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Cited by 113Human-Animal Interaction StudiesCOVID-19 and Mental HealthAnimal Behavior and Welfare Studies

“I couldn’t have asked for a better quarantine partner!”: experiences with companion dogs during Covid-19.

Open access
Bussolari, Cori, Currin-McCulloch, Jennifer, Packman, Wendy, Kogan, Lori, Erdman, Phyllis·2021·Animals
DOI 10.3390/ani11020330PMC PMC7911354
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Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic has been found to negatively impact the psychological well-being of significant numbers of people globally. Many individuals have been challenged by social distancing mandates and the resultant social isolation. Humans, in our modern world, have rarely been as isolated and socially restricted. Social connectedness and support are critical protective factors for human survival and well-being. Social isolation can lead to loneliness, boredom, and can become a risk factor for physical and mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. The attachments formed with dogs, however, can be as strong or even stronger than human connections, and has been shown to relate to fewer physical health and mental health problems, as well as decrease isolation and loneliness. The purpose of this qualitative research was to examine the thoughts, experiences and concerns of 4105 adults regarding their companion dog during the initial months of Covid-19. Data were collected between March 31st-April 19th, 2020 via online survey and themes were coded by the researchers using directed content analysis. Results highlighted a strong human-animal appreciation, and that dog ownership during this pandemic diminished participants' sense of isolation and loneliness, as well as supported their mental/physical health.

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  • Walking a dog and being a dog owner have been associated with lower depression.

    “Because walking a dog and being a dog owner have been associated with lower depression, these were categorized as protective factors (37–39).”

    From The Evolution of Psychological and Behavioral Consequences of Self-Isolation During Lockdown: A Longitudinal Study Across United Kingdom and Italy (2022) · cites this paper as [37]

    Results §3.1 reports that respondents associated dog walking with less stress, and the Discussion (§4) describes dog companionship as potentially protective of mental health during the pandemic. The paper does not report an association between either dog walking or dog ownership and lower depression specifically; its findings concern stress and broader mental health among surveyed dog owners. (LLM, conf=0.85)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Studies conducted in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic found that many pet owners, while enjoying the additional time they were able to spend with their pets, were concerned how their pets would handle the transition when they had to return to work outside the home.

    “Studies conducted in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic found that many pet owners, while enjoying the additional time they were able to spend with their pets, were concerned how their pets would handle the transition when they had to return to work outside the home [70,71,72].”

    From Disenfranchised Guilt-Pet Owners' Burden. (2022) · cites this paper as [70]

  • Dog ownership and dog walking can be considered protective factors during lockdown.

    “Dog ownership and dog walking can therefore be considered protective factors during lockdown (37–39).”

    From The Evolution of Psychological and Behavioral Consequences of Self-Isolation During Lockdown: A Longitudinal Study Across United Kingdom and Italy (2022) · cites this paper as [37]

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. [28]Frankel R. War Dogs: Tales of Canine Heroism, History, and Love Palgrave Macmillan New York, NY, USA 2014

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Authors
Bussolari, C., Currin-McCulloch, J., Packman, W., Kogan, L., & Erdman, P.
Affiliations
  • University of San Francisco (US)
  • Colorado State University (US)
  • Palo Alto University (US)
  • Washington State University (US)
Corresponding author
Bussolari, Cori
ORCID
Venue
Animals
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2021-01-28
Volume
11
Issue
2
Pages
330
ISSN
2076-2615 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3390/ani11020330
PMC
PMC7911354
OpenAlex
W3125012309
Cited by
113
References
41
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 36 · 2021: 17
FWCI
13.29
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Animals (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Human-Animal Interaction Studies
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › COVID-19 and Mental Health
  • Health Sciences › Veterinary › Small Animals › Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
Keywords
pet dogs, COVID-19 pandemic, quarantine, social isolation, loneliness, human-animal bond, dog ownership, mental health, physical health, social distancing

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