Technology for Better Animal Care: Identifying the Dimensions for Increasing the Caretakers' Awareness through Dog Activity Monitoring Systems

2023-5-25
Tokat, Aslıhan
Wearable technologies for animals are becoming increasingly popular, promising to enhance the lives of both companion animals and humans through smart experiences. In the last ten years, wearable technologies for animals have become increasingly popular, and activity monitoring systems are one of the most commonly used types of technology. However, there is a limited amount of research on dog activity monitoring systems and their impact on the lives of caretakers and their awareness, despite the growing number of studies on wearable technologies for humans. This thesis aims to fill this gap by conducting a longitudinal study with 30 participants, exploring the dimensions of interaction with dog activity monitoring systems, caretaker personas related to the use of these systems, and their potential to contribute to the caregiving of dogs. The study involves participants using a specific dog activity monitoring device for six weeks, along with in-depth interviews, experience sampling method, and complementary questionnaires. The findings are used to develop the DAMS-mediated stage-based awareness model that explains how dog activity systems can mediate the human-dog relationship and support the caregiving of dogs.
Citation Formats
A. Tokat, “Technology for Better Animal Care: Identifying the Dimensions for Increasing the Caretakers’ Awareness through Dog Activity Monitoring Systems,” Ph.D. - Doctoral Program, Middle East Technical University, 2023.