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December 10, 2025PLoS ONEOpen Access

Dog ownership enhances anchored personal relationships and sense of community: A comparison with incidental interactions and friendships

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Authors

IIItaru IshiguroRikkyo UniversitySKShinnosuke KodamaHKHikari KoyasuAzabu University

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Overview

Analysis reveals dog ownership strengthens social interactions and sense of community, highlighting the role of personal relationships.

Key Points

  • The research aims to compare the social interactions and relationships of dog owners with non-owners.
  • Quantitative study with 377 participants from a suburb in the Tokyo metropolitan area.
  • Generalized structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data.
  • Examined the relationships between dog ownership, friendships, incidental interactions, and anchored personal relationships.
  • Dog ownership positively correlates with having anchored personal relationships and social interactions.
  • No increase in neighborhood friendships was found for dog owners after controlling for demographics.
  • All relationship types were positively correlated with a stronger sense of community.

Cite This Study

Ishiguro et al. (2025) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69401d412d562116f28f84a2https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0336957
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Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

  1. 1Three’s company? Examining the association between dog ownership and intimacy, jealousy, and satisfaction in romantic couples2025
  2. 2Dogs as a gateway to the good life: using thematic analysis to explore the mechanisms underpinning dog ownership and human well-being2024 · 4 citations
  3. 3Exploring the impact of dogs on the human-cat relationship in private homes2024 · 3 citations
  4. 4Dog Companionship and Loneliness in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Multicentre, Cross-Sectional Study.2026
  5. 5Associations between dog and cat ownership, social integration, mental health and physical activity: A cross-sectional study from the SCAPIS population2026