Unique behavior of Moscow's stray dogs Options

[JohnLloydJones]

If you're able to take a giant step back and look with an untainted eye, this symbiotic relationship between street dogs and humans, to me appears the more natural one.

Yes, the relationship between dogs and people in the urban U.S. is not typical of the world in general. What is interesting about the Russian dogs is that they have been able to re-adapt themselves to life as street dogs.

[Lewie'sMom]

I think in this country we've grown away from the "real world", for lack of a better term. We have everything sanitized, orderly and our excesses, while normal for us, might not be for the rest of the world and if something upsets this precarious balance of our lives, we want to sue or put a bounty on it, as DR said.

If you're able to take a giant step back and look with an untainted eye, this symbiotic relationship between street dogs and humans, to me appears the more natural one. No it's not perfect and the efforts to spay and neuter is to be commended, IMO, but that there exists the mentality that these dogs are a natural part of life and don't need to be exterminated, restores some of my faith in mankind.

Well said.

[geonni banner]

The "street dog" where I grew up was an Irish Setter named, inevitably, "Red." He had a regular route of back doors where he could expect a few scraps. He was not fearful, loved kids and belonged to no one and everyone. Town and city strays and ferals are a different kettle of fish from those in more rural areas. The latter are routinely shot for worrying livestock. In the US we are such an automobile-centric society the strays seem to always end up getting hit. Some are cleverer than others at avoiding this, but even the most careful fall victim to those rare (fortunately) individuals who get a kick out of running down dogs or cats.

I know a funny story about stray dogs told to me by Ian Dunbar. When he was a student in Berkeley, he obtained a large jar of estrus urine from one of the UC labs that used dogs for research and experimentation. He very carefully laid out drip-trails over the city of Berkeley in the pattern of a wheel, with radiating lines that converged on the UC campus. This was done during the course of one night, and the next morning there were literally hundreds of dogs all over the campus. The university maintenance staff were completely baffled by the sudden throng of dogs.
Irresponsible? Doubtless. But he was very young at the time. And I love the picture of students and faculty wading through hordes of dogs as they went to and from classes. It was a long time ago that he told me this story, but I believe he said that he counted the dogs and used the data in his thesis.
Berkeley still has a lot of stray and simply loose dogs. There is a law that your dog is supposed to stay within 6 feet of you, leashed or under demonstrable voice-control, but it is largely ignored unless someone makes a specific complaint. The biggest hazard to humans from all this is that you need to be careful where you step...

[SoloRiver]

Most of the dogs in Jordan are feral, and the vast majority of them are medium sized yellow/white dogs with prick ears. There are very few dark dogs, as I imagine dark coats would be strongly selected against in the harsh sun of the desert.





Most of them seem to be doing just fine without owners.

[Ooky]

What a great article, and great pictures from Anda and Melanie! Thanks for posting, Laura.

What interested me most about the article was their explanation of these dogs being on the evolutionary path away from domestication. These are still stray dogs, but not feral dogs.

If you're able to take a giant step back and look with an untainted eye, this symbiotic relationship between street dogs and humans, to me appears the more natural one. No it's not perfect and the efforts to spay and neuter is to be commended, IMO, but that there exists the mentality that these dogs are a natural part of life and don't need to be exterminated, restores some of my faith in mankind.

This made me think of Albania. My BIL lived there for three years when he was in the Peace Corps. In his small town they had feral dogs, and people hated and feared them. They (the dogs) lived in the mountains and would periodically sweep through the town on hunting raids in large packs. When this would happen, the town would raise an alarm and everyone would run inside as fast as they could, because several children had actually been killed and adults mauled in these hunting forays. The town had no love for the dogs whatsoever, and while the dogs benefited somewhat from the humans, the relationship what not (to their knowledge) mutually beneficial in the slightest.

When the raids would happen, the only adults that wouldn't hide were those with Kalashnikov rifles, who would stand in the streets and shoot as many dogs down as they could. My BIL will never forget the sound of the mayor laughing heartily while shooting feral dogs to death below his window.

Now Albania is a little more extreme than Moscow for sure (understatement of the century), and selection pressures on the dogs in Moscow may well continue to keep them in this middle stray state. But at the same time I think Albania illustrates the other side of de-domestication. There is a fine line, and a reason that there is a push towards domestication, which I think sea4th hits on as well. But given the feral scenario above and the scenario where dogs can be a true member of your pack and even help you in very complex jobs, I'll definitely take the latter. Actually, I have to admit while I love the street dogs of Mexico I often feel bad at how unhealthy they seem - my American sensibilities showing!

[JohnLloydJones]

What interested me most about the article was their explanation of these dogs being on the evolutionary path away from domestication. These are still stray dogs, but not feral dogs.

In fact, I believe the street dogs of Russia and the ones I have experience of in Bombay are probably closer to the true domesticated dog and "pet" (or indoor) dogs we have in the US are a relatively recent development. The Bombay street dogs were happy to mingle with people -- even if they were a tad cautious with strangers at first. I only saw one female who was unable to approach people, but interestingly enough, she brought her pups up and let them be handled by people, even while she remained a "safe" distance away.

