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The connection between humans and animals has led to practices such as animal-assisted therapy, equine therapy, service animals, and pet ownership. Strong bonds and attachments can form between pet owners and their pets. It is no wonder that owning a pet is commonplace in the United States. Many pet owners identify their pet as a member of their family. In addition to companionship, research has indicated that pet ownership can have health benefits, reduce stress, increase empathy, and facilitate openness. In a therapeutic setting, the presence of a pet may comfort its owner simply by being near them. The ease of including a pet in a therapy session has improved with technology and teletherapy sessions. Recently, psychotherapy delivery has changed for clients and therapists to include a more accepted use of teletherapy sessions. The increase in teletherapy use may become commonplace, but some people are uncomfortable with online therapy. Finding a way to help clients reduce their stress and increase their openness in session may be accomplished by a trusted companion accompanying them in their session. While the companion could be human, it was the owner's dog in this research. This single case experimental designed study examines a dog owner's teletherapy experience with and without their dog in session with them.

Online dating has become a popular source for users seeking love, relationships, or a simple hook-up. Tinder, among the various dating applications, is a tool for online dating where users are able customize their profile with up to nine pictures, job title, education, and a short biography. The date-ability of a potential romantic partner is subjective and influenced by a multitude of variables. While users show a variety of images showing themselves, a popular type of photo is that of man and dog. Guided by Uncertainty Reduction Theory and Warranting Theory Frameworks, this study discusses the effects of including animals, specifically dogs, in dating profile photos. Animal effects and Tinder engagement are explored to identify the generally positive effects and the effects of viewer engagement.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether bringing one’s dog to work was associated with positive social, emotional, and physical benefits to employees. This study also explored whether a dog owner’s level of pet attachment moderated the strength of these associations. Participants (N = 544) were employed dog owners recruited from online dog interest groups. This study showed that those that bring their dog to work have significantly more positive benefits in the areas of the social environment at work, overall stress, turnover intentions, and job satisfaction. No support was found for beneficial outcomes in the areas of schedule satisfaction, ability to control stress, or perception of overall health. Also, no support was found for Exploratory Hypotheses predicting that pet attachment, measured by the Monash Dog Owner Relationship Scale (MDORS), moderated the relationship between bringing one’s dog to work and these outcomes. However, exploratory analyses revealed that the Perceived Costs subscale of the MDORS had a significant moderating relationship between bringing one’s dog to work and the outcomes of ability to control stress, overall stress, and turnover intentions. These findings suggest that allowing employees to bring their dog to work provides several positive outcomes, especially in improving the social environment at work and reducing stress levels, which has implications for reducing turnover and increasing job satisfaction. Future research should examine in more detail which facets of pet attachment are related to which outcomes for employees who bring their dog to work.

Pets are a common aspect of life for many Americans. In 2012, 36.5% of American household owned dogs and 30.4% owned cats (American Veterinary Medical Foundation, 2012). The purpose on this study was to explore the influence of dog ownership on romantic relationships. Specifically, this thesis investigates how dog ownership acts as a catalyst of relational maintenance and conflict behavior in interactions about the couple's dog. No prior research has been conducted on the role dogs' play in enacting relational maintenance or conflict in romantic relationships, so it is unclear if there is an influence to the these behaviors. This study asks how dog ownership might act as a centripetal force pulling the relationship together (e.g. relational maintenance) and/or as a centrifugal force pushing the partners apart (e.g. conflict). A total of 379 participants were recruited through social media to complete a short online survey. The survey asked questions on the romantic relationship, dog ownership, conflict regarding the dog, relational maintenance activities regarding the dog, and demographics. The majority of participants reported engaging in 8 of the 24 relational maintenance activities "often" or "always" and 3 of the 30 conflict topics occurred at least one or more times. Satisfaction with the romantic relationship associated positively with partial weak and negligible correlations to the relational maintenance activities and one negligible association with a conflict topic. A thematic analysis provides details on the short answers participants provided. The results shows that dogs do provide couples opportunities for relational maintenance but also are the source of conflict. This research is the start to understanding the role of dog ownership within romantic relationship. While each couple and dog may produce different influences on the relationship, this study is the start for the investigation and provides guidance for future research.