FIREARMS AND FIDO - OWNERSHIP OF INJURIOUS MEANS OF PROTECTION

A growing body of theory and research has emerged on the sources of ow nership of firearms for defensive purposes. In contrast, little attent ion has been given to ownership of other means of protection that also are potentially injurious. To address this omission in the literature , this study examined the ownership not only of guns but also of watch dogs. Based on a survey of 509 residents of Edmond, Oklahoma, the anal ysis assessed the utility of the ''fear and loathing'' and ''collectiv e security'' perspectives in accounting for ownership of these differi ng forms of potentially injurious means of protection against crime. T he analysis was unsuccessful in accounting for ownership of watchdogs, but support was found for the ''fear and loathing'' explanation of fi rearm ownership.