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- Title
An Attachment Perspective on the Child-Dog Bond: Interdisciplinary and International Research Findings.
- Authors
Jalongo, Mary
- Abstract
Understanding the process of attachment formation in young children has been a focal point in child development research for decades. However, young children's attachments are not only with human beings; they also form bonds with companion animals, particularly dogs ( Canis familiaris). Given the number of dogs that are kept by families and the amount of time that young children spend with these animals, the child-dog bond merits further study. In this review of the literature, young children's interactions with companion canines are explored from an attachment theory perspective. Research on human-animal interaction is a burgeoning field of inquiry that includes well-established disciplines (e.g., sociology, psychology, child development/family studies) as well as emerging fields, such as anthrozoology, neurobiology, ethology, and bioecology. This review is grounded is organized around four themes in the research: (1) the treatment of animals in the family; (2) influences on the child/dog bond; (3) the uniqueness of attachments formed with dogs; and (4) canine attachment behaviors. The review concludes with a discussion about why study of the child-companion animal attachment has lagged behind other areas of study and offers recommendations for future research.
- Subjects
CHILD development; INTERDISCIPLINARY education; HUMAN-animal communication; HUMAN-animal relationships; ATTACHMENT theory (Psychology); PETS
- Publication
Early Childhood Education Journal, 2015, Vol 43, Issue 5, p395
- ISSN
1082-3301
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s10643-015-0687-4