Table 1.
The independent variables derived from each part of the questionnaire. In the last column, we indicated the levels of measure the given variable could take in the statistical analysis.
| Name of Variable | Description | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Demographic Data | ||
| Dog Age | Age of the dog divided into five age groups: below 1 year; 1–2 years; 2–5 years; 5–10 years; above 10 years | 1–5 |
| Place of Keeping | Where does the owner mainly keep his/her dog: inside (in an apartment or house), both outside (garden or kennel) and inside the house; in the garden; in a kennel | 1–4 |
| Dog–Owner Relationship | ||
| Dog Role | What is the dog’s role in the owner’s life: like a child or family member; friend, playmate or colleague; working or domestic animal | 1–3 |
| Active Time | The amount of time the owner actively spends with the dog in a day (training, playing, walking, etc.): more than 3 h; 1–3 h; less than 1 h; none | 1–4 |
| Behavioral Problems | ||
| Separation anxiety | 0; 1 | |
| Aggression (towards people or other dogs) | 0; 1 | |
| Food-related problems (stealing food, devouring food) | 0; 1 | |
| Fearful | 0; 1 | |
| Jumping on people | 0; 1 | |
| Noise sensitivity | 0; 1 | |
| Excessive barking | 0; 1 | |
| Hyperactivity | 0; 1 | |
| Not coming back when called | 0; 1 | |
| Reward | ||
| Reward Type | If the owner ever uses food as a reward during training | 0; 1 |
| Feeding | ||
| Commercial | If the owner ever feeds commercial dog food to the dog | 0; 1 |
| Human Food | If the owner ever feeds human food to the dog | 0; 1 |
| Home-made | If the owner ever cooks specifically for the dog | 0; 1 |
| Raw Diet | If the owner ever feeds a raw diet to the dog | 0; 1 |
| Main Food Type | The main type of food the owner gives to the dog: only commercial; never commercial; both commercial and other | 1–3 |
| Activity | ||
| Physical Activity | Level of physical activity: none; hobby; sport | 1–3 |