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Completed

NCT Number: NCT04329741

The Stealth Pet Obedience Training Study

Americans love pets. Nearly 1 in 2 American households (44%) own at least one pet dog and more than 1 in 3 (35%) own a cat. The bond people form with their pets can be powerful and can provide many mental and physical health benefits. In the case of pet dogs, a strong dog-owner bond increases the odds of regular dog walking, which can help owners meet physical activity guidelines. When the bond is strong, owners feel a sense of responsibility to walk the dog, as well as motivation and social support to walk. Dog walking may be a particularly sustainable form of physical activity as dogs require regular exercise throughout their lives, across all seasons. Owners less bonded to their dogs are less likely to walk them regularly and 40% of owners report never walking their dog.

Obedience training may strengthen the dog-owner bond. Thus, the proposed study will test the hypotheses that obedience training can 1) strengthen the dog-owner bond, and 2) promote physical activity among owners. Forty dog owners who do not regularly walk their dog will be randomized to a 6-week obedience training course (n=20) or a control group that does not receive dog training (n=20). The investigators will assess the strength of the dog-owner bond (via questionnaires) and physical activity levels (via a wearable activity monitor) before training, immediately after completing training, and 6 weeks after completing training. The hypothesis is that the dog-owner bond will strengthen and physical activity levels will increase in the intervention group as compared to the control group. As over 50 million American households own a dog, support for this hypothesis would support further investigation of dog obedience training as a novel strategy for promoting public health.

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Key information

Conditions

Physical Activity Behavior Human-Animal Interaction Motor Activity

Age range

21 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts, 01003, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Age 21+ years
  • Current dog owner
  • Walk dog ≤3 for no more than 20 minutes
  • Have not attended obedience training course
  • English speaking

Exclusion criteria

  • Have a dog with a history of aggressive behavior
  • Have a dog overdue for rabies vaccination (self-reported)
  • Self-report regular exercise over last 6 months
  • Have any condition that limits walking ability
  • Have uncontrolled hypertension or diabetes

Treatment and study plan

6-week basic dog obedience training course

Behavioral

The class focused on teaching owners how to better communicate with their dog and covered basic commands (e.g., sit, down, watch), loose leash walking, and polite greetings, among other skills. The importance of dog walking was implied, but not specifically emphasized. Classes were held once per week for 45 minutes, with 5-8 students per class.

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in physical activity from baseline to 6 weeks

    Time frame: 7 days at baseline, 6 weeks

    Measured with ActiGraph wGT3X-BT accelerometers

  2. Change in physical activity from baseline to 12 weeks

    Time frame: 7 days at baseline, 12 weeks

    Measured with ActiGraph wGT3X-BT accelerometers

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in sedentary behavior from baseline to 6 weeks

    Time frame: 7 days at baseline, 6 weeks

    Measured with ActiGraph wGT3X-BT accelerometers

  2. Change in sedentary behavior from baseline to 12 weeks

    Time frame: 7 days at baseline, 12 weeks

    Measured with ActiGraph wGT3X-BT accelerometers

  3. Change in dog-owner bond strength from baseline to 6 weeks

    Time frame: baseline, 6 weeks

    The Perceived Emotional Closeness sub-scale of the Cat/Dog Owner Relationship Scale (C/DORS) was used to assess dog-owner bond strength. The sub-scale score can range from 1-5, with a higher score indicating greater emotional closeness.

  4. Change in dog-owner bond strength from baseline to 12 weeks

    Time frame: baseline, 12 weeks

    The Perceived Emotional Closeness sub-scale of the Cat/Dog Owner Relationship Scale (C/DORS) was used to assess dog-owner bond strength. The sub-scale score can range from 1-5, with a higher score indicating greater emotional closeness.

  5. Change in dog walking self-efficacy from baseline to 6 weeks

    Time frame: baseline, 6 weeks

    Sub-scales from the Dogs and Walking Survey (DAWGS) were used to assess social cognitive theory-based determinants of dog walking behavior. The self-efficacy sub-scale is scored on a scale of 9-45, with higher scores indicating greater dog walking self-efficacy.

  6. Change in dog walking self-efficacy from baseline to 12 weeks

    Time frame: baseline, 12 weeks

    Sub-scales from the Dogs and Walking Survey (DAWGS) were used to assess social cognitive theory-based determinants of dog walking behavior. The self-efficacy sub-scale is scored on a scale of 9-45, with higher scores indicating greater dog walking self-efficacy.

  7. Change in social support for dog walking from baseline to 6 weeks

    Time frame: baseline, 6 weeks

    Sub-scales from the Dogs and Walking Survey (DAWGS) were used to assess social cognitive theory-based determinants of dog walking behavior. The social support for dog walking sub-scale is scored on a scale of 3-15, with higher scores indicating greater perceived support from one's dog for walking.

  8. Change in social support for dog walking from baseline to 12 weeks

    Time frame: baseline, 12 weeks

    Sub-scales from the Dogs and Walking Survey (DAWGS) were used to assess social cognitive theory-based determinants of dog walking behavior. The social support for dog walking sub-scale is scored on a scale of 3-15, with higher scores indicating greater perceived support from one's dog for walking.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Strengthening the Bond Between Owners and Their Dogs to Increase Physical Activity

Acronym: SPOT

Important dates

Study start
2017
Primary completion
2018
Study completion
2018
First posted
Apr 1, 2020
Registry last updated
Apr 1, 2020

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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