Table 2.
Overview of the treatment conditions and pre- and post- treatment samples collected for the dog and owner.
| Category | Condition | Owner’s Dog | Owner | Dog Sample | Owner Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social Conditions | Owner cuddle | Is being cuddled by their owner | Is cuddling their own dog | yes | yes |
| Familiar cuddle | Is being cuddled by the familiar person | Is quietly sitting in the room | yes | no | |
| Owner cuddle other dog | Dog-subject is absent, another ‘stooge/familiar’ dog takes its place | Is cuddling a familiar dog | no | yes | |
| Non-social Conditions | Owner fake dog | Is present but not given attention to | Is cuddling a fake dog | yes | yes |
| Familiar fake dog | Is present but not given attention to | Is quietly sitting in the room | yes | no | |
| Owner mechanical cuddle | Is being stroked by the artificial hand held by the owner. No social interaction. | Is stroking (but no other social interaction) own dog using an artificial hand | yes | yes |