Owners’ perceptions of dog treat management in Western Romania
IntroductionWithin the broader-than-ever palette of pet foods, dog treats are an assortment sustained by powerful marketing tools and compelling advertising. The wide range and availability of these products often pair with the fondness of owners for their companions, leading to overfeeding them wit...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Animal Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fanim.2025.1502724/full |
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| author | Sorana Daina Anamaria Blaga-Petrean Silvana Popescu Ioana Delia Pop Daniel Mierlita Adrian Macri |
| author_facet | Sorana Daina Anamaria Blaga-Petrean Silvana Popescu Ioana Delia Pop Daniel Mierlita Adrian Macri |
| author_sort | Sorana Daina |
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| description | IntroductionWithin the broader-than-ever palette of pet foods, dog treats are an assortment sustained by powerful marketing tools and compelling advertising. The wide range and availability of these products often pair with the fondness of owners for their companions, leading to overfeeding them with rewards.MethodsThis study explored owner treat provision behaviors among 890 voluntarily participating dog owners in Western Romania through an online survey conducted between June and November 2023.ResultsThe majority of respondents were women (72%) and younger adults aged 18–24 (39%). Emotional attachment was the primary motivation for providing treats (52%), followed by perceived health benefits (35%) and training purposes (25%). However, 84% of respondents did not account for the caloric value of treats in their dogs' daily diet, and only 16% adjusted their dogs' main meals to compensate for treat provision. Preferences leaned toward treats with dental benefits (58%) and biscuits (52%). Many owners reported offering treats multiple times daily, highlighting the role of treats in owner-dog bonding. Chi-square tests of independence, with Bonferroni-adjusted post-hoc pairwise comparisons, revealed significant associations between treat provision frequency, owner demographics, and dog characteristics. Younger owners (18–24 years) were significantly more likely to provide treats at higher frequencies, with 31.8% giving treats 'multiple times daily' compared to 7.1% of older owners (>55 years) (p<0.002). Similarly, single owners provided treats more frequently, with 31.9% giving treats 'once daily' and 42.1% 'multiple times daily', compared to 7.1% and 22.4%, respectively, among owners in committed relationships (p<0.005). Owners who provided treats less frequently, 'seldom' (80.7%) or 'a few times a week' (87.8%), were more likely to have dogs with an ideal weight, while higher treat frequencies – 'once daily' (40.0%) or 'multiple times daily' (52.7%), were significantly associated with overweight or obese dogs (p<0.003).DiscussionThese findings underscore the importance of educating dog owners on aligning treat provision with caloric requirements and promoting responsible feeding practices. Veterinarians play a critical role in guiding owners toward balanced feeding strategies that incorporate treats into comprehensive dietary plans. Addressing treat provision behaviors is essential to mitigating health risks, improving canine nutrition, and promoting overall well-being. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-acfe78036c984cfc9d4de820b9e89728 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2673-6225 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Animal Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-acfe78036c984cfc9d4de820b9e897282025-01-28T06:41:08ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Animal Science2673-62252025-01-01610.3389/fanim.2025.15027241502724Owners’ perceptions of dog treat management in Western RomaniaSorana Daina0Anamaria Blaga-Petrean1Silvana Popescu2Ioana Delia Pop3Daniel Mierlita4Adrian Macri5Department of Animal Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaDepartment of Animal Hygiene and Welfare, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaDepartment of Animal Hygiene and Welfare, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaDepartment of Land Measurements and Exact Sciences, Faculty of Horticulture, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaDepartment of Animal Nutrition, University of Oradea, Oradea, RomaniaDepartment of Animal Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaIntroductionWithin the broader-than-ever palette of pet foods, dog treats are an assortment sustained by powerful marketing tools and compelling advertising. The wide range and availability of these products often pair with the fondness of owners for their companions, leading to overfeeding them with rewards.MethodsThis study explored owner treat provision behaviors among 890 voluntarily participating dog owners in Western Romania through an online survey conducted between June and November 2023.ResultsThe majority of respondents were women (72%) and younger adults aged 18–24 (39%). Emotional attachment was the primary motivation for providing treats (52%), followed by perceived health benefits (35%) and training purposes (25%). However, 84% of respondents did not account for the caloric value of treats in their dogs' daily diet, and only 16% adjusted their dogs' main meals to compensate for treat provision. Preferences leaned toward treats with dental benefits (58%) and biscuits (52%). Many owners reported offering treats multiple times daily, highlighting the role of treats in owner-dog bonding. Chi-square tests of independence, with Bonferroni-adjusted post-hoc pairwise comparisons, revealed significant associations between treat provision frequency, owner demographics, and dog characteristics. Younger owners (18–24 years) were significantly more likely to provide treats at higher frequencies, with 31.8% giving treats 'multiple times daily' compared to 7.1% of older owners (>55 years) (p<0.002). Similarly, single owners provided treats more frequently, with 31.9% giving treats 'once daily' and 42.1% 'multiple times daily', compared to 7.1% and 22.4%, respectively, among owners in committed relationships (p<0.005). Owners who provided treats less frequently, 'seldom' (80.7%) or 'a few times a week' (87.8%), were more likely to have dogs with an ideal weight, while higher treat frequencies – 'once daily' (40.0%) or 'multiple times daily' (52.7%), were significantly associated with overweight or obese dogs (p<0.003).DiscussionThese findings underscore the importance of educating dog owners on aligning treat provision with caloric requirements and promoting responsible feeding practices. Veterinarians play a critical role in guiding owners toward balanced feeding strategies that incorporate treats into comprehensive dietary plans. Addressing treat provision behaviors is essential to mitigating health risks, improving canine nutrition, and promoting overall well-being.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fanim.2025.1502724/fullpet ownersfeedingnutritionrewardsdogs |
| spellingShingle | Sorana Daina Anamaria Blaga-Petrean Silvana Popescu Ioana Delia Pop Daniel Mierlita Adrian Macri Owners’ perceptions of dog treat management in Western Romania Frontiers in Animal Science pet owners feeding nutrition rewards dogs |
| title | Owners’ perceptions of dog treat management in Western Romania |
| title_full | Owners’ perceptions of dog treat management in Western Romania |
| title_fullStr | Owners’ perceptions of dog treat management in Western Romania |
| title_full_unstemmed | Owners’ perceptions of dog treat management in Western Romania |
| title_short | Owners’ perceptions of dog treat management in Western Romania |
| title_sort | owners perceptions of dog treat management in western romania |
| topic | pet owners feeding nutrition rewards dogs |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fanim.2025.1502724/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT soranadaina ownersperceptionsofdogtreatmanagementinwesternromania AT anamariablagapetrean ownersperceptionsofdogtreatmanagementinwesternromania AT silvanapopescu ownersperceptionsofdogtreatmanagementinwesternromania AT ioanadeliapop ownersperceptionsofdogtreatmanagementinwesternromania AT danielmierlita ownersperceptionsofdogtreatmanagementinwesternromania AT adrianmacri ownersperceptionsofdogtreatmanagementinwesternromania |