A Post by Brit ~ ARLP Volunteer

The American pet industry is a 43.3 Billion dollar a year machine. Health insurance for dogs is becoming more and more popular. We have hundreds of different choices for diets for our dogs. And the toys, I personally have purchased so many stuffed toys for Madeline that she has two large very full toy bins. Americans are the most loving, adoring pet owners in the world. There can be no doubt. And yet when I think about all the dogs at the dog park and all the dog owners that I talk to, I can’t help but think we have an enormous problem with our dogs in this country. Unstable, unruly and unmanageable are all terms that come to mind.

Now contrast that with the dogs I’m currently surrounded with, the street dogs of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). They aren’t actually feral; there “backyard” is the street and side walk in front of where they live. Their health insurance if they get sick or hurt is the business end of a club. Food is whatever they can scrounge up or get as scraps (forget kibble) and I doubt they would know what to do with a squeaky toy if you gave them one. And yet twice a day for 45 minutes I ride through the streets looking at the same dogs every day. They are coexisting off leash, feet from busy traffic with people, other dogs, cows, chickens and cats. It’s down right harmonious.

That being said, the Vietnamese love their dogs in an entirely different way than we love our dogs. I don’t think they would use the word love for starters. They love their children, they care for their dogs. They would not understand a dog sleeping under the covers in bed. This is a different mindset here. It took me days to convince the workers around me that I wasn’t gay because I’m 32, not married and have no children. And I’m not so certain they finally believed me. The average American dog owner would be viewed as the “crazy cat woman” here.

So what’s going on here? We love our pets. We want the best for them. And yet dogs that are borderline neglected are better equipped to interact with the world than some therapy dogs I know. The answer has several parts. The first part is socialization. These dogs have been a part of the human society since birth. They’ve never been sequestered away in a back yard. From what I’ve seen, I doubt many have ever been inside a house with carpet and doors.

Imagine a life where, from birth, you were only allowed to see other humans a few hours a week at the park if you were lucky, or perhaps, passing views of other humans as you were walked around the block. And imagine what you might be like if you were given everything your heart desired without any rules, boundaries or limitations. You might just wind up being a very messed up individual.

Another part of the difference is that dogs aren’t humanized. They don’t get to make human demands or make human decisions. With the lack of decisions comes the status of follower. It’s that simple. If a dog doesn’t want its dinner, you’ll not see a Vietnamese making their dog a special dinner to get them to eat. If the dog is barking, it doesn’t receive a bone to make it stop. Whatever a dog may want from a human, it can not expect, it can only ask for. This leaves them in a position of always needing to behave in an appropriate manner to receive an extra scrap.

It’s not always convenient to bring our pups along where ever we go. And it’s hard when they look at you with those big brown eyes. But the best thing you can give your dog is as much time with the world that you can and all the rules and boundaries that you have yourself. It’s a simple fact that we (you, I and the dogs) don’t get excited about the things we see all the time. The more you get your pooch out to the farmers markets, the better citizens they become. And the more your dog has to work for it’s lot in life the more mentally healthy it will be. It took the street dogs of Saigon to drive that home for me. Hopefully you can learn that without the 24 hour flight to Vietnam.

To see more of Brit’s pictures from Vietnam visit www.madelineandi.com

Filed under: Observations & Reflection