# Companion Dogs in Vietnam: Exploring Characteristics of Owned and Ideal Dogs

## TL;DR

This study explores what traits Vietnamese dog owners consider ideal in companion dogs and how these traits differ from those in Western countries.

## Contribution

The study identifies four ideal dog traits specific to Vietnam and highlights how cultural factors influence perceptions of companion animals.

## Key findings

- Vietnamese participants identified 'Calmness', 'Energy/Capability', 'Affection/Health', and 'Cleanliness' as ideal dog traits.
- Most current dog owners in Vietnam have non-desexed, mixed breed male dogs that are small or medium sized.
- Cultural and environmental factors significantly shape perceptions of ideal companion dogs in Vietnam compared to Western countries.

## Abstract

Most research on ‘ideal’ companion dogs, referring to dogs with traits that align with what owners prefer for the purpose of social support or emotional connection, has focused on Western countries, despite growing dog ownership in Eastern contexts. Vietnamese participants completed a 44-item questionnaire, the Ideal Dog Scale, comprising demographic questions and questions about their ideal dog, and for current dog owners, their actual dog’s traits. Four ‘ideal’ traits were identified: Calmness, Energy/Capability, Affection/Health, and Cleanliness. This is in comparison to Australia and Italy, where the ideal dog is typically viewed as calm, sociable and energetic. For Vietnamese participants with a current dog, dogs were typically male, not desexed, a mixed breed, and small or medium sized. The findings highlight how cultural and environmental factors shape perceptions of companion animals. Accordingly, the right match between owners and dogs with ideal traits, shaped by cultural context, may enhance owner satisfaction. In turn, understanding owner preferences can aid in minimising the relinquishment and maltreatment of companion dogs.

As the first domesticated species, dogs have been shaped by human needs, values, and social structures, resulting in culturally specific expectations of their behaviour. While much of the existing research on companion animal preferences (referred to as ideal traits) has focused on Western contexts, rapidly increasing companion dog populations in Eastern countries mean that preferences in diverse cultures are important to investigate. Considering owner satisfaction is influenced by the match between dogs’ traits and owners’ culturally specific ideals, understanding ideal dog traits may help minimise welfare concerns, including relinquishment and maltreatment of companion dogs. A sample of 312 Vietnamese adults (M age = 27.31, SD = 6.65) were recruited via convenience sampling through Facebook and Instagram. Participants completed translated versions of the 44-item Ideal Dog Scale. Exploratory factor analysis identified four dimensions of ideal dog traits in Vietnam: ‘Calmness’, ‘Energy/Capability’, ‘Affection/Health’, and ‘Cleanliness’. This differs from Australia, where the ideal dog is ‘calm/compliant’, ‘sociable/healthy’, ‘energetic/faithful/protective’, ‘socially acceptable’, and ‘non-aggressive’, and from Italy, where the ideal dog is ‘calm’, ‘sociable and healthy’, ‘well trained and adaptable’, ‘energetic’, and ‘easy to manage‘. For participants with a current dog, most owned a non-desexed, mixed breed male dog. This study deepens psychological insight into how socioecological contexts may shape perceptions of ideal companion animals. It also allows Vietnamese individuals to understand traits that would lead to the best dog–owner ‘match’, improving dog owner wellbeing and dog welfare.