Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2006, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Bachelor of Arts, Wittenberg University, 2024, Education

In response to the increased prevalence of childhood anxiety post-pandemic, this applied thesis investigates the potential of reading assistance dogs in mitigating anxiety felt by struggling readers during explicit, systematic reading instruction. With a focus on creating an infographic for dissemination, the annotated bibliography explores the literature on anxiety in school-aged children, the importance of explicit reading instruction, and the efficacy of reading assistance dogs. The thesis argues for the integration of reading assistance dogs as a valuable strategy to alleviate anxiety and enhance the learning experience. The paper synthesizes the intersection between performance anxiety during research-based reading instruction as well as the roles, benefits, and considerations of incorporating reading assistance dogs in educational settings. The accompanying infographic, the product of this applied thesis, is intended for widespread sharing, aiming to promote the successful implementation and maintenance of reading assistance dog programs.

Committee: Layla Besson (Advisor); Stephanie Little (Committee Member); Sally Brannan (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Elementary Education; Mental Health; Reading Instruction; Therapy

Honors Theses, Ohio Dominican University, 0, Honors Theses

Stress is something felt by all creatures in many different situations. For dogs, stress can come about by being in an unknown environment, near unfamiliar people and other dogs. When dogs are stressed, they exhibit behaviors that can fall into four different categories: posture, vocalizations, activity, and aggression. This research was looking to see if the use of enrichment toys, meant to stimulate a dog's mind, could be a useful tool in combating behaviors caused by stress. By allowing dogs at a boarding center to play with either enrichment or non-enrichment toys, and observing their behavior, then comparing the frequency of the behavior using a t-test, it could be determined if enrichment toys have an effect on behavioral signs of stress. 22 dogs were separated into two groups and allowed to play with toys from their assigned groups. After being returned to the kennels, dogs were observed for a range of behavioral signs of stress. In the end, a statistically significant difference was found between the enrichment and non-enrichment groups in the category of activity, with less activity occurring in the enrichment group.

Committee: Blake Mathys (Advisor); Matthew Ponesse (Other); Arlene Ramkissoon (Other) Subjects: Animals; Biology

Master of Arts (M.A.), Xavier University, 2019, Psychology

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether bringing one's dog to work was associated with positive social, emotional, and physical benefits to employees. This study also explored whether a dog owner's level of pet attachment moderated the strength of these associations. Participants (N = 544) were employed dog owners recruited from online dog interest groups. This study showed that those that bring their dog to work have significantly more positive benefits in the areas of the social environment at work, overall stress, turnover intentions, and job satisfaction. No support was found for beneficial outcomes in the areas of schedule satisfaction, ability to control stress, or perception of overall health. Also, no support was found for Exploratory Hypotheses predicting that pet attachment, measured by the Monash Dog Owner Relationship Scale (MDORS), moderated the relationship between bringing one's dog to work and these outcomes. However, exploratory analyses revealed that the Perceived Costs subscale of the MDORS had a significant moderating relationship between bringing one's dog to work and the outcomes of ability to control stress, overall stress, and turnover intentions. These findings suggest that allowing employees to bring their dog to work provides several positive outcomes, especially in improving the social environment at work and reducing stress levels, which has implications for reducing turnover and increasing job satisfaction. Future research should examine in more detail which facets of pet attachment are related to which outcomes for employees who bring their dog to work.

Committee: Morell Mullins Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Dalia Diab Ph.D. (Committee Member); Mark Nagy Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Animals; Behavioral Psychology; Behavioral Sciences; Management; Occupational Psychology; Organizational Behavior; Psychology

Honors Theses, Ohio Dominican University, 2018, Honors Theses

The domesticated dog (Canis familiaris) is the most popular household pet in America. There are approximately 42.5 million dogs kept as pets in the United States. Despite dogs being the most popular pet, methods for dogs' age determination are limited and lack precision. After eruption of the final permanent teeth at about 7 months of age there is no quality method for determining age. Characteristics such as development of cataracts, tooth wear, and acquisition of grey hair become the leading factors in age determination; however, the aforementioned factors are variable in all dogs. The use of a pulp cavity/tooth width ratio, measured using dental radiographs, was applied to Canis familiaris to determine a more reliable method for determining age in dogs. This, more accurate method for determining age in dogs, will allow a reduction in shelter euthanasia and allow veterinarians and pet owners to more easily determine treatment plans.

