that turning the spotlight from state to workplace accommodation of Muslim religious practices allows the discovery of different answers to the “hows” and the “whys” of minority religious accommodation. Different than state accommodation, workplace accommodation is characterized by three “i”s: it is granted or refused on the basis of instrumental argumentations; it is regulated informally and resolved internally. This article proposes an institutionalist framework adapted to the world of work to explain the specific features of workplace religious accommodation of Muslim religious practices.     

Dog Breeding in New Providence,The Bahamas,and Its Potential Impact on the Roaming Dog Population II: The Fate of Puppies

This article reports the first known study on the disposal of puppies in an Afro-Caribbean community. The study reported the fate of 2,427 puppies through 517 interviews with dog caregivers. The study reported that surviving puppies from “pure-bred” females were typically sold (60.1% of surviving puppies) whereas those from mongrel (potcakes) mothers were given away (48.4%). Pure-bred mothers produced the majority of surviving puppies (55.8%). Some caregivers failed to appreciate that the “stray dog problem” resulted from the inappropriate care of their dogs and disposal of puppies. Overall, the unstructured relinquishment (giving away) of puppies (22.7% of surviving puppies) could contribute to the roaming dog population unless they are cared for responsibly.     

Dog Ownership in the West Indies: A Case Study From the Bahamas

ABSTRACT

Results from several studies in The Bahamas, which included 511 interviews with residents and data on 776 dogs, are reported. The composition and characteristics of the dog population are described. The majority of dogs, both owned and unowned, are local mongrels called “potcakes.” The median age of the dog population is three years. Potcakes are given a lower level of health care than dogs considered to resemble a recognised breed. Many dogs have no place in the household and are able to roam. The dynamics of the owned and unowned dog populations are derived, and abandoned dogs are shown to sustain the free-roaming population. The free-roaming dog population breeds throughout the year but it has a breeding cycle longer than six months, which is probably caused by its ill health. Despite the nuisance caused by unowned dogs, residents are tolerant towards them, and over half the households feed dogs they do not own. The changes in pet ownership required to increase the welfare of dogs are discussed.     

The Rise of Man's Best Friend: The Popularity of Dogs as Companion Animals in Late Eighteenth-Century London as Reflected by the Dog Tax of 1796

ABSTRACT

The history of the relationship between humans and their companion animals is long and more than a little complex. This is in large part due to the special status of these animals. Over the years these animals have evolved socially from that of an impersonal “object” to a “subject,” i.e. a sentient being with a recognized mental and emotional life. Histories of this change in relationship are rare. This is due mainly to a lack of source material; little is available and what there is is rarely reflective of a general population. Recently, records of a 1796 English dog tax have become available and they provide a fairly complete overview of the status of the dog as a companion animal in late eighteenth-century London.

The evidence indicates the dog was very popular as a companion animal in late eighteenth-century English urban society. While some of these creatures were former working-class canines others were what might be described as “professional companion animals” i.e. creatures who had no previous work history. The tax records further indicate that concern as to specific breed was still in the future. Dogs often received a generic title such as “yard dog” or “lapdog” or “housedog.” What is particularly interesting from these records is the number of mixed breed creatures—animals with the title of either “mongrel” or “curr.” (At least three Londoners kept foxes as pets.) There is also an almost total absence of kennels of hunting dogs in eighteenth-century London. Other historical records suggest this to be a recent phenomenon. Lastly, this outline appears to correlate strongly with the literary remarks, material accoutrements, and even religious practices of the late eighteenth-century urban dog population of England.     

Protectors,Aggressors, and Kinfolk: Dogs in a Tribal Community

Free-roaming dogs are a common phenomenon on many American Indian reservations as well as globally. Lack of canine restriction may be pathologized by outsiders, assumed to be a “problem” that reflects underlying individual or community dysfunction. Seldom investigated are the cultural logics underlying the lack of restriction, and the positive role that dogs may be playing in the community. This paper examines relationships between a northern plains reservation community and their dogs. We found these relationships to be complex and multifaceted, harkening back to a pre-contact past when human survival itself depended on the dog, and extending into a present shaped by a broad range of cultural notions about the human–dog relationship. We explore the concept of dog restriction, asking what it means for connections with dogs in a context where relationships with dogs run deep, but have been disrupted by settler colonialism. We found a community that very much desires dogs and views them positively, with their role as protector highly valued on nearly every level. While traditional notions guided many behaviors toward dogs, other conceptualizations were simultaneously in play, including rural ideas about animals as well as American popular culture. Our findings call into question the ethnocentric bias that construes all free-roaming dogs as strays, which is linked to cultural notions of “pet ownership” that equate love for dogs with restrictions on their movement.     

