Physical ActivitySPOTNCT04329741
The Stealth Pet Obedience Training Study
A study testing 6-week basic dog obedience training course in people with Physical Activity, run by University of Massachusetts, Amherst at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Americans love pets. Nearly 1 in 2 American households (44%) own at least one pet dog and more than 1 in 3 (35%) own a cat. The bond people form with their pets can be powerful and can provide many mental and physical health benefits. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 21 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Physical Activity
- What is being tested?
- 6-week basic dog obedience training course
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 41 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 1 Jul 2017to 30 Jun 2018
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 21 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Age 21+ years
- Current dog owner
- Walk dog ≤3 for no more than 20 minutes
- Have not attended obedience training course
- English speaking
Who cannot join
- Have a dog with a history of aggressive behavior
- Have a dog overdue for rabies vaccination (self-reported)
- Self-report regular exercise over last 6 months
- Have any condition that limits walking ability
- Have uncontrolled hypertension or diabetes
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Amherst, Massachusetts, 01003
About this study
Official title: Strengthening the Bond Between Owners and Their Dogs to Increase Physical Activity
Americans love pets. Nearly 1 in 2 American households (44%) own at least one pet dog and more than 1 in 3 (35%) own a cat. The bond people form with their pets can be powerful and can provide many mental and physical health benefits. In the case of pet dogs, a strong dog-owner bond increases the odds of regular dog walking, which can help owners meet physical activity guidelines. When the bond is strong, owners feel a sense of responsibility to walk the dog, as well as motivation and social support to walk. Dog walking may be a particularly sustainable form of physical activity as dogs require regular exercise throughout their lives, across all seasons. Owners less bonded to their dogs are less likely to walk them regularly and 40% of owners report never walking their dog.
Obedience training may strengthen the dog-owner bond. Thus, the proposed study will test the hypotheses that obedience training can 1) strengthen the dog-owner bond, and 2) promote physical activity among owners. Forty dog owners who do not regularly walk their dog will be randomized to a 6-week obedience training course (n=20) or a control group that does not receive dog training (n=20). The investigators will assess the strength of the dog-owner bond (via questionnaires) and physical activity levels (via a wearable activity monitor) before training, immediately after completing training, and 6 weeks after completing training. The hypothesis is that the dog-owner bond will strengthen and physical activity levels will increase in the intervention group as compared to the control group. As over 50 million American households own a dog, support for this hypothesis would support further investigation of dog obedience training as a novel strategy for promoting public health.
- Conditions
- Physical Activity
- Being tested
- 6-week basic dog obedience training course
- Keywords
- dog walking, dog ownership, human-animal interaction
- Medical subject headings
- Motor Activity, Human-Animal Interaction
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
6-week basic dog obedience training courseBehavioural
The class focused on teaching owners how to better communicate with their dog and covered basic commands (e.g., sit, down, watch), loose leash walking, and polite greetings, among other skills. The importance of dog walking was implied, but not specifically emphasized. Classes were held once per week for 45 minutes, with 5-8 students per class.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention | Experimental | 6-week basic dog obedience training course Receives: Behavioral: 6-week basic dog obedience training course |
| Control | No intervention | Waitlist control |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in physical activity from baseline to 6 weeks
Measured with ActiGraph wGT3X-BT accelerometers
Measured: 7 days at baseline, 6 weeks
Change in physical activity from baseline to 12 weeks
Measured with ActiGraph wGT3X-BT accelerometers
Measured: 7 days at baseline, 12 weeks
Secondary outcomes (8)
Change in sedentary behavior from baseline to 6 weeks
Measured with ActiGraph wGT3X-BT accelerometers
Measured: 7 days at baseline, 6 weeks
Change in sedentary behavior from baseline to 12 weeks
Measured with ActiGraph wGT3X-BT accelerometers
Measured: 7 days at baseline, 12 weeks
Change in dog-owner bond strength from baseline to 6 weeks
The Perceived Emotional Closeness sub-scale of the Cat/Dog Owner Relationship Scale (C/DORS) was used to assess dog-owner bond strength. The sub-scale score can range from 1-5, with a higher score indicating greater emotional closeness.
Measured: baseline, 6 weeks
Change in dog-owner bond strength from baseline to 12 weeks
The Perceived Emotional Closeness sub-scale of the Cat/Dog Owner Relationship Scale (C/DORS) was used to assess dog-owner bond strength. The sub-scale score can range from 1-5, with a higher score indicating greater emotional closeness.
Measured: baseline, 12 weeks
Change in dog walking self-efficacy from baseline to 6 weeks
Sub-scales from the Dogs and Walking Survey (DAWGS) were used to assess social cognitive theory-based determinants of dog walking behavior. The self-efficacy sub-scale is scored on a scale of 9-45, with higher scores indicating greater dog walking self-efficacy.
Measured: baseline, 6 weeks
Change in dog walking self-efficacy from baseline to 12 weeks
Sub-scales from the Dogs and Walking Survey (DAWGS) were used to assess social cognitive theory-based determinants of dog walking behavior. The self-efficacy sub-scale is scored on a scale of 9-45, with higher scores indicating greater dog walking self-efficacy.
