The Waltham Book of Human–Animal Interaction. Benefits and Responsibilities of Pet Ownership

151 Pages·1995·12.666 MB·English

by  I. Robinson (Eds.)

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The Waltham Book of
Human-Animal Interaction:
Benefits and Responsibilities
of Pet Ownership
Edited by
I. ROBINSON
Waltham Centre For Pet Nutrition,
Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire
PERGAMON
U.K. Elsevier Science Ltd., The Boulevard, Langford Lane,
Kidlington, Oxford, 0X5 1GB, U.K.
U.S.A. Elsevier Science Inc., 660 White Plains Road,
Tarrytown, New York 10591-5153, U.S.A.
JAPAN Elsevier Science Japan, Tsunashima Building Annex,
3-20-12 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113, Japan
Copyright © 1995 Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition, a division of Mars GB Ltd
Figures 5.4 and 5.6 Courtesy of the Delta Society
Figure 5.5 © The Picture Box, on behalf of Support Dogs
Figures 7.3-7.5 © I.EI/I.E.A.P.
All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any
means: electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical,
photocopying, recording or otherwise, without permission in
writing from the copyright holders.
First edition 1995
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
The Waltham book of human-animal interaction: benefits and responsibilities of
pet ownership/edited by I. Robinson. - 1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes index.
1. Pet owners-Psychology. 2. Pets-Psychological aspects.
3. Pets-Social aspects. 4. Pets-Behavior. 5. Human-animal
relationships. I. Robinson, I. II. Waltham Centre for Pet
Nutrition.
SF411.47.W34 1995
636.088'7'019-dc20 95-21317
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 0 08 042284 5 (Hardcover)
ISBN 0 08 042285 3 (Flexicover)
DISCLAIMER
Whilst every effort is made by the Publishers to see that no inaccurate or misleading data,
opinion or statement appear in this book, they wish to make it clear that the data and opinions
appearing in the articles herein are the sole responsibility of the contributor concerned.
Accordingly, the Publishers and their employees, officers and agents accept no responsibility
or liability whatsoever for the consequences of any such inaccurate or misleading data, opinion
or statement.
Drug and Dosage Selection: the Authors have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the
information herein, particularly with regard to drug selection and dose. However, appropriate
information sources should be consulted, especially for new or unfamiliar drugs or procedures.
It is the responsibility of every veterinarian to evaluate the appropriateness of a particular
opinion in the context of actual clinical situations, and with due consideration to new developments.
Printed in Great Britain by BPC Wheatons Ltd, Exeter
Preface
The close relationship between man and animals is not a new phenomenon, but the scientific
study emerged only relatively recently. However, in the last 30 years there has been a tremen-
dous expansion in our knowledge of the behaviour of companion animals, and how humans
and animals affect each other's behaviour. This information, combined with an increasingly
holistic approach to health and quality of life, has led to an increase in research on how asso-
ciations with animals may influence human health.
The study of human-animal interactions is a multi-disciplinary area drawing researchers
from a variety of research fields. This diversity of backgrounds has caused some initial chal-
lenges as different methodological approaches and terminology are often used. Working with
the authors of this book, we have attempted to clarify some of the terminology problems by
using relatively strict definitions for concepts such as "attachment" and "bereavement".
Issues of differing methodological approaches can be solved by increasing communication
between scientists from different backgrounds and adopting "best practice" from relevant
fields.
This book is an attempt to draw together key examples of work in the area of human-animal
interactions from the last 30 years, with contributions from world-wide experts in their field.
The first half of this book discusses research into benefits that have been found to accrue
from associations with animals, and the role of animals in care and therapy programmes. The
second half considers our responsibilities toward the animals we keep, and how we can
enhance their care and welfare. This section also addresses human response to pet loss. In
recent years there has been an increase in interest in this area and in many countries support
services exist to help pet owners during this period. However, we still lack detailed knowledge
on the underlying mechanisms behind the responses, and how comparable they are to our
responses to other forms of loss.
