Linda Marston
Twelve years ago (Cinta my GSD is 12 years old), I began a journey that started with training my dog and progressed to a fascination for how humans and animals interact. In 2002, I was fortunate enough to find a supervisor who shared my passions and interests and started a PhD studying exactly these things.
My thesis topic is “an investigation of factors affecting the success of canine adoptions from animal welfare shelters”. Human adoption research has identified three major reasons for adoption failure. These are a perceived lack of control by the new parent, behavioural problems and a lack of intimacy as reflected by physical contact and attachment. Strategies designed to improve the success of human adoption concentrate on the early post-adoptive period. Also the strength of an adopters relationship with their dog governed whether they returned the dog or managed to live with undesirable behaviours. This formed the starting point for this study of canine adoption. Baseline data has been gathered and a telephone survey has identified the problems encountered in the first month post-adoption. An experimental study explored how human behaviour affected the development of a dogs attachment bond to their new owner. The final phase of the project evaluated the effectiveness of providing obedience training and ‘attachment training’ early in the adoption on owner attachment levels and return rates.
Linda is currently performing some research for the Bureau of Animal Welfare collating shelter statistics for cats and with Pauleen Bennet, will be commencing an exciting study in 2006 looking at the benefits of pet visitation programs for elderly people with mild to moderate Aged Dementia.
Research Interests:
Companion animals and their owners
Animal Welfare
Animal Assisted Therapy