Abstract
This
study details the basic ecological behaviors of activity, range and
social interaction of 15 individual pets that are permitted varying
degrees of freedom to roam without human supervision. The degree of
restraint provided by the owner significantly influences the pet's range
and interaction with people and other dogs. Pets that are provided with
no supervision behave more like un-owned strays than those that are
only occasionally permitted to run free.
Knowledge that pet
dogs roam more extensively the more time they are kept unrestrained may
encourage dog owners actively to confine their pets and obey leash laws.
That is, control laws will appear less arbitrary and more consistent
with the best interests of the community. In addition, the relatively
small ranges of pets that are only occasionally permitted freedom may be
utilized by animal-control personnel as a management tool; it is more
efficient to coax an animal back home, rather than capture it in the
hopes it will be retrieved by the owner.
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