Human-Animal study
Loneliness may lead to feelings of suffering and damage to the individual’s quality of life. Although loneliness may appear at all ages, the combination of loneliness with processes related to old age, such as losses in various areas of life, increases the chance of health, physical and mental problems, which may significantly damage the quality of life of the old person. Due to the weakening of social networks in old age, many of the elders receive solace in the form of significant relationships that are forged with companion animals (pets). Focusing on Western societies, pets are seen, for the most part, as beloved beings that are protected, and even as part of the family. Opposite the human desire for a social connection are also the needs of the pet itself. Due to the domestication process, dogs lost the ability to survive for a long time in the wild, and from this also derives the moral responsibility of man to take care of their well-being. Moreover, similar to humans, dogs are social beings who conduct social interactions with their human environment, and these interactions provide dogs with satisfaction and pleasure due to the need for companionship, which is a necessary element for nurturing their well-being. So far, a few studies have been published on the subject of dog owners volunteering, together with their dog. These studies focus, among other things, on the results of the meeting for the old person and for the volunteer. The current study seeks to produce practical products in the form of guidelines for managing elder-dog-volunteer meetings in an optimal way, taking into account both the well-being of the dog and the safety of the elder. Moreover, the research will propose a preliminary protocol that offers desirable behavior and character elements of dogs that are more suitable for voluntary activity for the welfare of the old person, alongside the acquisition of basic professional tools for caring for the dog, maintaining its well-being and identifying stress situations that are embodied in its body language. Insights from the current study and the initial protocol we will propose will be tested later on in a wider sample of triodes and in an experimental research set while applying an integrated methodology (qualitative-quantitative).