[sea4th]

Actually, I have to admit while I love the street dogs of Mexico I often feel bad at how unhealthy they seem - my American sensibilities showing!

I don't think there is anything unhealthy about your "American sensibilities". Is the well being of the street/village dog reflective of the city or village where they live? What I'm trying to say is if the human residents are relatively well fed and healthy, I would think the condition of the street dogs would reflect that and it's in these sort of environments that people can afford to be if not kind, then somewhat tolerant of the village/street dogs, even affording the luxury of a spay and neuter efforts.

I'm also wondering if, depending on the area (culture), if anyone ever intervenes on behalf of one of these dogs if it's is being abused or mistreated. I understand not every culture is necessary kind to dogs, but I don't understand intentional cruelty.

Re: the Albanian story -- the people in that town apparently had every right to be afraid of dogs and took what action they had to. I'm wondering when and why these packs would sweep through the town. Was it during periods of extreme hunger? I feel that there's got to be a lot more to this scenario.

[Anda]

I don't think there is anything unhealthy about your "American sensibilities". Is the well being of the street/village dog reflective of the city or village where they live? What I'm trying to say is if the human residents are relatively well fed and healthy, I would think the condition of the street dogs would reflect that and it's in these sort of environments that people can afford to be if not kind, then somewhat tolerant of the village/street dogs, even affording the luxury of a spay and neuter efforts.

I'm also wondering if, depending on the area (culture), if anyone ever intervenes on behalf of one of these dogs if it's is being abused or mistreated. I understand not every culture is necessary kind to dogs, but I don't understand intentional cruelty.

Re: the Albanian story -- the people in that town apparently had every right to be afraid of dogs and took what action they had to. I'm wondering when and why these packs would sweep through the town. Was it during periods of extreme hunger? I feel that there's got to be a lot more to this scenario.

Once again you hit the nail in the head It depends on the level of wealth of the area/city the dogs live in. Dogs in rural areas of Romania probably look a lot scrawnier than their capital dwelling relatives. They also wouldn't turn their nose from a piece of fresh bread, like street dogs from Bucharest do

I've witnessed many occasions (and participated as well) of people standing up to protect street dogs. There's always a (drunk) asshole who wants to scare the dogs away or pretends (or attempts) to kick them while they're minding their own business. Luckily there's also always someone to start yelling at the asshole to cut it out and ask what harm did the dogs do to him - the outcome is the morron leaves ashamed and maybe even with some dogs barking their indignation behind him (now that they saw other people trying to protect them).

[Ooky]

Yes, I agree - Mexico, which is my main personal experience with observing stray dogs in anything like the Moscow situation, is by and large VERY poor. A lot of the people are not entirely healthy either. Even in the bigger, nicer cities, like Puerto Vallarta, there are piles of trash and sewage in the streets. In the smaller villages, people are often living in third world conditions, without access even to clean water. Also, many areas I've travelled in Mexico are wet-tropical, and I bet that makes a big difference too. There are just so many more parasites in a tropical climate. The dogs don't have to deal with cold temperatures such as the dogs in temperate climates, and they probably have more access to water than dogs in desert climates, but the disease loads and parasite exposure they have to cope with is much more intense.

Re: the Albanian story -- the people in that town apparently had every right to be afraid of dogs and took what action they had to. I'm wondering when and why these packs would sweep through the town. Was it during periods of extreme hunger? I feel that there's got to be a lot more to this scenario.

I was not there, but an important point is that these dogs didn't live in the town. If they were coming through even with the threat of being shot, it must have only been because they were starving in the mountains, similar to why wildlife like mtn lions come into the suburbs in America. Unlike mtn lions, they are not SO far away from being domesticated, and are pack animals, so had a different strategy. I assume the aggressive response of the people made it so that they had a similar aggressive response, and only came in large packs that swept through, getting all they could and having some safety in numbers, and taking off for the hills again.

[Dal & Mad's Mom]

Anda did people in a sense rescue by finding homes for the puppies born on the street to the street dogs? Or was it more common to purchase a pure bred dog?

[ejano]

Yes, the relationship between dogs and people in the urban U.S. is not typical of the world in general. What is interesting about the Russian dogs is that they have been able to re-adapt themselves to life as street dogs.

Anthropologically speaking, isn't this how canine-human interaction began - that is, with a symbiotic relationship?

[martySQ]

In Brazil where my sister lives, I asked when I visited about the stray dogs and cats... My Brother in law said it had appeared to him that the dogs pretty much kept the cat population populations under control, and the dogs seemed self regulating.. no one messed with the dogs, dogs didn't mess with the people. They had an home dog for protection...but had to take care of it because people intending to rob them would throw poisoned meat over the wall so the dog might die and not sound an alarm. !st thikng they taught their dogs was eat nothing but what comes from your Dad's hand.