Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Of Dogs and Men

While we have not seen this to be true, the stereotype of Montenegrins is laziness. One joke is that the dogs here are as lazy as their owners. In the hot days of September, we did see many dogs who wouldn't even turn their heads if you whistled to them, but continued to lay there, staring into space.
In the cooler weather we have seen more canine activity. Sometimes a dog or small pack will follow us for a little while, or come up and shyly indicate a willingness to be petted. We are somewhat discerning as to the cleanliness and overall healthful appearance of the dogs we pet.
Many homes have "guard dogs" on the roof which bark at strangers passing by. Some of these are about the size of a Jack Russell terrier, while others are German Shepherds.
When we visited Lovćen, this little pregnant dog (pictured above) found us (or at least the remains of our lunch) appealing. Once when we left a restaurant with a "doggie bag" we were followed for four blocks by a hopeful stray. Sometimes it's hard to tell if a particular pas (dog in Serbian) is someone's pet roaming free range or simply a homeless wanderer. There are some very cute ones who rummage through the garbage container near our home. The run away when we get close though.

No comments: