Dogs Around the World

I have always been interested in observing the local dogs when I travel to different countries. Here are some pictures of dogs from countries around the world.

CUZCO, PERU

Every dog I saw in Cuzco, and there were many, appeared to be on an important mission of its own. None attempted to interact with people in any way, or even acknowledge that the people were there. A young local man told me that every family had a dog; that the dogs were released from their homes in the morning to spend the day as they wished, but all dogs came home at dinnertime to eat and spend the night at home doing their job of guarding hearth and home. I'm not sure that Cuzco dogs don't live the ideal dog life. Yes, there is some risk, but those dogs seemed grown up in a way that American dogs seldom seem to me. They had their own concerns, their own lives, and were well fed and housed since they had value to their families. I might want to be reincarnated as a Cuzco dog.


EASTER ISLAND

Black and tan seems to be a common color combination for dogs the world over. Does anyone know why?

Dogs and horses ran free on Easter Island. These two were keeping company in a hotel parking lot.

TARI, PAPUA NEW GUINEA

I saw several dogs in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. I saw no sign that these dogs belonged to anyone; they were foraging around the town market.  Like most dogs around the world who have been free to make their own breeding choices for enough generations, these dogs were medium-sized (40 pounds) with ears that stood up. 

SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA

Like the cows and the monkeys I saw in Cambodia, the dogs of Siem Reap seemed to be independent, self-assured - and very relaxed!  Note that they too are medium-sized with upstanding ears.

AGRA, INDIA

This dog wore a bandana and stood at the edge of its property.

This girl strolled around the grounds of the Taj Mahal.

I saw this adorable puppy sitting by a ruined building. When I called "puppy puppy puppy!" its three siblings came running out of a crack in the building, tails wagging wildly. A passing man encouraged me to take them home. Oh, did I want to.  Especially Little Red.

These two had a lovely time playing outside a shop in Agra.

BELIZE

The child is enjoying this closeness. Is the dog?

Ah, that's better. Tropical island life.

KRUJA, ALBANIA

 The dogs I saw in Albania were working dogs. That doesn't mean that there were no pet dogs in Albania, just that I didn't see any. This dog is guarding chickens.


WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Not surprisingly, dogs in Australia were much more similar to the dogs I was used to seeing in the USA than dogs I had seen in many other parts of the world. Clearly there was a good deal of human involvement here with selecting and breeding different types of dogs. Here are a few dogs that I encountered in Western Australia.

Snoozing at the roadside

Delightfully, this fellow was a pub mascot.

Easygoing fellow

A lovely Staffie

DUBROVNIK, CROATIA

Finally, to my amazement, I encountered a free-ranging Beauceron on the streets of Dubrovnik. This fellow looked as if he was searching for his owner - but he did not want any help. Now that I have my own Beauceron his physical signs of stress are even more apparent to me. Thankfully for the sake of his safety he was in the pedestrian-only part of town. I hope he is home safe and sound now.

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