The Stealth Pet Obedience Training Study
- Conditions
- Physical Activity
- Interventions
- Behavioral: 6-week basic dog obedience training course
- Registration Number
- NCT04329741
- Lead Sponsor
- University of Massachusetts, Amherst
- Brief Summary
Americans love pets. Nearly 1 in 2 American households (44%) own at least one pet dog and more than 1 in 3 (35%) own a cat. The bond people form with their pets can be powerful and can provide many mental and physical health benefits. In the case of pet dogs, a strong dog-owner bond increases the odds of regular dog walking, which can help owners meet physical activity guidelines. When the bond is strong, owners feel a sense of responsibility to walk the dog, as well as motivation and social support to walk. Dog walking may be a particularly sustainable form of physical activity as dogs require regular exercise throughout their lives, across all seasons. Owners less bonded to their dogs are less likely to walk them regularly and 40% of owners report never walking their dog.
Obedience training may strengthen the dog-owner bond. Thus, the proposed study will test the hypotheses that obedience training can 1) strengthen the dog-owner bond, and 2) promote physical activity among owners. Forty dog owners who do not regularly walk their dog will be randomized to a 6-week obedience training course (n=20) or a control group that does not receive dog training (n=20). The investigators will assess the strength of the dog-owner bond (via questionnaires) and physical activity levels (via a wearable activity monitor) before training, immediately after completing training, and 6 weeks after completing training. The hypothesis is that the dog-owner bond will strengthen and physical activity levels will increase in the intervention group as compared to the control group. As over 50 million American households own a dog, support for this hypothesis would support further investigation of dog obedience training as a novel strategy for promoting public health.
- Detailed Description
Not available
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 41
- Age 21+ years
- Current dog owner
- Walk dog ≤3 for no more than 20 minutes
- Have not attended obedience training course
- English speaking
- Have a dog with a history of aggressive behavior
- Have a dog overdue for rabies vaccination (self-reported)
- Self-report regular exercise over last 6 months
- Have any condition that limits walking ability
- Have uncontrolled hypertension or diabetes
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- PARALLEL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Intervention 6-week basic dog obedience training course 6-week basic dog obedience training course
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Change in physical activity from baseline to 6 weeks 7 days at baseline, 6 weeks Measured with ActiGraph wGT3X-BT accelerometers
Change in physical activity from baseline to 12 weeks 7 days at baseline, 12 weeks Measured with ActiGraph wGT3X-BT accelerometers
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Change in sedentary behavior from baseline to 6 weeks 7 days at baseline, 6 weeks Measured with ActiGraph wGT3X-BT accelerometers
Change in sedentary behavior from baseline to 12 weeks 7 days at baseline, 12 weeks Measured with ActiGraph wGT3X-BT accelerometers
Change in social support for dog walking from baseline to 6 weeks baseline, 6 weeks Sub-scales from the Dogs and Walking Survey (DAWGS) were used to assess social cognitive theory-based determinants of dog walking behavior. The social support for dog walking sub-scale is scored on a scale of 3-15, with higher scores indicating greater perceived support from one's dog for walking.
Change in social support for dog walking from baseline to 12 weeks baseline, 12 weeks Sub-scales from the Dogs and Walking Survey (DAWGS) were used to assess social cognitive theory-based determinants of dog walking behavior. The social support for dog walking sub-scale is scored on a scale of 3-15, with higher scores indicating greater perceived support from one's dog for walking.
Change in dog-owner bond strength from baseline to 6 weeks baseline, 6 weeks The Perceived Emotional Closeness sub-scale of the Cat/Dog Owner Relationship Scale (C/DORS) was used to assess dog-owner bond strength. The sub-scale score can range from 1-5, with a higher score indicating greater emotional closeness.
Change in dog-owner bond strength from baseline to 12 weeks baseline, 12 weeks The Perceived Emotional Closeness sub-scale of the Cat/Dog Owner Relationship Scale (C/DORS) was used to assess dog-owner bond strength. The sub-scale score can range from 1-5, with a higher score indicating greater emotional closeness.
Change in dog walking self-efficacy from baseline to 6 weeks baseline, 6 weeks Sub-scales from the Dogs and Walking Survey (DAWGS) were used to assess social cognitive theory-based determinants of dog walking behavior. The self-efficacy sub-scale is scored on a scale of 9-45, with higher scores indicating greater dog walking self-efficacy.
Change in dog walking self-efficacy from baseline to 12 weeks baseline, 12 weeks Sub-scales from the Dogs and Walking Survey (DAWGS) were used to assess social cognitive theory-based determinants of dog walking behavior. The self-efficacy sub-scale is scored on a scale of 9-45, with higher scores indicating greater dog walking self-efficacy.
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
🇺🇸Amherst, Massachusetts, United States