Why consider pets in housing design?

Role of the home environment in urban animal management

Local government commits considerable resources to managing domestic pets in the context of their regulatory functions. Many of the issues concern complaints between neighbours. Urban planners working in government have had only marginal involvement in the debate which has been restricted mainly to specific issues such as prohibition of pet ownership in environmentally sensitive areas. Planners have given virtually no consideration to ways in which urban design can help to improve the quality of life of domestic pets and their owners and reduce the problems that can arise when people live close to one another. Our initial investigations revealed the possibility to improve the situation through the application of improved design techniques.

Higher urban densities

The wave of high and medium housing development in Australian cities over the last five years has been remarkable. What was once an unpalatable policy of the government is now a development reality with the effects of higher densities being visible around Australia.

Results are uncertain, however it is foreseeable that pet owners living in these new forms of housing could be discouraged from owning a pet or will be compromised in their choice (eg by obtaining a cat when they would prefer a dog). Those that do persist with pet ownership could face tougher restrictions either from their local Council, landlord or resident management committees.

In these circumstances, the need for guidelines has become a design imperative rather than some vague notion that designing with pets in mind is a good idea.

The benefits of owning pets

What many pet owners have known intuitively for many years about the benefits of owning pets is now supported by numerous scientific studies from a range of disciplines eg:

• A prospective study, published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, found dog owners suffered fewer minor illnesses and complaints than a control group ten months after acquisition of a dog and undertook significantly more physical exercise;
• The 1992 research by the Baker Medical Institute showed pet owners had lower risk factors for cardiovascular disease than non pet owners, as well as being more likely to exercise;
• A study published in the American Journal of Cardiology in 1995 indicated dog owners were more likely to be still alive one year after acute myocardial infarction;
• Judith Siegel's prospective study of American Medicare enrollees over the age of 65 found pet owners had fewer doctor visits during a one year period; and
• A national survey conducted in 1995 similarly revealed fewer doctor visits for adult Australians of all ages. Dog owners also took more exercise than non dog owners.  

For children, experience with pets contributes to their development. Pets help them learn responsibility and how to share. They show that if affection is given, it will be returned. They also encourage children to exercise. In research conducted by McCallum Research Pty Ltd in conjunction with Hugh McKay, it was concluded that:

"Some parents feel they would be failing in their responsibilities as parents if they 'deprived' their children of pets and that what they learn from pets makes them better human beings" (1992, p16).

While some say pets have no future in urban areas, this scenario is neither desirable nor favoured by the bulk of the Australian community. A 1996 study that of those people that do not presently have a pet, 53% would, in the future like one, with 'unsuitable accommodation' reported as the main mitigating factor. The implementation of design guidelines is important to ensure people will continue to be able to own pets in cities of the future.

Enjoying the benefits for all household types

Linked to urban consolidation is the importance of pet ownership to non-traditional family type households such as the elderly, sole parent families and others who are more likely to live in higher density housing. While the human-animal bond is well understood among people working in the field there seems to be a myth prevailing in the community that pet ownership is associated with the nuclear family living in detached suburban housing. If urban planners truly aspire to accommodating the diverse housing needs of all members of the community, then they need to understand that pet ownership is numerically significant and has worthwhile benefits for all household groups. This is a third reason for preparing these guidelines.

The popularity of pet ownership

Aside from the social benefits there is the sheer popularity of pet ownership. In Australia, 57% of households own either a dog or a cat (Reark Research 1995). Obviously there should be an incentive for all those involved in the housing industry to integrate these guidelines into their work, especially because of the emerging threats outlined above. The editor of the local trade press illustrated this point with the headline added to the author's report on the guidelines - "Builders who fail to make provision for family pets may miss out on sales" (Jackson 1993a).

The Role of Design in Successful Pet Ownership

A successful pet is one that meets the owner's needs and expectations and integrates well into the family and surrounding neighbourhood. Important to the relationship are three variables: the pet (ie breed and individual characteristics), the owner who needs to be aware of his or her responsibilities and the pet's home environment.

The relationship between these variables is complex and constantly changing. While it is wrong to assume a certain pet, owner or environment will cause certain behaviours, each will have the capacity to increase or decrease certain types of behaviour. Considering one variable in isolation cannot be the answer to successful pet ownership.

Unwanted behaviours in pets affect owners and neighbours, as well as the pets themselves. They include excessive vocalisation (barking, whining, caterwauling), aggression and other nuisance behaviours such as digging and chewing. Wandering by dogs (and in some areas by cats) has also become unacceptable.

Unwanted behaviours can be annoying or hazardous. Their effect can be isolated to the owner, or they can affect others including neighbours and passers-by. In most instances the problem is a matter of degree, eg most dogs bark, it is only when the barking becomes excessive that a problem emerges.

Problems also vary geographically. For example, in inner areas problems are more likely to be associated with effects on neighbours than conflicts with other land uses or environmental areas. In outer areas where densities are lower, the reverse is likely to be the case.

In the study the potential of the home environment to improve a pet's quality of life and reduce unwanted behaviours, as well as assist in other aspects of responsible pet ownership, was examined. The pet's quality of life is influenced by the quantity and quality of space, both indoors and outdoors.

In addition to breed and individual characteristics, behavioural problems are influenced by boredom and unused energy (Holmes 1993, 1995) separation anxiety (Holmes 1995, Borchelt 1983) and territoriality (Holmes 1995, Hart 1985). Pet owners now have a range of information and advice to consult about choosing the right pet and being a responsible owner. However there has been a dearth of formal studies in which the relevant components of the home environment are systematically identified, other than in our initial research in 1993. In our study, ways to reduce behavioural problems, in particular by providing 'environmental enrichment' at home, were sought. Animal Behaviourist, Robert Holmes, says the aim of environmental enrichment should be to provide more complexity, unpredictability, and choice into pets' daily lives. He believes it can lead to an increase in the welfare of animals, a decrease in unacceptable behaviour, and an increase in the pleasures of animal ownership, as well as residential enjoyment by neighbours (Holmes 1993).

Additional aspects of pet ownership that could be assisted by design include disposal of faeces and confinement of dogs (and in some cases cats) to prevent wandering.

Planning for Pets: The Principles of Design

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