Investigating Factors Associated With Stress in Guardians of Dogs Under 12 Months of Age
Date
2024
Authors
Goncalves Costa, A.
Nielsen, T.
Christley, R.
Tuke, J.
Hazel, S.J.
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Anthrozoos: a multidisciplinary journal of the interactions of people and animals, 2024; 37(6):1195-1215
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Ana Goncalves Costa, Torben Nielsen, Robert Christley, Jonathan Tuke, Susan J. Hazel
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Abstract
Similar to parenting, raising a puppy can be stressful for guardians; however, this aspect of the guardian experience has received limited research attention. This study sought to fill the gap in understanding the stress experienced by puppy guardians and shed light on the factors influencing stress levels. An online survey was developed for guardians of dogs under 12 months of age and made available worldwide. A validated instrument (Parental Stress Scale) was modified to suit “parenting” of dogs and used to measure guardian stress levels. Data from 783 valid responses were received. For the statistical model, we fitted a linear regression with a modified Parental Stress Scale as the single outcome variable. A full linear model was fitted with predictors with a p-value of 0.2 or less, and a backwards stepwise selection process was used to find the ideal model, using AIC as the heuristic. Guardians who were satisfied with their puppy’s behavior, lived in Australia (compared with those living in the USA and Canada), scored higher in self-esteem, were happy with the division of puppy responsibilities in their household, and were raising puppies scoring higher in trainability were all associated with lower Parental Stress Scale scores. In contrast, first-time puppy guardians, guardians who worked from home some or all of the time, guardians raising puppies scoring higher in extraversion or neuroticism, and guardians who agreed that managing more than one dog in the household took up a lot of their time and energy, were all associated with higher Parental Stress Scale Scores. Although not initially developed for puppy guardians, the modified Parental Stress Scale shows potential as a useful measure for future use in this population.
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© 2024 International Society for Anthrozoology (ISAZ)