What makes the human-dog relationship tick?
The first few years of a puppy's life are full of adventure and just like humans, it takes a village to raise one! The researchers at La Trobe University are looking for dog breeders and new puppy owners to track puppies across the first few years of their life. The study - Factors Predicting Success in Dog-Owner Relationships - will help us better understand how factors such as breeding, socialisation, health, and temperament influence the relationship between dogs and the people that care for them.
With the gorgeous Australian Kelpie puppy Teddy Wallace (pictured) entering our Perfect Pets world just a few weeks ago, we did our bit for science and filled out the questionnaire. It took about 20 minutes and was great to see questions that related directly to the experience we're having. The researchers involved are passionate dog lovers and this work will undoubtedly yield both interesting and important information that will help us learn more about our very precious canine companions.
Believe it or not there hasn't been a lot of this type of long term research so please get involved if you can. The more of us that help out, the more powerful the data and our understanding of how to nurture our relationships with our dogs.
Links below if you're a breeder or have a new puppy and would like to participate.
Akae Teddy Wallace - "Teddy Puppy"
Puppy Owners:
If you have recently welcomed a puppy into your family the researchers would love to learn from your journey. By taking part in this study, you will improve scientific understanding of the development of puppies and their relationship with their owner(s). The La Trobe team hopes to identify factors impacting successful dog-owner relationships to inform best practice for owners, breeders and other pet professionals. New puppy mums and dads can take part here.
Dog Breeders
If you've bred a litter of puppies in the past twelve months you're invited to fill out an online questionnaire to learn more about the way you breed, rear, and find homes for your puppies. By getting involved, you will improve our understanding of how dogs are bred, raised, and homed by their breeders.
It's hoped that the results will inform the development of evidence-based policy promoting ideal dog breeding practices, to improve dog welfare and the human-dog relationship. It should take approximately 20 -25 minutes of your time to complete. Please visit the breeders section to join and take part.
For more information, please go to www.puptale.info or contact puptale@latrobe.edu.au
Ethics Committee Approval Number: HEC21006
