Exploratory Framework for Assessing Dog-Human Relational Environments A DOGGO Academy Foundation Working Paper

This record presents a working paper developed by the DOGGO Academy Foundation as part of its ongoing programme on welfare-oriented standards in applied canine behaviour science. The paper proposes an exploratory, non-clinical conceptual framework for assessing dog - human relational environments, positioning the dog as the primary subject of analysis. Drawing on applied ethology, animal welfare science, the co-evolutionary literature on the domestic dog, and critical perspectives within human-animal interaction research, the framework reconceptualises the dog - human relationship not as a bond, intervention, or resource, but as a modifiable environmental system shaping canine functioning over time. Four interrelated analytical domains are proposed: environmental predictability, emotional regulatory load, relational expectations, and the adaptive capacity of the dog. The paper also addresses the absence of harmonised analytical standards in applied canine behaviour science and outlines a direction for their responsible development. The document does not report empirical validation, clinical research, or therapeutic claims, and does not present validated assessment instruments. Clear distinctions are maintained between scientific evidence, exploratory observation, and normative institutional standards. The working paper is intended as a foundational, non-clinical contribution to ongoing research, methodological development, and the emergence of harmonised, welfare-first assessment standards in the study of dog - human systems. Keywords: dog - human interaction; animal welfare science; applied ethology; relational environment; canine behavioural assessment; welfare-oriented framework; environmental predictability; emotional regulation; dog - human co-evolution; behavioural standardisation.