title: Elderly people in many respects benefit from interaction with dogs.
abstract: Over the course of evolution, humans and animals have entered into a close relationship. By domesticating animals, humans were able to use them to their own advantage. However, animals should not only be seen as mere providers of material value; in fact, they actually enrich humans' lives on an emotional level. The classic examples for this evolution are dogs: they are considered loyal companions, particularly for children and elderly people. This relationship between humans and animals is the subject of this research study and is examined from a gerontological perspective by employing qualitative social research methods.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the study reveal the manifold meanings that pets - in particular dogs - can and do have to the elderly. At this point, it should also be noted that there is still a strong need for further research into this topic from a gerontological perspective.
authors: UMIT -- Private University of Health Sciences, Medical Infromatics and Technology, Institute of Gerontology and Demographic Development, Hall/Tirol, Austria. roswitha.scheibeck@umit.at
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Scheibeck
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Pallauf
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Stellwag
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Seeberger
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged / Q000523:psychology*; D000818:Animals; D001317:Austria; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D001841:Human-Animal Bond; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D057805:Pets; D016138:Walking