The ideal companion dog: a cultural perspective?

The growing problem of stray dogs is one of the most widely discussed social and economic problems in Italy, because of dog‐related health risks, high public costs and compromised dogs’ welfare. Relinquishing a dog to a shelter often reflects a breakdown of the owner‐dog bond, which could result from a deep sense of dissatisfaction. The aim of this study was to investigate Italians' preferences in relation to their ideal companion dog by using a questionnaire developed by King et al., (2009). 770 Italian volunteers, aged 18‐64 years, were surveyed about their preferences with regard to management, economic costs and the dog’s physical and behavioural characteristics. Data were analysed by descriptive statistics. Desirable dog behaviour was rated according to relationship dimensional areas (Marchesini, 2000). Behavioural aspects of the ideal dog were perceived as the most important, especially those relating to calmness and ease of management. In agreement with what was observed in the Australian survey, Italian participants rated being safe with children, being fully house trained and being physically healthy as extremely important for their ideal dog, whereas considered not important was biting people on command and being a good hunter. In addition, some critical aspects of the dog‐owner relationship, which could endanger its stability, were highlighted. The results could indicate educational areas to work on for preventing dog relinquishment. In addition, comparison of this Italian survey with those conducted in other countries could help in understanding the role played by culture on the perception of the ideal companion dog.