Although considerable progress in our understanding of human-animal interactions has
been made, the field remains in its infancy. For the future we need to understand the mechanism
behind observed effects and how these relate to our current understanding of well-being.
vii
Acknowledgements
During the production of this book I have had help from a variety of sources. Firstly I must
thank the authors for producing the chapters and their discussions regarding aspects of the
text. Secondly, thanks must go to Anne McBride, Sue Ewing, and Deborah Goodwin who
provided useful comments on drafts of my chapters. The support of Caroline Franklin,
Fenella Bramwell, and Karen Bessant at the Grayling Company during manuscript review,
and the assistance of Brenda Butler in proofreading final manuscript copy is also greatly
appreciated.
viii
List of Contributors
BEN BAARDA PhD:
Ben studied Clinical Psychology at the University of Leiden and Amsterdam, and in 1988 he
received his PhD at the University of Utrecht. He is currently Associate Professor in the
Department of Child Studies at the University of Utrecht, where he specialises in research
methodology, especially research involving children.
Address: Department of Child Studies, University of Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 1, Utrecht, The
Netherlands.
JOHN BRADSHAW BA PhD:
John graduated in Biochemistry from the University of Oxford, and obtained his PhD in
animal behaviour from the University of Southampton. After 5 years as a lecturer in Biology
and Chemistry at the University of Southampton, John joined the Waltham Centre for Pet
Nutrition in 1983. He returned to Southampton University as a Senior Research fellow in
1987, and became Waltham Director of the Anthrozoology Institute upon its foundation in
1992. He is Honorary Secretary of the International Society for Anthrozoology, a Council
member of the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour, an Editorial Advisor to the
journal Anthrozods and an Honorary Scientific Advisor to the Association of Pet Behaviour
Counsellors.
Address: Department of Biology, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO 16 7PX, U.K.
MARY R. BURCH PhD:
Mary is the Chairperson for the Delta Society's Therapy Dog Committee and has used dogs
in animal-assisted therapy settings since 1985. Her first therapy dog was the Delta Society's
Therapy Animal of the Year in 1992 and her work with animal-assisted therapy and
substance-exposed children has been featured in U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek, and
Reader's Digest. In addition, Dr Burch has published numerous professional publications and
has been an invited speaker on animal-assisted therapy at conferences throughout the U.S.,
Canada, and Mexico.
Address: Behavior Management Consultants, Inc., 2213 Napoleon Bonaparte Drive, Tallahassee,
FL 32308, U.S.A.
ix
X List of Contributors
LEO K. BUSTAD PhD DVM:
Leo is Professor and former Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Washington State
University (WSU). He has authored or co-authored over 200 articles, and his latest book is
entitled "Compassion: Our Last Great Hope". He is a member of the National Academies of
Practice, a senior member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences
and is President Emeritus and co-founder of the Delta Society. Dr Bustad is also the 20th
recipient of WSU's highest honour, The Regents Distinguished Alumnus Award.
Address: College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, U.S.A.
GLYN M. COLLIS BSc PhD:
Glyn graduated from the University of Leicester in 1969 with a combined sciences degree in
Psychology and Zoology, and stayed on at Leicester to do a PhD in animal behaviour. In
1972 he moved to the Department of Psychology at the University of Strathclyde to join a
research group studying parent-child interaction, and in 1985 he moved to the University of
Warwick as a lecturer in developmental psychology. In recent years, he has devoted much
time to launching and developing a research group in Relationships, Support & Health which
brings together expertise on relationships from Developmental Psychology, Social Psychology,
Health Psychology & Ethology.
Address: Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, U.K.
SUSAN DUNCAN RN:
Susan is a registered nurse who is currently a consultant for health care education and curri-
culum development. She is the Chairperson of the Delta Society's Service Dog Committee.
She has had a variety of clinical and administrative nursing experiences related to multiple
sclerosis, disability and barrier awareness, and pain aetiology. Susan has been a consultant
for the research, development, and delivery of information and training regarding service
dogs for people with disabilities, and has trained her own service dog which was awarded the
Delta Society Service Dog of the Year Award in 1993. Ms Duncan is a lecturer on service
dog issues including training, assessment and applications, legal rights, and service dogs in
the workplace.
