title: "Like owner, like dog": correlation between the owner's attachment profile and the owner-dog bond.
abstract: During recent years, several studies have revealed that human-dog relationships are based on a well-established and complex bond. There is now evidence suggesting that the dog-human affectional bond can be characterized as an "attachment". The present study investigated possible association between the owners' attachment profile assessed throughout a new semi-projective test (the 9 Attachment Profile) and the owner-dog attachment bond evaluated using a modified version of those used in studying human infants: Ainsworth's "strange situation". The findings represented the first evidence for the presence of a correlation between the owners' attachment profile and the owner-dog attachment bond throughout procedure and behavioural analyses involving controlled observations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari "Aldo Moro," Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Siniscalchi
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stipo
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Quaranta
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D001841:Human-Animal Bond; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult