The Dog–Owner Relationship: Refinement and Validation of the Italian C/DORS for Dog Owners and Correlation with the LAPS

Abstract

The Cat/Dog–Owner Relationship Scale (C/DORS) can be administered to both dog and cat owners. However, the scale as a whole has never been validated on a sample of dog owners. Furthermore, it has never been translated into Italian. The aim of this study was to translate the C/DORS into Italian, modify its response scale in order to improve the degree of response variability, and test its validity and reliability on a sample of dog-owners. Exploratory factor analysis revealed the same three-factor structure (Perceived Emotional Closeness = PEC, Pet–Owner Interactions = POI, Perceived Costs = PC) as the original English version, although some items had to be removed because of low- or cross-loadings. The validity of the construct was confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis, by the correlations between each of the subscales and the C/DORS total score, and by the correlations with the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale. Cronbach’s α values for each subscale were above acceptable levels. Student owners scored higher on PEC and POI than owners with other occupations. Owners of dogs with behavioural problems scored lower on PEC and higher on PC. Keeping the dog outdoor was associated with lower POI. Finally, pet dog owners scored higher on PEC than AAI dog owners.

Cat–Owner Relationship and Cat Behaviour: Effects of the COVID-19 Confinement and Implications for Feline Management

“…It should be considered that, when we use scales as tools to assess the quality of the pet–owner relationship, we are actually assessing the subjective perception of the human involved in that relationship, which does not necessarily reflect the perspective of the animal [ 39 , 40 ]. Moreover, within the specific framework of the social exchange theory [ 41 ], the perception of the costs of caring for the pet may be affected by the (mis)beliefs and (mis)conceptions that owners may have of that species.…”

The Cat–Owner Relationship: Validation of the Italian C/DORS for Cat Owners and Correlation with the LAPS

“…The advantage of this recent scale is that researchers could use it in multispecies studies allowing the comparison between cats and dogs. The C/DORS scale has been previously translated and validated in Italian with dog owners [22]. Starting from the work by Riggio et al [22] we used the same version of the questionnaire with the aim of refining and validating it in Italian for cat owners.…”

“…Recently, Riggio et al [22] refined and validated the C/DORS for dogs in Italian. The refinement is very similar to the original C/DORS, but with response options on a scale of 1-7, rather than the original 1-5, to increase variability.…”

“…The first two sections asked about demographic data regarding the owner (i.e., age, gender, employment status, living environment, previous cat ownership experience) and the cat (i.e., current age, age when adopted, sex, breed, neuter status, physical, and behavioural problems). The third section consisted of an updated version of the C/DORS [15] already used for dog owners in a previous study by Riggio et al [22]. The fourth section contained the 23 items of the LAPS [9].…”

“…This questionnaire was already used in a previous study by Riggio et al [22], but since we wanted to address only cat owners in the current study, the word "dog" was replaced with "cat" in all sections. Additionally, the question "What kinds of activities does your pet do?"…”