Attachment To Dogs Based On Being A Legal Guardian
An investigation to determine if consideration of the owner as the legal guardian of the companion animal had an effect on the bond between dog and owner did not reflect either negative or positive impacts on the relationship.
Based on a survey of 274 dog owners in a city where the legal guardian designation is recognized and in a city where it is not recognized, this research found that the degree of attachment that an owner shared with his dog was was unrelated to the use of the term “guardian” with respect to the dog.
No differences in bonding based on rabies vaccinations, licensing, or visitation to mobile versus free-standing clinics, were noted either. However owners with more than one dog exhibited a higher degree of attachment than owners with one dog.