Dogs are one of the most widespread carnivore and the third most invasive mammal, after cats and rodents. Stray dogs affect wildlife negatively by predation, disturbance, disease spreading, competition and hybridization with other wild canids. Even in urban environments stray dogs cause problems such as disturbance, pollution, traffic accidents, bites and risk of disease spreading. Serbia is one of many countries in the Balkan region that has a problem with overpopulation of stray dogs. The aim of this study is to investigate the population dynamics of stray dogs in Bor, Serbia and discuss different dog population management strategies. A total of 361 stray dogs were registered, 111 male dogs, 85 female dogs and 165 dogs with undetermined sex. 55 dogs (15.23%) were estimated to be older than 7 years old, 262 dogs (72.57%) were estimated to be between 3-7 years old, 30 dogs (8.31%) were estimated to be between 6-24 months old and 14 dogs (3.87) were estimated to be between 0-6 months old. No dogs showed any signs of rabies or CDV (canine distemper virus) and 241 stray dogs (66.75%) seemed healthy. 120 stray dogs (33.25%) did however have some kind of impaired health. To achieve a stop in the population increase,70% sterilisation rate is required and to teach responsible dog ownership. The stray dogs showed different reactions towards people, 164 dogs (45.42%) were neutral and 100 dogs (27.70%) showed no fear or aggression towards humans and gladly interacted. Since the dogs are highly accessible, they would be acceptable for a TNR (trap-neuter-release) program and male dogs need to be prioritised considering their dispersal patterns. / Hundar är en av de mest spridda karnivorerna och det tredje mest invasiva däggdjuret, efter katter och gnagare. Gatuhundar påverkar vilda djur negativt genom predation, störning, spridning av sjukdomar, konkurrens och hybridisering med andra vilda hunddjur. Även i urbana miljöer har gatuhundar en negativ påverkan, genom störning, förorening, trafikolyckor, bett och sjukdomsrisk. Serbien är ett av många länder i Balkanregionen som har för stora populationer av gatuhundar. I detta arbete undersöks populationsdynamiken hos gatuhundar i Bor, Serbien och diskuterar olika metoder för att hantera gatuhundpopulationen. Totalt inventerades 361 gatuhundar, 111 hanar, 85 honor och 165 med obestämt kön. 55 hundar (15.23%) uppskattades vara äldre än 7 år, 262 hundar (72.57%) uppskattades vara mellan 3-7 år, 30 hundar (8.31%) uppskattades vara mellan 6-24 månader gamla och 14 hundar (3.87) uppskattades vara mellan 0-6 månader gamla. Inga hundar visade tecken på rabies eller CDV (canine distemper virus) och 241 gatuhundar (66.75%) föreföll friska. Däremot visade 120 hundar (33.25%) någon typ av nedsatt hälsa. För att uppnå ett stopp i populationsökningen krävs minst 70% steriliseringstakt samt att man lär ut ansvarsfullt hundägande. Gatuhundarna visade olika reaktioner mot människor, 164 hundar (45.42%) var neutrala och 100 hundar (27.70%) visade ingen rädsla eller aggression för människor och interagerade gärna. Eftersom gatuhundarna är lättillgängliga, skulle de kunna ingå i populationshanteringar som TNR (trap-neuter-release) och hanhundar bör prioriteras med tanke på deras spridningsmönster.

Unsocialized stray dogs live unrestrained in urban areas, having limited to no direct contact with humans. Aggressive behaviour towards humans leads to their apprehension to shelters, where they tend to stay permanently. This study aimed to determine if unsocialized stray dogs could be rehabilitated and develop the social skills needed for adoption. Six unsocialized stray dogs (Group Stray) and 12 socialized dogs (C1: Control Group 1, n=6; C2: Control Group 2, n=6) housed in a shelter were selected. Stray and C2 dogs went through two training phases: social rehabilitation towards humans and leash training. Sociability towards humans and behaviour on a leash were tested in all groups following Valsecchi et al. (2011). Sociability Tests (ST) and Leash Tests (LT) were conducted before any intervention (ST1), after sociability training (ST2, LT1) and after leash training (ST3, LT2). Training sessions and tests were video recorded and posteriorly analysed by four observers. Results showed that for Stray, but not for C1 and C2, there was a significant increase in sociability from ST1 to ST3. Moreover, for Stray Group there was a significant decrease in the frequency of fear-related behaviours between ST1 and ST3. For leash behaviour, no significant changes were found from LT1 to LT2 for neither group. However, there was considerable individual variation, as not all strays overcame their extreme fear towards humans. These findings suggest that dog­–human interactions can be improved through training for dogs who do not show extreme fear and/or aggression towards humans.