ABSTRACT

Participation in dog agility may strengthen the bond between dog owners and their dogs and provide a reason for increasing physical fitness, thus increasing physical activity behavior. The purpose of this study was to compare physical activity levels (performed both with their dogs and without their dogs) of agility trainers with non-agility trainers, and to examine factors associated with physical activity using Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and dog responsibility (i.e., the sense of responsibility for the wellbeing of one’s dog). Dog owners (n = 280) completed an online survey that examined the relationship between participation in dog agility and (a) physical activity (performed with or without a dog), and (b) motives for physical activity, behavioral regulation, and dog responsibility using multiple regression analyses and analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs). Agility trainers indicated significantly higher total weekly minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity with a dog (p < 0.05), but lower weekly levels of physical activity without a dog compared with non-agility trainers. ANCOVAs indicated that agility trainers showed higher competence motives (p < 0.01), and social motives (p < 0.05) compared with non-agility trainers. Multiple regression analyses indicated that the SDT constructs and dog responsibility accounted for 23% of the variance in physical activity with a dog in the overall sample, but that no significant differences were found in these relationships when agility trainers compared with non-agility trainers through moderation analyses. In conclusion, dog owners who train their dogs in agility may accumulate more physical activity with their dogs but less physical activity without their dogs compared with other dog owners. Dog agility trainers may indicate more self-determined and intrinsic motives for physical activity with a dog compared with non-agility trainers.

摘要

参加犬的敏捷性可能会加强犬主与犬之间的联系，并提供增加体质的原因，从而增加体力活动的行为。这项研究的目的是比较敏捷训练员与非敏捷训练员的身体活动水平（无论有狗还是没有狗），并使用自我决定理论（SDT）和狗的责任感来检查与体育活动相关的因素（即对狗的健康负有责任感）。狗的主人（ñ = 280）完成了一项在线调查，调查了参与狗敏捷性与（a）身体活动（有或没有狗的情况下进行）以及（b）进行体育活动的动机，行为调节和对狗的责任之间的关系，并进行了多元回归分析和协方差分析（ANCOVA）。敏捷训练者表明，与非敏捷训练者相比，狗的中度至剧烈运动每周总分钟数明显增加（p  <0.05），但没有狗的每周体育活动水平更低。ANCOVAs指出，敏捷培训员表现出较高的能力动机（p  <0.01）和社交动机（p <0.05）与非敏捷训练师相比。多元回归分析表明，在整个样本中，SDT的构造和狗的责任感占狗的体育活动差异的23％，但通过适度训练与非敏捷训练相比，这些关系没有发现显着差异分析。总之，与其他犬主相比，在敏捷状态下训练其犬的犬主可能会积累更多的体育活动，但没有狗的体育活动会更少。与非敏捷训练者相比，狗敏捷训练者可能表明与狗进行体育锻炼的动机和内在动机更多。