A Sociological Study on the Human-Canine Relationship

• Main Author: Poh, Valerie
• Other Authors: Tan Joo Ean
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2017
• Subjects: DRNTU::Social sciences::Sociology::Social behavior
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/70054
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

This research explores the roles that dogs could play in the lives of their owners in Singapore. Given the rise in dog ownership in Singapore, this research also seeks to examine the lives of dog owners and their relationship with their dogs. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a total of eight dog owners, and the findings revealed that dogs could play three fundamental roles in the lives of their owners. Not only could dogs serve as facilitators of social interaction and as a kin to their owners, dogs could also have implications on their owners’ self-concept. In order to stay congruent with their self-concept, dog owners resorted to identity measures by seeing their dogs as a maintenance and extension of self. Since the sociological study of pets is not extensive, these findings aim to contribute to the growing body of research.