Los Perros

There are stray dogs everywhere in this country. It’s quite fascinating to study their culture. Many dogs just walk the streets alone, keeping their heads and tails down, avoiding any contact with people. Often, they’re in pairs and seem to be enjoying life a little bit more with a companion. But you’ll also see the occasional dog gang either roaming the streets together or huddled up sleeping together to stay warm. They’re really good at using the sidewalks, for the most part, and crossing busy streets without getting hit by a car. While I’m sure they’re full of fleas and many look pretty down on their luck, a lot of the street dogs appear healthy. Los perros survive mostly by digging through heaps of garbage bags that have been placed on sidewalks. This means that garbage is often strewn all over the place afterwards. You don’t mess with the dogs when they’re scrounging for their food. They also don’t mess with each other, as the alpha dogs always get first dibs by fending off others. Though I have seen a dog dash in to grab a garbage bag and take off with it while the alpha dog was busy with another bag.

 
Here’s a pack of dogs sleeping in the rain in the park. I enjoy watching how they interact with each other, though sometimes they get territorial with people too. I was walking alone at night last week and there was a gang of about six dogs hanging out on the sidewalk. Though I was walking in the street and not really paying them any attention, they were not happy with my presence. They barked a lot, which is normal, but then as I walked directly past them, they actually started coming at me, growling. Fortunately, I didn’t panic and just turned my back to them and kept walking. A kid a few hundred feet behind me got the same treatment, though he started running and they chased him a bit. I know that sometimes people carry rocks in their pockets to back them off. That’s the scariest moment I’ve had here, actually, but it’s the only time I’ve felt truly threatened.  Also, I have seen some fights between dogs that are being territorial. When we went to work on the stove project on Wednesday, a woman had her dog walking with us and it kept getting attacked by the other dogs in the barrio. If it hadn’t been rolling with humans, I don’t think it would’ve made it out of there alive.

Of course, there are lots of people that own dogs too, and apparently many dogs do have a casa, they’re just not allowed inside. They are clearly breeding like crazy, as many of the females have teets that are ready for a litter. Though I’m not sure how the puppies would make it for long if the mothers are just trying to survive themselves. The males follow the females all over the place, trying to get a little action. (R-rated warning time a mi famiia!) Last week, there was a gang of dogs in the middle of a busy street, seemingly just hanging out.
Now, let me describe this picture a little more. The two brown dogs in the middle are connected. Not doggie-style, but trust me, they’re connected. The bigger one is the boy. The other dogs are growling at the cars and pedestrians, seemingly protecting the pair in the middle. Some cars honked, but mostly they just drove around the group. Annie and I watched this with bemusement for a few minutes, then stared in awe after they disconnected because that perro was hung like a caballo! Seriously impressive. So, they finished and the dog gang took off.

The perros just seem to be part of the culture in this country, for better or worse. And for the most part, it’s a peaceful coexistence with the humans. It’s certainly a good show.