The Italian perception of the ideal companion dog
Abstract The prevailing feeling of Italians toward animals is positive and based on respect. Dogs are often perceived as family members and, providing social support, can improve human health. However, the mutually beneficial relationship between human and dog can break, as demonstrated by animals being abandoned to shelters. Rupture of the bond between owner and dog may be because of a lack of correspondence between the owner's conception of an ideal dog and reality. The aim of this study was to investigate demographic, morphological, and behavioral characteristics important to the Italian public in their ideal dog, using a questionnaire previously administered to the Australian public. Data were collected from 770 volunteers (74.3% females) aged 18 64 years. Physical characteristics were not important in defining the ideal dog, but the percentage of Italians reporting to prefer a neutered dog (35% was much lower compared with the Australian public (64% In particular, most Italian men preferred a male entire/intact dog (68% P P P P P P P