ABSTRACT

The aim of the study was to investigate the key factors influencing the successful adoption of dogs from dog shelters in Slovakia. The study covered the following factors in relation to individual dogs: time spent at the shelter, age, body weight, sex, coat color, length of the coat, and behavior (specifically intraspecific aggression, aggression toward humans, activity, and fear-related behavior). The survey was conducted in three shelters in the territory of the Slovak Republic. The online and on-site questionnaires of about 162 successfully adopted dogs were collected and were filled in by the shelter staff, those who accepted dogs into the shelter. Non-parametric statistics (Mann–Whitney U test and Kruskal–Wallis H test followed by Dunn’s multiple comparisons test with correction) confirmed that the most important factors influencing the decision-making process of potential adopters were the age of the dog and its weight. However, we found that the length or color of the coat and sex had no effect on early adoption. While behavior is important during the prospective adopter/owner’s interaction with the dog, it is still not the most important criterion in making a decision.

摘要

该研究的目的是调查影响斯洛伐克狗收容所成功收养狗的关键因素。该研究涵盖了与个别狗有关的以下因素：在收容所呆的时间、年龄、体重、性别、毛色、毛长和行为（特别是种内攻击性、对人类的攻击性、活动和与恐惧相关的行为）。调查是在斯洛伐克共和国境内的三个避难所进行的。收集了约162只成功领养狗的在线和现场问卷，由收容所工作人员填写，即收容狗进入收容所的人员。非参数统计（Mann-Whitney U 检验和 Kruskal-Wallis H 检验，然后是 Dunn 的多重比较检验和校正）证实，影响潜在采用者决策过程的最重要因素是狗的年龄和体重。然而，我们发现被毛的长度或颜色和性别对早期采用没有影响。虽然在未来的收养者/主人与狗的互动过程中行为很重要，但它仍然不是做出决定的最重要的标准。