Canine Life Satisfaction

"There's so much variation in what dogs might need. Not all domestic dogs are necessarily better off or happier with [the presence of] other dogs."

"Dogs are social animals [however]."

"It is somewhat debilitating, and not good for their health and well-being, to not have close social partners."

Noah Snyder-Mackler, associate professor, Arizona State University, school of life sciences

 

It's well enough known that social interaction plays an important role in ensuring that humans' emotional fulfillments are met and well balanced, for we are gregarious creatures, requiring interaction with others to fulfill an obligation and psychological need for social cohesion. The canine community can be viewed as similarly gregarious by and large, although like humans, dogs too have a wide range of needs and requirements to remain emotionally balanced and experience satisfaction in their lives.

 

Dr. Snyder-Mackler ran a study in hopes of establishing just exactly what kind of social interaction is needed to ensure physical and mental health in dogs. The result of his study was published in the journal Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health, outlining the conclusion reached through the study interviews and analyses that social companionship (of both the canine and human variety) has a major impact on a dog's health and lifespan. 

The study surveyed guardians of over 22,000 dogs relating to various aspects of their companion pet's life; whether the presence of another dog in the household provided each with a companion; the extent and quality of their physical activity and health, among other details. Pet parents provided information about themselves as well, and the researchers made use of the data in their determination of five key factors influencing a dog's social environment. 

They were: 

1. Neighbourhood stability;
2. Total Household income;
3. Social time with adults and children;
4. Social time with animals;
5. Pet-parent age.

Of the points involved it was social companionship from adult humans along with other dogs noted to have the largest positive impact on a dog's physical and mental health, as they aged. Five times greater in impact, in fact, than any other factor under consideration. According to Dr. Snyder-Mackler, the study results did not necessarily indicate that adopting a second dog in the household would improve the quality of the first dog's circumstances impacting its life.

 

Human interaction with their pets can be equally important (and for some dogs, better) social partners for their dogs reflecting the reality that every animal has a unique personality, and not all dogs tend to relish the company of their canine peers. Strong social companionship is what results in an overall positive effect on a dog's health and well-being. Dr. Silver too, notes that a dog's social needs can be met by their human, all the more so if that human spends dedicated one-on-one time with them. 

Intraspecies companionship and play behaviours for some dogs are derived from direct companionship with other dogs not replicated by interactions with humans. There are methods, on the other hand, in providing companionship and cognitive enrichment opportunities -- that include long sniff-fixated walks, engaging in training sessions, or playing together episodically through the day -- as long as the dog's daily needs are met regularly.

 

"When there's something that's missing from a dog's routine, we see this manifest in terms of 'misbehaviour' or anxiety-related responses."

"And it's not always obvious what the source of those might be."

"There's all kinds of ways that you can give your dog the types of experiences that they need to be happy. And for some people, that might exist outside the scope of direct interactions with other animals."

Zachary Silver, assistant professor of psychology, Occidental College