Partnership Highlights Veterinarian Role in Strengthening the Human-Companion Animal Bond

In recognition of Heart Health Month, the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) has created a new shareable infographic, “The Top Benefits of Pet Ownership for Healthy Hearts”. The infographic highlights research supporting the positive role of pets in improving cardiovascular health.  “Scientific research shows a link between pet ownership and improved heart health, including a lower risk of heart diseases and heart-related health issues,” said HABRI President Steven Feldman. “HABRI’s goal is to raise awareness of the important role of human-animal bond for healthier hearts during Heart Health Month, a time to focus on cardiovascular health.”   This infographic is part of an ongoing series to share human-animal bond research. In June, HABRI shared “Can Pets Help You Live Longer?“. In November, HABRI issued “5 ways the Human-Animal Bond is Improving Lives During the Pandemic”. 

The Human Animal Bond Research Initiative (HABRI) Foundation today announced the results of a study exploring the effects of an email mediated intervention to increase walking in dog owners and non-dog owners, conducted by researchers at Purdue University and published in the journal Clinical Nursing Research. Findings of the study showed that a simple email intervention sharing the importance of walking and the positive impact of walking on a dog’s health were effective tools to promote walking. These interventions caused participants to increase and maintain dog walking over a 12-month period. Email intervention for non-dog owners also increased weekly minutes of walking compared with baseline measures and control groups, however dog owners accumulated significantly more walking minutes per week than non-dog owners. “Walking is an easy, accessible way to increase physical activity, which is important for the health of people and their pets,” said the principal investigator on the study, Elizabeth A. Richards, PhD, RN, CHES, of Purdue University. “Because an email reminder is so simple, these findings should be easy to replicate, encouraging dog owners and non-dog owners alike to lead more physically active lifestyles.” Participants assigned to the intervention group received a twice-weekly email message for the first four weeks of the intervention followed by weekly email messages for the next eight weeks. The emails attempted to influence confidence through a variety of mechanisms which the investigators hypothesized would directly influence dog walking for dog owners and walking for non-dog owners. Previous studies have supported that dog owners who walk their dogs are motivated to do so because of dog-related support for walking. A number of dog-owner participants in this study anecdotally reported that their ability to maintain behavior change in physical activity was in part due to the dog expecting a walk and conditioning the owner to comply. “With...

The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) and IDEXX today hosted a virtual lecture highlighting a HABRI-funded research project investigating the benefits of engaging in a dog training program for young people aged 10-17. This lecture is a part of the IDEXX Human-Animal Bond Lecture Series, which explores impactful scientific research on the health benefits of the human-animal bond and the importance of veterinary medicine in strengthening human-animal bonds. The lecture, titled “The Impact of a Dog Training Program on the Physical Activity, Quality of Life, and Social Wellbeing of Adolescents”, featured a discussion led by Oregon State University professors Dr. Megan MacDonald, Ph.D, and Dr. Monique Udell, Ph.D, on their study examining a Do as I Do (“DAID”) dog training program, which emphasizes an active partnership between dog and owner by demonstrating a particular behavior for the dog to repeat. The study aims to assess whether youth who undergo the DAID dog training program will experience an improved child-dog bond, increased mutual physical activity as well as higher feelings of responsibility, quality of life and social wellbeing. Partial findings indicate that dogs show great potential to learn when trained by adolescents. “HABRI was proud to host Dr. MacDonald and Dr. Udell as they shared details about their research which addresses the potential of the human-animal bond to support adolescent wellbeing, a group at high risk for physical inactivity, anxiety and depression,” said HABRI President Steven Feldman. “HABRI is grateful to IDEXX for sponsoring this lecture, helping connect veterinarians with the health benefits of the human-animal bond for the entire family.” Veterinary professionals who viewed this session live will be eligible to receive RACE-approved Continuing Education (CE) credit through the American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB). The lecture will remain available on-demand at http://www.habri.org/HAB-Lectures....