[Owner-dog relationships--a decade later]

The first cynological study in South Africa was done in 1976. To establish possible new tendencies in dog ownership, the study was repeated a decade later. The questionnaire included questions on breed, nutrition, care, reproduction, behaviour, training and replacement, and the information was gathered by door to door visits. External factors such as the need for specific breeds for specific situations (security, economics) in the country, availability of reading matter about dogs, the convenience of commercial dog foods, the growing tendency for mothers to enter into fixed employment, campaigns against undesired breeding, improved veterinary services, reports on canine heroism in the media, could all have influenced the patterns of dog ownership. The awareness of these tendencies could be of importance to the companion animal veterinarian.