Table 3 Activities described to improve aspects of eudaimonic well-being.
Most frequent subthemes (≥ 5% mentions) | Sample extract from interviews | |
|---|---|---|
Increase in | ||
Autonomy 49 mentions | The presence of the dog (12; 25.5%) Having/raising the dog (9; 19.1%) Exercise with the dog (8; 17.0%) Looking after the dog—general routine (5; 10.6%) Sense of obligation to the dog (4; 8.5%) Maintenance of dog (3; 6.4%) | "I think my dog helps me, because now I can go out on my own, I can do like the food shopping and things like that on my own. Whereas before I found that really hard. Her company makes me feel a bit more confident, I think and less worried about things" P5 |
Environmental mastery 95 mentions | Exercise with the dog (23; 24.2%) The presence of the dog (15; 15.8%) Feeding, giving water to the dog (12; 12.6%) Looking after the dog—general routine (12; 12.6%) Having/raising the dog (7; 7.4%) Tactile interactions initiated by the dog (6; 6.3%) | "I was in a pretty bad state before. Like I didn't really clean up the house[…]. Then I got him, and I need to clean up the house[…], I need to get up in the morning to feed him and take him out for a walk. And it suddenly gave me all these things which I suppose for other people are maybe mundane tasks. It gave me a structure or gave me a routine." P28 |
Personal growth 68 mentions | Having/raising the dog (17; 25.0%) Training the dog, doing agility, scent work (11; 16.2%) Looking after the dog—general routine (7; 10.3%) The presence of the dog (6; 8.8%) Exercise with the dog (5; 7.4%) Dog shows good behaviour, training skills (4; 5.9%) | "I've never really sort of connected with anyone or anything up until we got her. […] I would assume people to be in my life short term, there was never any sort of long-term prospect, I was always by myself. When I got her, it was the first time I sort of allowed myself to think or to form a long-term bond, I suppose." P30 |
Positive relations with others 122 mentions | The presence of the dog (28; 23.0%) Exercise with the dog (24; 19.7%) Talk about the dog (23; 18.9%) Contact with other people while out with dog (12; 9.8%) Interactions on social media (8; 6.6%), Having/raising the dog (7; 5.7%) | "He's an ex-racing dog, so people like to come up and talk to you about him. I suppose that does give a relationship with others that you wouldn't talk to normally. A common thing with autism is that you don't have many friends. And you don't have many social situations. And I suppose that's giving you a chance of social interaction." P11 |
Purpose in life 133 mentions | Exercise with the dog (27; 20.3%) Looking after the dog—general routine (24; 18.0%) Feeding, giving water to the dog (21; 15.8%) Having/raising the dog (16; 12.0%) Maintenance of dog (9; 6.8%) | "The dog gives you something to get up for[…]it's six o'clock, I must feed the dog. Six thirty I must take him out for his walk, you know, seven o'clock, we sit down and watch television together. Eleven o'clock, we go to bed" P11 |
Self-acceptance 55 mentions | Close dog-owner interactions (15; 27.3%) The presence of the dog (7; 12.7%) Having/raising the dog (6; 10.9%) Tactile interactions initiated by the dog (5; 9.1%) Dog shows good behaviour, training skills (5; 9.1%) Training the dog, doing agility, scent work (4; 7.3%) Looking after the dog—general routine (3; 5.5%) | "It's an old saying that everyone should have a dog, so they give you unconditional acceptance[…] If I've been out like it, he's so happy to see me [greeting]. You know, you can't be all that bad if you're getting that sort of reaction. You know, you get a friendly reaction, rather than being ignored or so. You know, it does make you feel good." P23 |
