AGGRESSIVE CONFLICTS AMONGST DOGS AND FACTORS AFFECTING THEM

Over one year, 206 dog owners were questioned in a veterinary clinic. The survey included two groups: 151 owners who visited the clinic beca use of an injury to their dog caused by another dog and 55 people who owned dogs that caused injuries to others. The questioning served to c ompare aggressors and victims of dog fights. The form contained 43 que stions concerning the dog, the owner, and the incident of intraspecifi c aggression. The results reveal that both groups, victim and aggresso r, showed regularities regarding the breeds, gender, and process of th e fight. Important factors include housing conditions, criteria concer ning the selection of a dog, and the dog's training. Significant diffe rences were found comparing the owners of aggressors and their victims , including the owner's gender, profession, age, his/her attitude towa rds dogs, the selection of a specific breed, training methods, the pur pose of keeping a dog, and previous experiences owning a dog. Further conclusions were drawn regarding the time and location of the incident s. Their influence on a potential solution to the problem caused by ag gressive dogs is discussed.