Evaluating the personality of dogs involved in animal-assisted interventions and their relationship with the handler: the Italian landscape

Abstract

Therapy dogs involved in animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) can be a valuable support for individuals with physical or psychological difficulties. The effectiveness of the intervention is influenced by the functioning of the dog-handler dyad. In Italy, handlers who have completed the requisite training are registered on the 'Digital Pet' platform. This study aimed to construct a general profile of the Italian population of therapy dogs and handlers and to investigate the mechanisms underlying the dog-handler relationship. We administered a survey to the handlers registered on Digital Pet. The survey included information on the dyad, an Italian translation of the C/DORS to assess the relationship between the dog and the owner (in this case, the handler), and of the C-BARQ to assess the dog's personality. The data from both questionnaires were subjected to Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). Subsequently, factor scores were calculated for each dog-handler dyad and then tested across a series of background variables, including the dog's age, sex, weight, origin, and breed. In conclusion, the correlations between the C-BARQ and C/DORS factors were calculated. A total of 240 respondents were obtained from the 809 handlers who were contacted. EFA identified 14 factors for the C-BARQ and six factors for the C/DORS, which differs from other studies. As expected, the examined cohort of therapy dogs exhibited minimal scores and limited variability for the C-BARQ factors pertaining to behavioral issues, including 'Owner-directed aggression', 'Stranger-directed aggression', and 'Territoriality'. Conversely, the highest median value was observed for the 'Attachment/attention seeking' factor. With regard to the C/DORS, the factor designated 'Perceived costs' exhibited the lowest median scores, while the highest median value was observed for the factor designated 'Perceived emotional closeness – emotional support'. Weak correlations were identified between the factors of the two questionnaires. Moreover, the age and weight of the dog was found to affect some factor scores of both questionnaires. Additionally, specific factors of the C-BARQ were found to be affected by the breed, origin and sex/neuter status of the dog. These preliminary results are part of a multimodal analysis of the dog personality and dog-handler relationship. Further investigation will be conducted through behavioral and hormonal observations, with the aim of elucidating the factors that contribute to the efficacy of AAI teams.