Beyond the Bamboo Curtain. Today’s short true story of life in Thailand.
There are many dogs on the rural roads of Thailand.
Most Thais have dogs roaming in the garden or in the nearby soi (lane). They may be caged or chained at night. Only a few Thais treat their dogs as pets. They generally regard dogs as protectors for the home.
One often sees a dog asleep in the middle of the road, cars sounding their horns or swerving to avoid. Some are wild or temple dogs.
Thais are not allowed to euthanise their pets, and sick or unwanted dogs are left at the temple for the monks to care for.
Thailand’s hot weather probably makes dogs lethargic and less-inclined not want to move out of the way of approaching vehicles.
They may be clever enough to realise drivers will do all they can not to hit them.
Dogs dozing in the dust, daring drivers to dodge them
Motorcyclists have a similar view that cars will make way for them.
Agility Training in Thailand
A French friend of mine and his Thai wife set up an agility training school in Maerim in Thailand’s northern province. Guillaume was an experienced professional trainer.
All his clients were Thai but few stayed more than a few weeks. Guillaume said, “they appeared to be more interested in getting a certificate saying they’d attended the course rather than training their dogs”.
He insisted, as I did when I ran my own agility training sessions in Essex, that dogs had to be trained in obedience before starting to practise agility.
We disagreed, however, when I told him a very experienced handler taught his collie to navigate the agility circuit using only whistle and voice commands.
Watch the Video Below on “A typical agility competition”. Here’s how to do it.
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Guillaume said it was impossible to complete the course that way. That you had to run with your dog. I said it was certainly difficult. I had tried it myself. But I had seen the handler doing it with my own eyes.
Do they love their dogs
I stroke and pet my three dogs. It gets their tails wagging. I’ve not seen a Thai love their dog in that way. Maybe some do.
What I have seen is someone poking a stick at a dog in a cage. It’s disturbing how some seem to take pleasure in cruelty.
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