Committee: William Chastain D.V.M. (Advisor); Blake Mathys Ph.D. (Committee Chair); John Marazita Ph.D. (Committee Chair) Subjects: Veterinary Services

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1979, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Psychology

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 1965, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 1950, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 1950, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 1971, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 1950, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 1962, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 1971, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 1971, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 1970, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, History

This dissertation uncovers how, why, and where the modern pet dog originated. The average dog's transition from a working animal to a nonworking companion in the nineteenth-century United Kingdom constituted the dog's most radical alteration of purpose since their initial domestication prior to the establishment of agricultural civilization. This dissertation contends that the modern family dog originated during the long-nineteenth century (1780-1920) primarily in Victorian Britain—the initial nation altered by the interlocking forces of industrialization and urbanization. These processes provided the necessary cultural and material preconditions to reconceptualize this traditional working animal as a nonworking companion. These phenomena also provided the necessary infrastructure to manufacture commodities—from biscuits to soap—that became necessary to maintain dogs. Family dogs altered domestic and urban environments, individual and collective habits, local and global economic markets, and traditional human and canine behaviors. British pet culture surged beyond national boundaries to become the global norm governing appropriate human-dog interaction. Fundamental English practices—such as leash laws—remain normal today alongside British breeds that garner worldwide favor. Despite their integral presence in modern Western culture, however, there remains no holistic—nor interdisciplinary—narrative explaining how the typical dog transformed from a working animal to a nonworking companion. In this sense, this project rectifies this pronounced historiographical absence and knowledge gap for the broader dog-owning public. Answering this question necessitates adopting an interdisciplinary perspective entangling humans and nonhumans since Britons were not solely responsible for creating pet dogs. Rather, dogs actively shaped this process. Understanding dogs in their own right—their cognitive, sensory, and physical capabilities—hinges on including insights from animal s (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Chris Otter (Advisor); Nicholas Breyfogle (Committee Member); Bart Elmore (Committee Member) Subjects: American History; Animal Sciences; Animals; British and Irish Literature; Comparative; Environmental Studies; European History; European Studies; Families and Family Life; History; Recreation; Science History; Sociology; World History

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2023, English (Arts and Sciences)

This project aims to interrogate modernist symbolism of the dog as representations of human alterity by focusing on the importance of the dog as a robust modernist trope used to articulate the problems of being human in an increasingly industrialized, modernized society. This dissertation explores how the dog functions as a symbol with attention to class, hierarchies, kinship arrangements, sex and sexuality, but also considers the dog as a literal dog, outside of human constructs. While Darwinian theory undermines the supremacy of the human by showing how species interrelate, the dog is of particular importance because of its coevolutionary partnership with humans, having the capacity to expose the precarity of human ascendency and dissolve the human/animal boundary. The dog's capacity for destabilizing the category of human can convey humanity's degradation, but the dog is also an analogue for human constructions, articulating questions of class, gender, and sexuality. Intimacy between humans and dogs also issues new ways of thinking of kinship. Lastly, this dissertation examines modernist texts for their subtle advocacy for the better treatment of animals by imagining animal subjectivity, by humanizing the animal, or by carefully studying animal behavior.