Measured: baseline, 12 weeks
Change in social support for dog walking from baseline to 6 weeks
Sub-scales from the Dogs and Walking Survey (DAWGS) were used to assess social cognitive theory-based determinants of dog walking behavior. The social support for dog walking sub-scale is scored on a scale of 3-15, with higher scores indicating greater perceived support from one's dog for walking.
Measured: baseline, 6 weeks
Change in social support for dog walking from baseline to 12 weeks
Sub-scales from the Dogs and Walking Survey (DAWGS) were used to assess social cognitive theory-based determinants of dog walking behavior. The social support for dog walking sub-scale is scored on a scale of 3-15, with higher scores indicating greater perceived support from one's dog for walking.
Measured: baseline, 12 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted1 Apr 2020
- Study start1 Jul 2017
- Primary completion30 Jun 2018
- Study completion30 Jun 2018
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Physical ActivityStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 41 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Massachusetts, Amherst
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04329741
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Grant #16-00293
- Acronym
- SPOT
- Status last verified
- Mar 2020
- First submitted
- 4 Oct 2019
- Last updated
- 1 Apr 2020
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 1 Apr 2020. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Strengthening the Bond Between Owners and Their Dogs to Increase Physical Activity
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04329741
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- SPOT / Grant #16-00293
- Conditions
- Physical Activity
- Keywords
- dog walking, dog ownership, human-animal interaction
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 41 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of Massachusetts, AmherstUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Jul 2017 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Jun 2018 (actual)
- Study completion
- 30 Jun 2018 (actual)
- First posted
- 1 Apr 2020 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Americans love pets. Nearly 1 in 2 American households (44%) own at least one pet dog and more than 1 in 3 (35%) own a cat. The bond people form with their pets can be powerful and can provide many mental and physical health benefits. In the case of pet dogs, a strong dog-owner bond increases the odds of regular dog walking, which can help owners meet physical activity guidelines. When the bond is strong, owners feel a sense of responsibility to walk the dog, as well as motivation and social support to walk. Dog walking may be a particularly sustainable form of physical activity as dogs require regular exercise throughout their lives, across all seasons. Owners less bonded to their dogs are less likely to walk them regularly and 40% of owners report never walking their dog.
Obedience training may strengthen the dog-owner bond. Thus, the proposed study will test the hypotheses that obedience training can 1) strengthen the dog-owner bond, and 2) promote physical activity among owners. Forty dog owners who do not regularly walk their dog will be randomized to a 6-week obedience training course (n=20) or a control group that does not receive dog training (n=20). The investigators will assess the strength of the dog-owner bond (via questionnaires) and physical activity levels (via a wearable activity monitor) before training, immediately after completing training, and 6 weeks after completing training. The hypothesis is that the dog-owner bond will strengthen and physical activity levels will increase in the intervention group as compared to the control group. As over 50 million American households own a dog, support for this hypothesis would support further investigation of dog obedience training as a novel strategy for promoting public health.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention | Experimental | Behavioral: 6-week basic dog obedience training course6-week basic dog obedience training course |
| Control | No intervention | –Waitlist control |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 21 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Age 21+ years
- Current dog owner
- Walk dog ≤3 for no more than 20 minutes
- Have not attended obedience training course
- English speaking
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Have a dog with a history of aggressive behavior
- Have a dog overdue for rabies vaccination (self-reported)
- Self-report regular exercise over last 6 months
- Have any condition that limits walking ability
- Have uncontrolled hypertension or diabetes
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| 6-week basic dog obedience training courseThe class focused on teaching owners how to better communicate with their dog and covered basic commands (e.g., sit, down, watch), loose leash walking, and polite greetings, among other skills. The importance of dog walking was implied, but not specifically emphasized. Classes were held once per week for 45 minutes, with 5-8 students per class. | Behavioural | Intervention |
Primary outcome
Change in physical activity from baseline to 6 weeks
Time frame: 7 days at baseline, 6 weeks
Measured with ActiGraph wGT3X-BT accelerometers
Change in physical activity from baseline to 12 weeks
Time frame: 7 days at baseline, 12 weeks
Measured with ActiGraph wGT3X-BT accelerometers
8 secondary outcomes
Change in sedentary behavior from baseline to 6 weeks
Time frame: 7 days at baseline, 6 weeks
Change in sedentary behavior from baseline to 12 weeks
Time frame: 7 days at baseline, 12 weeks
Change in dog-owner bond strength from baseline to 6 weeks
Time frame: baseline, 6 weeks
Change in dog-owner bond strength from baseline to 12 weeks
Time frame: baseline, 12 weeks
Change in dog walking self-efficacy from baseline to 6 weeks
Time frame: baseline, 6 weeks
Change in dog walking self-efficacy from baseline to 12 weeks
Time frame: baseline, 12 weeks
Change in social support for dog walking from baseline to 6 weeks
Time frame: baseline, 6 weeks
Change in social support for dog walking from baseline to 12 weeks
Time frame: baseline, 12 weeks
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 1 Apr 2020.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing 6-week basic dog obedience training course in people with Physical Activity, run by University of Massachusetts, Amherst at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 1 Apr 2020. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change in physical activity from baseline to 6 weeks (time frame: 7 days at baseline, 6 weeks). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 1 Apr 2020.