Address: c/o Delta Society, Renton, WA, U.S.A.
NIENKE ENDENBURG PhD:
Nienke completed her training in Child Psychology at the University of Utrecht in 1987, and
received her PhD in 1991 for work on Human-Companion Animal Relationships at the
Department of Clinical Science of Companion Animals at Utrecht University. Since then she
has been studying the influence of companion animals on the development of children as
a Waltham Post Doctoral Fellow at Utrecht University. In 1992 she founded the Multi-
Disciplinary Research Institute on the Relationship between Humans and Animals.
Address: Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, University of Utrecht,
Yalelaan 8, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
List of Contributors xi
ERIKA FRIEDMANN PhD:
Erika received a doctorate in Biology from the University of Pennsylvania in 1978 and is currently
Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Health and Nutrition Sciences at Brooklyn
College of the City University of New York. Her classic research associating pet ownership
with survival of coronary heart disease patients provided the first scientific evidence for the
direct health benefits of pets and since that time she has continued researching the role of
pets as mediators of stress, as well as other aspects of the roles of social and psychological
factors in blood pressure, hypertension, and heart disease. Erika has published numerous
scientific articles and lectured widely on this subject. She has been a member of the Delta
Society since its inauguration, served on its National Research Committee, and has been
president of the International Society for Anthrozoology for the past 4 years.
Address: Department of Health and Nutrition Sciences. Brooklyn College of the City Univer-
sity of New York, Brooklyn, NY 11210, U.S.A.
MAUREEN FREDRICKSON MSW:
Maureen is the Program Director of the Delta Society, and has been instrumental in the
development and management of the Delta Pet Partners Program. She has written a work-
book on clinical applications of animal-assisted therapy for human service providers and was
the project co-ordinator for the Delta Society's Standards Committee that developed and
published the Standards of Practice entitled "Handbook for Animal-Assisted Activities and
Animal-Assisted Therapy". Maureen has been an invited trainer and presenter at conferences
and workshops throughout the United States.
Address: c/o Delta Society, Renton, WA, U.S.A.
LYNETTE A. HART BS MA PhD:
As an undergraduate, Lynette studied Science Education at Brigham Young University and
while completing an MA degree in Educational Psychology at the University of California at
Berkeley, she became interested in animal behaviour. Her PhD research at Rutgers University
focused on ultrasonic vocalisations associated with mating in adult rats. She then joined the
Monell Chemical Senses Centre for 5 years, and subsequently worked for 1 year as a senior
research scientist at American Cyanamid. Since 1982 she has been associated with the
University of California, Davis, serving as the founding Director of the Center for Animals
in Society at the School of Veterinary Medicine since 1985, and Director of the UC Center
for Animal Alternatives since 1991. She is also an Associate Professor in the Department of
Population Health and Reproduction. A primary focus of Lynette's research involves the
social and lifestyle effects of interactions between humans and companion animals.
Address: Center for Animals in Society, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of
California, Davis, CA 95616, U.S.A.
ANNE McBRIDE BSc PhD Cert Cons FRSA:
Anne has a degree in Psychology and a doctorate in animal behaviour from University
College London. In addition to being a member of the Association of Pet Behaviour
xii List of Contributors
Counsellors, holding clinics and puppy classes in the south of England, she is also Deputy
Director of the Anthrozoology Institute at Southampton University. This institute specialises
in the study of human-animal interactions and Anne has particular interests in several
projects, including the development of separation problems in rescue dogs, temperament
assessment of dogs, the role of dogs in the education of severely learning-disabled children,
and the relationship between pet ownership and the general health of elderly people. She is
course co-ordinator for the Postgraduate Diploma in Companion Animal Behaviour Coun-
selling at the University of Southampton, and Deputy Chairman of "Pathway," a committee
set up to review pets and housing issues in the U.K.
Address: Department of Adult Continuing Education, University of Southampton,
Southampton, S017 1BJ, U.K.
