Highlights
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- Dog–human dyads align with all our features of an attachment bond.
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- Horse–human dyads show variable alignment with attachment theory.
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- Emotional intelligence may mediate animal–human attachment bonds.
Abstract
This
article reviews evidence for the existence of attachment bonds directed
toward humans in dog–human and horse–human dyads. It explores each
species’ alignment with the four features of a typical attachment bond:
separation-related distress, safe haven, secure base and proximity
seeking. While dog–human dyads show evidence of each of these, there is
limited alignment for horse–human dyads. These differences are discussed
in the light of the different selection paths of domestic dogs and
horses as well as the different contexts in which the two species
interact with humans. The role of emotional intelligence in humans as a
potential mediator for human–animal relationships, attachment or
otherwise, is also examined. Finally, future studies, which may clarify
the interplay between attachment, human–animal relationships and
emotional intelligence, are proposed. Such avenues of research may help
us explore the concepts of trust and bonding that are often said to
occur at the dog-human and horse-human interface.
Keywords
- Attachment;
- Companion animals;
- Dog;
- Emotional intelligence;
- Horse;
- Human-animal bonds
Copyright © 2015 Published by Elsevier B.V.