Reactions of American tourists to roaming dogs in New Providence,The Bahamas

Abstract

The Bahamas suffers from nuisances caused by roaming dogs. Although Bahamians tolerate their presence, in an economy which is dependent upon tourism, the reactions of tourists to roaming dogs is of great consequence. This study reports the reactions of 439 American tourists concerning roaming dogs in New Providence. Forty-five percent of the tourists saw roaming dogs, and of these, 40% reported that they felt “no reaction” to the dogs. However, 3% of the tourists were actually bothered by the dogs, and for 8% the sight of them changed the tourists' view of The Bahamas. Ten percent of tourists would not like to see animal control officers at work even though 23% thought The Bahamas has a roaming dog “problem.” Overall, it appears that while roaming dogs are seen by many tourists, only a small number are particularly upset by them. However, the general reaction to the dogs is unfavorable. About 1% of the tourists appeared to have been particularly upset by the roaming dogs, but 97% said that they would either return to the Bahamas again or recommend it to their friends/relations.     

"Bark parks"--a study on interdog aggression in a limited-control environment

As limited-control dog parks become more popular, concerns arise about whether these parks encourage interdog aggression. Systematic observations made at 1 park over 72 hr across 8 months found that 28 conflicts or potential conflicts occurred (< 0.5%). Of these, 14 were clear aggressive episodes. Each lasted less than 1 min (< 0.33% of total observation time). There were 14 other incidents of possible aggression that were ambiguous in nature. Each lasted less than 30 sec (< 0.17%). None of these incidents led to serious injury. Of the 177 dogs observed, only 9 were aggressive toward other dogs (5%): 6 aggressors, once each; 2 aggressors, twice each; 1 aggressor, 3 times. Results indicate that aggression in limited-control dog parks may be relatively rare and probably presents only a limited risk to dogs and their caregivers (owners). In part, this may be because owners who frequent dog parks are self-selecting, self-monitoring, and self-limiting in regard to dog aggression.     

"Bark Parks"-A Study on Interdog Aggression in a Limited-Control Environment

As limited-control dog parks become more popular, concerns arise about whether these parks encourage interdog aggression. Systematic observations made at 1 park over 72 hr across 8 months found that 28 conflicts or potential conflicts occurred (< 0.5%). Of these, 14 were clear aggressive episodes. Each lasted less than 1 min (< 0.33% of total observation time). There were 14 other incidents of possible aggression that were ambiguous in nature. Each lasted less than 30 sec (< 0.17%). None of these incidents led to serious injury. Of the 177 dogs observed, only 9 were aggressive toward other dogs (5%): 6 aggressors, once each; 2 aggressors, twice each; 1 aggressor, 3 times. Results indicate that aggression in limited-control dog parks may be relatively rare and probably presents only a limited risk to dogs and their caregivers (owners). In part, this may be because owners who frequent dog parks are self-selecting, self-monitoring, and self-limiting in regard to dog aggression.     

Knowledge of the Welfare of Nonhuman Animals and Prevalence of Dog Care Practices in New Providence,The Bahamas

Interviews with 509 adults in New Providence, The Bahamas, indicated that people have limited knowledge of dog care and the laws pertaining to nonhuman animal welfare. Interviews also indicated that many dogs received care limited only to food and water and—to a lesser extent—shelter. Potcakes (local mongrels) received the least health care; “breed” dogs, the most. Primary caregivers gave the impression that dogs were better cared for than did nonprimary caregivers. Although some educational messages must distinguish between those who do—and do not—live in dog-keeping households, others need not. For example, myths associated with neutering are more deeply entrenched in the general population than within members of dog-keeping households. However, all respondents had an inadequate knowledge of the law relating to dog care.     