SANDRA McCUNE VN BA (Mod.) PhD:
Sandra qualified as a veterinary nurse in Dublin in 1993, later becoming a Council member
of the British Veterinary Nursing Association (1991-1993). She went on to study Zoology at
Trinity College, Dublin from 1984-1988 specialising in Physiology. Her final year research
project looked at the transmission of ear mites between cats. In 1988 she went to Cambridge
University where she completed a PhD on temperament in cats and how it influences their
ability to cope with confinement. Sandra joined the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition in
1993 and currently works on the development of dog and cat behaviour and the relationship
between cats and their owners.
Address: Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition, Waltham-on-the-Wolds, Melton Mowbray,
Leicestershire, LE14 4RT, U.K.
JUNE McNICHOLAS BSc:
June graduated from the University of Warwick in 1991 with a degree in Psychology, and as
a result of her undergraduate projects in companion animal studies, she was appointed as a
Research Fellow on a project investigating the issue of pet ownership for people in residential
care, funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Her particular research interest is in health
psychology and she is a member of the Relationships, Support and Health research group at
Warwick. June is currently a Waltham Research Fellow investigating the role of pets as
providers of social support, a possible explanation for the beneficial effects of pet ownership.
Address: Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, U.K.
JUSTINE A. M C P H E R S ON BSC:
Justine graduated in Genetics from Nottingham University in 1992, and is currently studying
for a PhD at the Anthrozoology Institute, University of Southampton. Her research, on the
development of attachment behaviour in dogs, is supported by the Biotechnology and
Biological Sciences Research Council and the Blue Cross animal welfare charity.
Address: Department of Biology, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO 16 7PX, U.K.
List of Contributors xiii
IAN ROBINSON BSc PhD:
Ian graduated from the University of Durham in 1983 with a degree in Zoology and obtained
his PhD, studying olfactory communication in carnivores, from the University of Aberdeen
in 1987. Ian joined the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition in 1988 as an animal behaviourist,
studying the feeding behaviour of dogs and cats, and in his current position he is involved in
studies of pet-owner relationships, focusing on how both human and animal behaviour can
influence the relationship. He is a committee member of the Society for Companion Animal
Studies and the International Society for Anthrozoology and is particularly interested in the
health benefits that are associated with pet ownership.
Address: Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition, Waltham-on-the-Wolds, Melton Mowbray,
Leicestershire, LE14 4RT, U.K.
JEAN TEBAY MS:
Jean has been a Board Member of the Federation of Riding for the Disabled International,
and was the Chairperson of the Delta Society's Committee to develop standards for animal-
assisted therapy. She has worked extensively in the area of therapeutic riding in conjunction
with Therapeutic Riding Services, and has been a long time supporter of the need for
standards, a curriculum, and research focusing on therapeutic riding. She has been an invited
presenter at therapeutic riding conferences throughout the United States.
Address: c/o Delta Society, Renton, WA, U.S.A.
DENNIS C. TURNER Dr sc:
Dennis is director of the Institute for Applied Ethology and Animal Psychology in Hirzel and
president of the Konrad Lorenz Trust, IEMT-Switzerland. He is a Vice-President of the
International Association of Human Animal Interaction Organisations (I.A.H.A.I.O.),
Program Chairman of the 7th international conference on human-animal interactions,
"Animals, Health & Quality of Life" in Geneva, 1995, European editor of Anthrozoos, and
the Companion Animal Section editor for Animal Welfare. Together with Patrick Bateson, he
edited The Domestic Cat: The Biology of its Behaviour. Dennis is a "certified applied animal
behaviourist" (U.S. Animal Behavior Society), a member of the Association of Pet Behaviour
Counsellors in London and of the professional pet behaviour counsellor societies V.H.V.T.S.
and V.I.E.T.A. in Switzerland. He is also chief advisor on companion animal behaviour
problems at the Small Animal Clinic, Veterinary School, University of Zurich.
Address: I.E.T. Postfach 32, CH-8816 Hirzel, Switzerland.