Salvadoran Dogs

Salvadoran chucho taking a nap on the frijoles.

Just a short observation here.  Many families in El Salvador have dogs, and most of the dogs that I saw roamed freely, without collars, tags, or leashes.  Sometimes I noticed them in packs, but often alone.  Only rarely did any seem menacing; most seemed more or less indifferent to people.  Curiously, they also seemed more or less indifferent to the poultry.  In the countryside and even in San Ramon, many families had a few chickens around.  I suppose I expected these lean dogs to see the chickens and ducks as food, but everyone I asked insisted that it was not an issue.



My brother Frank with Praline.  Granite, the dog next door, was visiting.



I wonder if their freedom mellowed them, made them less territorial, less jumpy.  Of course, I might just have a skewed idea of what dogs are supposed to be like.  Praline, my brother’s bad little yellow lab mix, sets a high standard for nervous energy.