How do pet dogs respond to the disruption in human-dog interaction caused by the usage of a mobile phone?

Have you ever wondered what your dog thinks when you start using your mobile phone in front of them? The media has reported that dog owners’ obsession with mobile phone usage may trigger sad emotions in dogs and pose a negative impact on dogs’ mental health and wellbeing (Country Living, 2018; Daily Mail, 2018).  This project aims to scientifically examine this!

This project consists of an online questionnaire and two 1-minute videos of you and your dog at home (filmed by you). The project only requires two days – one video per day. You will be asked to interact with your dog and then interrupt that interaction by looking at your phone. The researcher will watch the videos and examine how your dog responds to this.

If you would be interested in taking part in this project, please click here. You will initially be asked to fill out a quick questionnaire to check your dog is eligible, and then you will be sent all of the information you need to film your videos.

If you have any questions, or would like more information, please contact the researcher Lulu directly at lxu@lincoln.ac.uk.