Attitudes towards assistance dogs in Japan and the UK: a comparison of college students studying animal care

Abstract

Previous studies have indicated that the primary problems associated with ownership of assistance dogs lie not with the dogs themselves, but with people's attitudes and behavior towards them, including interference with the dog while it is working, and denial of access to public facilities. However, there has been little systematic study of the attitudes of the general public towards assistance dogs. Our study was carried out to compare the knowledge and attitudes of young people in Japan and the UK towards assistance dogs, in order to provide a basis for the future development of assistance dog provision in Japan.

Forty-four Japanese and 42 British college students completed questionnaires in which they were asked about their knowledge of, and attitudes towards, assistance dogs. A similar percentage (about 20%) of the British and Japanese students reported that they were unhappy about allowing the dogs access to places where food is sold. However, the British participants were more likely to be positive about the idea of using dogs to assist people with disabilities than were the Japanese. Attitudes towards assistance dogs varied among the Japanese students. Some considered assistance dogs happier than pet dogs, because pet dogs are sometimes neglected, while others expressed sympathy for assistance dogs because they are strictly trained and exploited by humans. When asked their opinions about the idea of using dogs as assistance dogs, 98% of the British students, but only 41% of the Japanese students, agreed with the idea. Our results suggest that perception of assistance dogs, and also understanding of the well-being of people with disabilities, were both more well-informed and realistic among the British students than among the Japanese students.     

Review of the September 30, 2002 Symposium on the "Evolving Legal Status of Chimpanzees"-Harvard Law School

A survey was conducted to assess decisions people make when acquiring dogs, including what sources they consider, the importance of the variety of dogs available, and their willingness to travel to adopt dogs of their choice. A conjoint design was used to ask each respondent to rate his or her likelihood of acquiring a dog based on a “profile” that included attributes such as age, size, and color as well as where the dog came from and euthanasia risk. Overall, these results showed that people preferred variety and would drive distances to get dogs of their choice. The findings revealed that no single attribute drove choice, indicating that people have complex preferences and these vary widely across individuals. Nonhuman animal shelters may be able to increase their adoption rates by providing more variety and not just dogs typically thought of as “in demand” but those who represent a range of diversity through the utilization of animal relocation programs.     

Dog Breed Stereotype and Exposure to Negative Behavior: Effects on Perceptions of Adoptability

The purpose of the study was to determine if brief exposure to a dog behaving badly or in a friendly manner affects subsequent perceptions of the target dog's and other dogs' adoptability. Participants viewed a videotape of an adoptable German shepherd behaving either aggressively or prosocially and were then asked to rate the characteristics and adoptability of the same and different dogs. The results showed that people who saw the aggressive behavioral schema perceived only the target dog and a dog of the same breed to be significantly less adoptable than dogs of other breeds (p < .01). Results of a principal components analysis showed participants perceived the adoptability of dogs to be related to “sociability”: Adoptable dogs were more approachable, friendly, intelligent, and less dangerous and aggressive (p < .01). Brief exposure to a misbehaving dog prior to making a decision to adopt may unfairly penalize other dogs perceived to be similar to the misbehaving dog.     

Staff Scientist Perspectives on Onboarding and Professional Development: A Case Study

Across the United States, the number of staff scientists (master’s- or doctoral-level professionals working in nonfaculty roles) has grown by 35% since 2010, and they play an increasingly important role in research efforts. However, few targeted resources are available, which potentially limits the effectiveness of this group. Launched in 2016, the staff scientist path at Emory has tripled in size over 4 y to 138 staff. The present case study evaluated the perceptions of staff scientists related to onboarding experiences and professional development needs, including those needs arising from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) impacts in the workplace. A survey of Emory staff scientists was conducted from May to June 2019 as part of a program evaluation initiative to assess perceptions of onboarding and professional development opportunities. Interviews with a subset of scientists informed the survey development and identified COVID-19–related impacts on daily work. Results indicated the need for targeted orientation resources specific to staff scientists, accurate and timely information and resources to support scientists’ supervisors, and professional development for scientists in leadership and management-related skills. Remote work associated with COVID-19 accentuated the need for managerial skills, including team development in digital work environments. Findings from this case study can inform policies and practices at Emory and other institutions that employ a similar staff scientist model.