Replication Data for: Expectations versus reality: long-term research on the dog–owner relationship

In the framework of early prevention of problems in the owner-dog relationship, it is important to have a broad perspective on the development of this relation over time, starting even before people actually acquire the dog. People who currently (or previously) own(ed) a dog can rely on their experiences when considering a new dog while this knowledge is unavailable to first time dog-owners. In this study we explored how self-efficacy and perceptions on the benefits and costs (the social cognitive factors), and canine problem behaviors, perceived costs and satisfaction with the dog, changed over time from the motivational phase of relationship development (before acquiring the dog) to the experience phase (six and twelve month after acquiring a dog) in experienced (previous (n=75) and current (n=86)) versus unexperienced (first time (n=32) dog owners: Respondents filled in online questionnaires before and twice after acquisition of their dog. From T0 (before acquiring a dog) to T1 (having a dog for six months) especially participants with no experience had to adjust their beliefs about having a dog. Experiencing the relationship for an additional year (from T1 to T2) hardly changed much in the social cognitive factors and small (non-significant) changes occurred in canine problem behaviors, perceived costs, and satisfaction with the dog. To conclude, perceptions of dog ownership change over time, but after calibrating these perceptions with reality, perceptions become stable.

在犬主与犬只关系问题的早期预防框架下，从人们实际获取犬只前就全面审视该关系随时间的演变进程，具有重要意义。当下（或此前）饲养过犬只的人群在考虑新养犬只时，可依托自身过往经验；而首次饲养犬只的主人则不具备此类认知。
本研究旨在探究：在有经验养犬者（含此前饲养过犬只的n=75名参与者、当前饲养犬只的n=86名参与者）与无经验养犬者（即首次养犬的n=32名参与者）群体中，自我效能感、对养犬收益与成本的感知（即社会认知因素）、犬只问题行为、感知成本以及对犬只的满意度，是如何随着犬主-犬只关系发展的动机阶段（获取犬只前）至体验阶段（获取犬只后6个月、12个月）随时间变化的。研究对象在获取犬只前后共完成三次线上问卷调查：获取前（T0）、获取后6个月（T1）以及获取后12个月（T2）。
从T0（获取犬只前）至T1（饲养犬只满6个月）阶段，尤其是无养犬经验的参与者，需要调整其对养犬的固有认知。在额外经历一年的犬主-犬只相处周期（即从T1到T2阶段）后，社会认知因素几乎未发生显著变化；犬只问题行为、感知成本及对犬只的满意度仅出现微小且无统计学显著性的改变。
综上，养犬相关认知会随时间推移发生变化，但在结合实际饲养情况校准这些认知后，养犬认知将趋于稳定。