Abstract:
Dogs are part of 29% of all South African households. Unfortunately, very little is known about the
relationship between South African dog guardians and their canine companions. This study focuses
on this relationship, with a specific focus on South African dog guardians’ attachment to their
canine companions and the guardians’ resultant dog care behaviors. Two hundred self-completion
questionnaires were distributed to adult dog guardians. The findings indicated that different care
behaviors (essential, standard, enriched, and luxury) are positively related to companion animal
attachment. These results suggest that dog guardians will provide basic types of care regardless of
their levels of attachment to their canine companions. However, dog guardians with higher levels of
attachment are more likely to provide their dogs with forms of enriched and luxury care.
