Behavioral Factors Influencing Dog-Owner Relationships: Differential Associations by Dog Size

Abstract

To assess the influence of dog behavior, physical activity level, and size on dog-owner relationships in a large, representative sample of dogs from the continental United States. Dogs were drawn from the 2023 release of the Dog Aging Project’s Annual Follow-up Survey. Dogs with complete data for all relevant variables (N = 18,416) were included in the present study. Owners reported perceptions of their dog’s training, aggression, and food motivation displayed by their dog as well as perceived dog-owner interaction, costs of ownership, and emotional closeness to quantify dog-owner relationships. Dogs were also categorized as small (< 30 lbs), medium (> 30 to ≤ 60 lbs), or large (> 60 lbs), while demographic and environmental information was also collected (owner age, income, dog activity level, yard access). Mixed-effects linear regression models assessed the influence of dog behavior (training, aggression, food motivation), physical activity level, and size, including interaction terms for size and behavior, with dog-owner relationships. Simple slopes analyses were implemented to probe significant interactions. Higher levels of dog training and physical activity were associated with more positive dog-owner relationship outcomes, while aggression and food motivation were related to increased perceived costs and reduced dog-owner interaction. Notably, dog size moderated several associations such that aggression and poor training had stronger negative impacts on dog-owner relationships in medium and large dogs compared to small dogs. These data suggest that dog size and behavior interact to shape the quality of dog-owner relationships, warranting further exploration of owner perceptions that contribute to these patterns.