myanmar mutts 1

zzzzzz....

On the left is a picture of a dog. Obviously this dog looks quite contented. Nice plump belly indicating a well fed,well nourished dog. No evidence of bones sticking out or any visible rib cage.

A comfortable well maintained bed. It's even a purpose built dog bed.(note the paws) The bed also contains a blanket which the dog will arrange for its own comfort. Soft cushioning for the head allowing for a peaceful sleep. Dreams? Well if androids dream of electric sheep I think this dog will be dreaming of a sheep bone. She loves to bury bones in the backyard.Perhaps she will be dreaming of a walk in the woods or on the beach. She might be dreaming of some morsels from the family dinner, and make no mistake she is part of a family. She could be dreaming of having her belly rubbed or maybe chasing a ball (maybe not!) but whatever her dreams they are likely to come true. We can also rest assured that she isn't carrying or likely to pick up any diseases or illness. She is fully inoculated. No chance of her getting pregnant form a roaming dog:she's spade. Overall a picture of peace,health and contentment. A typical Australian family dog. You know one of those dogs "that thinks it's people". 

 

grrrrr..

In contrast this photograph paints a different picture. Similar looking dogs  similar states of repose. Certainly the dog looks relaxed enough but is this the sleep of the serene? Doubtful. There is no plump belly here, only visible ribcage and spine. There is no blanket or soft bed for this pup. Just a spot on the ground it has managed to find. There is a sense here that sleep maybe fleeting, bought on by the fatigue of life, that it's important for this dog to wake up get some food. This not the sleep of the well fed but the exhausted and weak.

This dog won't be dreaming of walks, chasing balls or morsels from the family table. She wouldn't be thinking of a belly rub. That is so far outside her universe that it is not even a concept. More than likely it will be dreaming of where it will be trying to scrounge a mouthful of food or, if it's lucky, might come across a prize of a dropped meal or thrown away unfinished dinner. The dog's condition shows its vulnerability to illness. No inoculations or microchips here. No backyards to bury bones. No walks only wanderings bought on by hunger pains. For some Myanmar dogs this is the reality of life on the streets.

 

btw this is a male dog!

One is struck by the number of stray dogs there are in Myanmar. It's a fact of life that you will see dogs wandering around the street, sleeping on steps, scrounging around outdoor restaurants, fighting, rutting and everything else that dogs do. Even though dogs are quite common they keep a respectful distance from humans. They are fully aware of where they stand in the pecking order. They also have their own pecking order.

 

 

At the top is the alpha male . This is the local alpha. Lets call him Alfie. Alfie has got it pretty good actually. He certainly looks in good condition. No malnutrition here.

You don't actually see him eating very often but I don't think he goes without. Alfie does seem to have people look after him. He can often be seen sitting, lord like, in a chair covered with paper (not quite the bed of the Australian dog but still..) at the entrance to the street as though he is keeping watch on the comings and goings of the street. Alfie also seems to have carte blanche to move under and share an umbrella when it rains. It gives him a certain dignity not enjoyed by many street dogs. As a consequence of Alfie's presence in the street there are not many other dogs around here. And like Muhammad Ali he has a pretty face. This tells us that he is a successful alpha. The other dogs keep away. Not many scratches or scars. It's quite common to see dogs with scars and scratches all over their faces and even bodies. Often at night you can hear dog fights going on. And these dogs fight for real. When they're puppies they will play fight but once they've grown to alpha status or sub adult their fights become fair dinkum. Having witnessed a dog fight I can tell you that they are not pleasant. They are viscous and savage. Teeth ripping at flesh, limbs and fur flying in all directions, wild animal sounds. Even if you are at a safe distance it still you can still feel threatened. We are used to living with dogs that are compliant, loyal, tail wagging neutered little "people". When we see testosterone driven rage we realise that any dog we see on the streets has that type of viscousness in them. And that is reinforced when we see dogs with faces crisscrossed with the scars and brands of previous encounters. The dogs life here is a hard one but dogs survive and have a niche in life here.