It has been suggested that this article be merged with Free-ranging dog. (Discuss) Proposed since July 2024. |
Street dogs, known in scientific literature as free-ranging urban dogs,[1][2] are unconfined dogs that live in cities. They live virtually everywhere cities exist and the local human population allows, especially in the developing world. Street dogs may be stray dogs, pets that have strayed from or are abandoned by their owners, or maybe feral animals that have never been owned.[3] Street dogs may be stray purebreds, true mixed-breed dogs, or unbred landraces such as the Indian pariah dog. Street dog overpopulation can cause problems for the societies in which they live, so campaigns to spay and neuter them are sometimes implemented. They tend to differ from rural free-ranging dogs in their skill sets, socialization, and ecological effects.
A population of urban free-ranging dogsCanis familiaris Linnaeus, 1758 was studied in Katwa, West Bengal, India. The analysis of changes in the density of the dog population over 4 years revealed considerable stability of this population. Mean (±SD)2 seasonal population density was
Some dogs lead a relatively free life despite being socialized to some extent. These dogs have or can establish a social relationship with human(s) and may be fed and sheltered regularly (stray dogs, village dogs).