How to Participate
At the moment, our group does not have active data collection ongoing for attachment research. Data collection has been completed, and the research is currently in the analysis phase. However, as a part of Me and my dog course we also collect questionnaire responses on attachment for potential future studies.
Contact Persons
Email for behavioral studies:
Doctoral researcher Aada Ståhl: aada.stahl@helsinki.fi
Owned-dog attachment
Just as with personality, there are individual differences in attachment styles. Adult attachment relationships, including those with pets, are often described using a two-dimensional model. For an anxious attachment style, it is characteristic to have strong concern for the pet’s well-being, fear of losing the pet, and a high need for closeness, which may lead to frustration if the pet is distant or becomes more strongly attached to someone else. In avoidant attachment style Closeness is experienced as uncomfortable, and the individual maintains physical and emotional distance and does not seek support from the pet. Secure attachment style means that the person is not particularly anxious or avoidant in their relationship with the pet.
Our research group has previously investigated how a dog owner’s psychological well-being, the personalities of both the owner and the dog, and the dog’s undesirable behavior are related to anxious and avoidant attachment styles. We are currently studying whether owners and dogs are similar to each other and how this similarity affects the attachment relationship.
Puppy blues
Our research group has studied why some dog owners experience a drop in mood and increased strain after bringing a puppy home, a phenomenon that resembles postpartum “baby blues.” Caring for a puppy can evoke worries, fears, and frustration, and forming an attachment to the dog may initially be difficult.
Initially, we collected experiences from over a hundred dog owners who had experienced emotional strain after bringing a puppy home. Based on these observations, we developed a questionnaire to assess “puppy blues.” Using this new measure, we gathered responses from over 2,000 dog owners and validated its reliability. We are currently investigating whether factors such as the owner’s personality traits can explain why some experience puppy blues while others do not.
Research publications
Pet and owner personality and mental wellbeing associate with attachment to cats and dogs. Ståhl A, Salonen M, Hakanen E, Mikkola S, Sulkama S, Lahti J, Lohi H. iScience. 2023 Nov 9;26(12):108423. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108423. eCollection 2023 Dec 15. Lue Helsingin yliopiston uutinen tutkimuksesta: ”Omistajan persoonallisuus ja psyykkinen hyvinvointi heijastuvat ihmisen ja lemmikin väliseen kiintymyssuhteeseen”
Development and validation of the puppy blues scale measuring temporary affective disturbance resembling baby blues. Ståhl A, Salonen M, Hakanen E, Mikkola S, Sulkama S, Lahti J, Lohi H. Npj Ment Health Res. 2024 Jun 7;3(1):27.Read an article from university of Helsinki in Finnish: ’Koiran pentuaika voi aiheuttaa ”baby bluesin” kaltaista ”puppy bluesia”’
