Child Dog Interaction Study

The Arizona Canine Cognition Center at the University of Arizona has a new study looking at the interaction between children and dogs! If you are interested in participating, please see below for more information and eligibility criteria:

Study Description: Human-dog interaction can have beneficial effects on both people and dogs. This study will evaluate the biological, behavioral, and psychological effects of social interaction between children and dogs. Families will visit the Arizona Canine Cognition Center three times. During these visits, children will have social interactions with their pet dog, as well as an unfamiliar dog, and will play with an assortment of toys. With assistance from parents/guardians, we will collect saliva and urine samples from children and dogs during these activities, and children and parents will complete surveys. Estimated time commitment is 90 minutes per visit, across three visits. Participants (parents and children) will be compensated at each visit.

Criteria: We are recruiting families that include a child between the ages of 8 and 10 years, and a pet dog that has lived with the family for at least 6 months. Eligibility will be determined during an initial screening. 

Location: Arizona Canine Cognition Center, School of Anthropology, Tucson AZ 85721. https://dogs/arizona.edu. Free parking provided. 

Contact: dogkidstudy@email.arizona.edu | 520-621-2646

This study is funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Child Health and Disease. An Institutional Review Board responsible for human subjects research at the University of Arizona reviewed this research project and found it to be acceptable according to applicable state and federal regulations and University policies designed to protect the rights and welfare of participants in research.