The objective of this study was to gain an understanding of the village dog-keeping system, and of perceptions of dog-related problems by villagers and tourists, in the coastal region of Oaxaca, Mexico. We conducted a survey of the inhabitants of three villages (Mazunte, Puerto Angel, and Río Seco), whose main economic activities were tourism, fishing, and farming (n = 99), and a survey of tourists (n = 151). Dogs were the most commonly kept animals in all the villages. Cultural and economic aspects were reflected in dog-keeping practices. All dog owners allowed their dog(s) to roam free in the farming village (Río Seco), but not in the tourist villages (Mazunte and Puerto Angel). Significantly more dog owners in the tourist village of Mazunte mentioned companionship as a reason for keeping dogs than those in the farming village. All villagers perceived as a problem that there were too many dogs. The mean number of dogs per household was 1.8, and there were significantly more male dogs in the farm...

Free-roaming campus dogs and cats are common in Mexico and other countries. There is generally no policy regarding their status and management. Thus, the wellbeing and tolerance or acceptance of campus dogs and cats relies on university stakeholders, who may have different perceptions regarding these animals. The objective of this study was to investigate university stakeholder perceptions of campus dogs and cats and self-reported human–animal interactions in Yucatán, Mexico, as a first step to understanding human–animal relations in a campus setting. A survey was conducted at four campuses (including one high school) of the Autonomous University of Yucatán. Students, faculty members, administrative staff, and janitors were invited to participate, and 353 questionnaires were completed and analyzed (181 women, 160 men, ages ranging from 15 to 67 years). Students were more likely to “absolutely like” the presence of campus dogs, and cats. There was general agreement among stakeholders that “the ideal situation for a cat is to roam free,” but they did not think the same about dogs. Human–animal interactions included feeding and/or touching campus dogs and cats. Logistic regression models showed that cat owners were more likely to feed campus cats, whereas dog owners were more likely to feed and touch campus dogs. Students were more likely to touch campus dogs and cats. Those who disliked or were indifferent to campus dogs and cats were unlikely to feed or touch them. Most respondents perceived problems with campus dogs (85%) and cats (68%), with differences among stakeholders and campuses. The most commonly perceived problem for dogs and cats was poor animal welfare (i.e., too thin and/or sick). Faculty members were the most concerned about dogs and cats projecting a bad image of the university. Management initiatives should target those who feed and touch dogs and cats and also address the concerns of faculty members, administrative staff, and janitors. Active engagement of university stakeholders may alleviate perceived problems and improve on-campus animal welfare.

Limited socialisation can contribute to the development of undesirable dog behaviours. The COVID-19 lockdown potentially limited socialisation opportunities, which may negatively impact the future behaviour of puppies raised during lockdown. Data were gathered from longitudinal study participants in the United Kingdom/Republic of Ireland via multiple questionnaires between May 2016 and November 2022. The impact of age and lockdown phase (pre-, during, and post-) on the types of socialisation experiences of 8-to-19-week-old puppies and the recency of socialisation experiences of approximately 6-month-old puppies were examined. Puppies under 19-weeks had significantly more types of socialisation experiences (from a predefined list) as they aged, and pre-lockdown compared to post-lockdown, but not between other lockdown phases. Most 6-month-old puppies had met a new adult or dog outside the household, a familiar dog, and/or a child within the last 1–7 days, and this was similar between lockdown phases. During lockdown, 6-month-old puppies experienced longer periods between meeting a new adult in their home. Puppies were hypothesised to have had fewer experiences during lockdown, but this was not found. However, the quantity and quality of these experiences may have been affected. Future research within this longitudinal study will explore relationships between the timing and type of experiences had by puppies and their subsequent behaviour.

Village dogs are important for households in coastal Mexico, yet they are seen as out of place by etic stakeholders (public health and wildlife experts, and animal welfarists). Caregivers of village dogs are considered irresponsible, a view that is reinforced by Mexican policy. We describe two contrasting etic discourses in this article that have emerged from ideologies based on human-dog relation theories. The article is part of an ongoing shift in the social sciences that has seen attempts to move beyond anthropocentrism and to explore human-animal relations outside the parameters of the traditional nature-culture dichotomy. Local narratives hinge on different experiences with dogs. Villagers perceive their dogs as adults, capable of and subject to judgment. Etic discourses are currently the basis for dog management policies. Attaching the label of “irresponsible owner” to the caregivers of village dogs prevents their inclusion as legitimate participants in policy processes.