OBTAINING A NEW PET DOG - EFFECTS ON MIDDLE CHILDHOOD CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES

A prospective questionnaire survey was used to investigate the impact of obtaining a new pet dog on the lives of 27 middle childhood childre n and their families, during the first year of ownership, Changes in t he social interactions, health, behaviour and well being of subject ch ildren were assessed using maternal questionnaires administered immedi ately before the pet dog was acquired, and at follow-ups 1, 6 and 12 m onths later, Similar questionnaires were administered over the same pe riod to a comparable group of 29 non-dog-owning mothers. Dog-owning ch ildren were reported to have been visited more by their friends by the time of the 1 month follow-up, compared with their non-dog-owning cou nterparts (U = 256.0, P < 0.05), Dog-owning families also engaged in m ore leisure activities at home together over the same period (U = 268. 0, P < 0.05). However, dog-owning children were also reported to have experienced increases in the number of ill health symptoms they suffer ed by the 12 month follow-up (z = 2.6297, P < 0.01). Higher levels of attachment to the dog were positively associated with changes in confi dence by the 6 month follow-up (T = 0.3971, P < 0.005), and negatively associated with changes in tearfulness or weepiness by the 12 month f ollow-up (T = -0.3118, P < 0.05).