The Responsible Dog Owner

The Construction of Responsibility

Bibliographic Data

ID2162175
AuthorsCarri Westgarth (0000-0003-0471-2761, University of Liverpool), Robert Christley (0000-0001-9250-3032), Robert M Christley (University of Liverpool), Garry Marvin (0000-0002-6679-4902, University of Roehampton), Elizabeth Perkins (0000-0002-0213-8105, Department of Health Services Research, Institute of Psychology, Health and Society, University of Liverpool, UK)
Year2019
Volume32
Issue5
Pages631-646
Publication date2019-09-03
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAnthrozoös (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0892-7936 • E-ISSN: 1753-0377
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/08927936.2019.1645506
OpenAlexW2973996145
LanguageEN
Citations received13
References cited22

Policy and campaigning messages related to dog ownership and welfare center on the concept of responsible ownership. However, the perspectives and experiences of pet owners and how they perceive and perform their responsibilities has not been studied in depth. This qualitative study used conversations about owning and walking dogs in order to elucidate beliefs and views about responsibility in dog ownership. Data comprised 12 in-depth interviews with dog-owning households, 14 short interviews with dog owners while walking their dogs or representing their breed at a dog show, and autoethnography of the first author’s experiences owning and walking dogs. All participants considered themselves responsible dog owners, yet there was great variation in key aspects of their dog-owning behavior. The feelings of responsibility were rooted in the valued unconditional and reciprocal love that owners believed underpinned their human–dog bond. Dogs were described as dependents, similar to, but different from, children. In deciding how to look after their dogs, owners sought to balance their views of dogs as kin, having individual needs to be met, with consideration of the needs of others. Four processes through which issues of irresponsible dog ownership may arise were suggested: owner–dog relationship being too weak or too strong; differences in interpretation of what is best for the dog; difficulties predicting and avoiding situations of conflict; and differences in tolerance of negative impacts of dog ownership. While “responsible dog ownership” has considerable appeal as a concept, how it is perceived and interpreted varies so extensively that simply telling owners that they should “be responsible” is of limited use as a message to promote behavior change. Facilitating “responsible dog ownership” and reducing “irresponsible dog owner” behaviors relies on a detailed understanding of the variables which influence how the dog’s role is constructed within the family and the wider society

Animal welfare · Animal-assisted therapy · Appeal · Business · Feeling · HUBzero · Pet therapy · Political science · Public relations · Welfare · Geographies of human-animal interactions · Human-Animal Interaction Studies · Psychology · Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment · Law · Social Psychology