ABSTRACT
Animal Meanings: Understanding the Determinants of Dog Owners’ Attitudes toward
and Treatment of Dogs
In this paper, I investigate variations in dog owners’ attitudes toward and treatment of
dogs. Using quantitative analyses of a community sample of dog owners (N=329), I
describe various attitudes and treatments of dogs and explain some of their important
determinants. Contrary to previous research, I find no relationship between gender, race,
age, area of residence, or income and attitudes. Also contrary to previous research, I find
that education is negatively associated with attitudes. Furthermore, upon investigation of
the role of animals in the lives of individuals and families, I find that the presence of
children is negatively associated with attitudes toward dogs, but marriage is not. I
propose that social psychological and cultural theory can help us better understand the
changing role and meaning of animals in people’s lives.
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