Santiago Chile has gone to the dogs....

There are dogs everywhere on the streets of Santiago, but strangely enough they aren’t a nuisance. In fact they and the humans who move around them seem to have created a symbiotic relationship. On only one occasion have I seen someone swat at a dog and that was when a group of male dogs was following along behind a female and trying to propagate their species.

The people of Santiago freely feed the dogs. I have yet to see a malnourished dog. On a number of occasions I’ve seen them nibbling on small piles of dry dog food that has been left on the sidewalk and near a building. It is common to see them napping almost anywhere. They nap on the steps of buildings, on sidewalks, and in the parks of Santiago.

While walking down the sidewalks of the city it is common to see a dog, or even a small pack of dogs, purposefully trotting along the same sidewalk among the pedestrians. The amazing sight is when the dogs get to a street intersection and stop to wait for the traffic signal to indicate it is safe to cross. I’m not joking. They patiently stand and wait along with the pedestrians.

Okay. I have to admit that while the dogs appear to be waiting for the traffic signal, they are really only waiting for the people around them to start across the street. That is their signal to cross. I was at a crosswalk when a local woman took the opportunity to cross against a red light. As she started to cross, the dog between us stepped out into the street. When I didn’t move to cross the street, the dog stopped, looked back at me and then decided to hop back on the curb and wait for ME to cross. I wonder what his decision making process was.

Here dogs and cars get along as well. Drivers slow a bit to avoid them. Dogs stay on the sidewalks or next to the curb. The only vehicles that dogs find offensive are bicycles and motorcycles. Riders of both are subjected to barking tirades from any dog they pass.