Canus

To steal a question from Mickey's Ma in "Snatch" I would ask "Do yuz like Dags?" Dags, as we of course learn, is Pikey for Dogs.

If you like Dags, you will love Cambodia. About six of them are in chorus right now over something or other. Virtually every family home and business have a Dag. They are, for the most part, a ubiquitous and innocuous part of the day-to-day. There are about three varieties here in Cambodia: smallish things with short hair, smallish things that are fuzzy, and, most commonly, the mid-sized short haired dingo looking thing. These are the ones you have to watch.

During the day, the canines loll about, sleep, or scratch themselves. They usually aren't much of a bother and, unlike Bangkok, people seem to actually pick up the dog shit. Or the dogs are very polite. There is a blessed and noticeable absence for the most part.

If you find yourself out at night and on the lesser travelled roads, you do need to mind the Dags. The Cambodians set them out at night to guard the home or business. At night, the dogs aren't sleepy anymore. In fact, they are damn watchful. In addition, they seem to be clearly able to tell the difference between Cambodians and me. Maybe they just don't like me, who knows.

So, seriously, most of these mutts are all snarl and no strike, but not all of them. The other problem is that they are sneaky bastards. At night, you walk down the middle of the street. There are no streetlights. Dogs are stationed at the front of each house. As you pass, they will get up, eye you, decide, and then either leave off or confront you. Most of the time, they bark a few times and after showing you who's boss they sidle off back to their post. The sneaky bastards, they are a problem. They will growl a bit and them fall in behind you as you walk. Turning and confronting them without action only seems to perpetuate more stalking.

I can sense that the mutt is behind me and I want him to go away. The dogs are essentially cowards, so there are a few steps that work most of the time. If you stoop quickly like you are picking up a rock, the Dag will usually skitter away. They won't always stay away, though. If the stooping fails, cocking a throwing arm will almost always do it. Every now and again, though, this bluff is going to be called. At this point, you need to be ready to inflict some bodily harm. Getting dog bit anywhere is not good but in SE Asia this is a Very Bad Thing (VBT). So grab one of the always handy rocks, even on a paved road, and chuck that stone with a will. Keep chucking until the damn mutt scampers.

The real problem is if the mutts pack up. I had this happen once in Thailand while walk-about in an abandoned temple ruin. There were about a dozen of those mangy bastards and I was not in a tolerant mood. Pack dogs are a threat and the only way to meet that threat is with dominant Alpha Male type action. If you're not packing testicles, rise to the occasion and channel that Goddess energy. Just as good if not better. Grab a big stick, rocks, both, and let the mutts have it. Hell, conk the fuckers with a chunk of the ruins if you have to. What you must not do is run, cower, or show fear. This is a very bad idea and can lead to a VBT.

Most of time, the little rascals are just sleepy blobs melting in the sun. So no worries, either be prepared, or don't venture out after dark.