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Abstract
It is known that pet dogs can act as catalysts for human social interactions, and
it has been suggested that this may enhance feelings of well-being. Two studies were
carried out to establish the robustness of this effect. In Study 1, a highly trained
dog was used to ensure that the dog itself did not solicit attention from passers-by,
and data were collected across a range of normal daily activities in which a dog could
be included, not confined to conventional dog walking areas as in previous studies.
Being accompanied by a dog increased the frequency of social interactions, especially
interactions with strangers. In Study 2, also using a trained dog, a different (male)
participant observer was dressed either smartly or scruffily. Although there were
significantly more interactions when he was smartly dressed, the greatest effect was
between the Dog present and No Dog conditions irrespective of the handler's dress.
It is concluded that the social catalysis effect is very robust, which opens the way
for investigating possible consequences of the effect for well-being and health.