Committee: Carey Snyder (Advisor); Vladimir Marchenkov (Committee Member); Edmond Chang (Committee Member); Nicole Reynolds (Committee Member) Subjects: Animals; British and Irish Literature; Gender; Glbt Studies; Literature; Modern Literature; Russian History; Womens Studies; Zoology

Specialist in Education (Ed.S.), University of Dayton, 2023, School Psychology

Anxiety is the most prevalent mental health disorders impacting today's children and adolescents. Based on recent studies, a growing number of young adults in the United States are being diagnosed with mental health disorders, including anxiety due to hormonal changes in combination with a need to achieve, unlimited access to technology, peer pressure, easy access to substances, and so forth. Therapy dogs are being used to intervene in schools and help students cope with symptoms related to anxiety. The present study examined the impact of incorporating a therapy dog in a mindfulness-based intervention aimed at reducing anxiety in adolescents. The study was implemented in a high school setting with three students who demonstrated elevated levels of anxiety, measured by the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children 2nd Edition. The participants rated their anxiety symptoms before and after each mindfulness intervention session using the Subject Units of Distress Scale (SUDS). A therapy dog was incorporated into sessions on an alternating schedule to examine resulting changes in the effectiveness of the intervention. Findings indicated that the therapy dog along with the mindfulness intervention reduced anxiety more than the mindfulness intervention sessions alone. Implications for incorporating school-based therapy dogs to support students who experience anxiety at school are discussed.

Committee: Elana Bernstein (Committee Chair); Susan Davies (Committee Member); Brenda Gerhardt (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Mental Health

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2022, Allied Health Sciences: Communication Sciences and Disorders

Occupational noise exposure is pervasive in military and law enforcement communities, where the heterogenous nature of duties and mixed exposure to continuous and impulse noise make direct noise measurements challenging when attempting to quantify overall noise exposure. A military or law enforcement dog works as a unit with its handler, and both experience similar noise exposures. Research regarding noise exposure and consequent hearing loss in dogs has been limited, but evidence has been growing that noise damages canine hearing. One aim was to quantify occupational noise exposure experienced by 38 working dogs through surveys completed by their handlers. Survey data demonstrated that small arms (100%) and emergency sirens (84%) were the most prevalent noise sources. Using the Lifetime Exposure to Noise and Solvents Questionnaire as a model, the K9 Noise Questionnaire was developed to allow the calculation of noise exposure scores. This noise exposure score, along with its age and years in service, were assessed as possible predictors of auditory function in working dogs. The brainstem auditory evoked response (BAER) was used to estimate hearing levels. Using multiple linear regression, the relationships connecting noise exposure score, age, and years in service with BAER thresholds were investigated. A significant relationship for a two-predictor model consisting of noise score (p = .025) and years in service (p = .042) was identified. As hypothesized, when noise exposure score increased, the BAER threshold increased. Contrary to hypothesis, however, as years in service increased, BAER threshold decreased. This may be because inexperienced dogs with fewer years in service are not as comfortable completing BAER testing while awake, resulting in increased myogenic artifact and biological noise which can contaminate BAER results. However, further study of this point is needed. A second aim was to measure the degree of change in the auditory system resulting from imp (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Peter Scheifele Ph.D. (Committee Member); Stephen Lee Ph.D. (Committee Member); Brian Earl Ph.D. (Committee Member); Jeffrey DiGiovanni Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Veterinary Services

Specialist in Education (Ed.S.), University of Dayton, 2022, School Psychology

Therapy dogs are often utilized in schools to promote reading skills; however, there is little research on how therapy dogs can be incorporated into social and emotional learning (SEL) programs. This qualitative study involved semi-structured interviews with administrators, teachers, and counselors regarding the potential use of therapy dogs in SEL programs in their schools. Participants described their experiences with social emotional learning, therapy dogs, and the feasibility of incorporating a therapy dog into a SEL program. Data were collected and transcribed interviews were coded for themes. Five themes emerged: Therapy Dogs Support SEL Needs of Students, Therapy Dogs Support SEL Needs of Staff, Therapy Dogs can Improve the Approachability of SEL Content, Training and Ownership Considerations, and Scheduling can Present Implementation Challenges. Implications for practice are discussed and suggestions are made for future research on the use of canines in SEL programming.

Committee: Elana Bernstein Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Susan Davies Ed.D. (Committee Member); Holly Rittenhouse-Cea Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Animals; Education; Psychology