Attachment Style Is Related to Quality of Life for Assistance Dog Owners

Naomi White, Daniel Mills and Sophie Hall
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Naomi White: School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln LN6 7DL, UK
Daniel Mills: School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln LN6 7DL, UK
Sophie Hall: School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln LN6 7DL, UK

IJERPH, 2017, vol. 14, issue 6, 1-8

Abstract: Attachment styles have been shown to affect quality of life. Growing interest in the value of companion animals highlights that owning a dog can also affect quality of life, yet little research has explored the role of the attachment bond in affecting the relationship between dog ownership and quality of life. Given that the impact of dog ownership on quality of life may be greater for assistance dog owners than pet dog owners, we explored how anxious attachment and avoidance attachment styles to an assistance dog affected owner quality of life ( n = 73). Regression analysis revealed that higher anxious attachment to the dog predicted enhanced quality of life. It is suggested that the unique, interdependent relationship between an individual and their assistance dog may mean that an anxious attachment style is not necessarily detrimental. Feelings that indicate attachment insecurity in other relationships may reflect more positive aspects of the assistance dog owner relationship, such as the level of support that the dog provides its owner.

Keywords: dog attachment; assistance dogs; quality of life; anxious attachment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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