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Urikson — Dogs of Moscow
Published: 2010-10-26 00:34:28 +0000 UTC; Views: 2459; Favourites: 48; Downloads: 52
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Description
Moscow has over 35,000 street dogs. It is fashionable in the West to imagine packs of feral dogs that prey on children and the elderly. This couldn't be further from the truth!The dogs of Moscow are perfectly integrated in Russian society and are almost universally loved. When a dog named Malchik was murdered by some model unworthy of the title bitch, a memorial statue was raised in its honor. THIS is how much Muscovites love their street dogs.
I found the dogs of Moscow to have four castes - park dogs (hunters), dump dogs (foragers), boulevard dogs (foragers) and metro dogs (tricksters). The first are especially useful as they hunt for vermin and keep the parks clean. The last group is the smartest, almost the aristocracy of the dog world. They have sophisticated ways to con people of food and drink and even know how to use the metro!
Hmmm... might very well be my next RPG
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Comments: 39
Oh I must say that I named me after the murdered dog. Guess who^^
But I'm not from Russia
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I am from Russia, but it's been a while since anyone has called me a malchik
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No I am a Malchik
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But the picture is sensational, super!
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Interesting motive, good composition and light, and good information in the text (for example about the metro dogs).
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Good to hear, how are they interacting with people?
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More or less like house dogs, only less playful.
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I remember reading about them. Glad that they are still around. I remember that there were some Muscovites who did wanted them gone and thought of them as dangerous.
Too bad I never found publications or books about them. It is definitely interesting from so many points of view.
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From what I understand, when city hall wanted to get rid of them, it got so many death threats in the mail it decided it would be best just to leave the doggies along.
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Interesting. Personally I think dogs like that might be the last hope for dogs to be more than living fashion victims.
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agreed! a moscovian dog rpg would be a fresh twist!
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Heh, thanks! I guess it's about time I started clicking
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Just out of curiosity, to which of the four castes might these dogs you photographed belong? Or, might they be from different castes? What you wrote about the Moscow dogs is very interesting!
=^..^=
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Glad you found this interesting. I'd say they are boulevard dogs, the friendliest sort
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Thank you, Urikson, for that information! I'd love to visit Moscow one day (and meet some of those dogs) though chances of my being able to travel abroad in future are extremely slim.
But at least, thanks to you, I now know something the average tourist doesn't: There are four castes of dogs in Moscow! One wonders if such canine divisions might exist elsewhere.
=^..^=
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I don't know, but I suspect that it is such in every large city where the people don't mistreat the dogs. If you want to see more pictures from abroad feel free to browse my gallery -- I have pics from great many places.
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the metro dogs also bark at those who jump over the tourniquets - alerting the cashiers and guards and frightening the felons
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One old dog, while protecting his fellas bit me in my but an alert bite - which meant "get lost or the next one will be more severe".
Yeah, despite the fact he was almost blind, he is still the boss...
Why did he do it? Because I stopped in front of other two sleeping ones and took a shot of them in my camera.
That was scary, especially the banishing barking that falowed from the three of them.
And I am saying it as a dog person, I have a dog in my home from the age of 4 and many of my friends had - have dogs too.
Nice idea for an RPG, though.
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Thanks, dogs are tough and cool and sometimes a little overprotective.
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Is this for real? If so, it is very interesting! Also the RPG idea
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Cool, I'll have to use this huge population of street dogs fact in one of my cities, if you don't mind
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None at all. There is enough dogs for everyone!
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We band of brothers BARK BARK
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aw! Aren't they cute^^ How these dogs function are how I usually write wild stray dogs in my stories. Now I think I have enough inspiration to remake my story. I think I'll name the main character Malchik. He won't be THE Malchik, but he'll carry his spirit, if you will^^
Thank you very much for sharing this with us^^
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You're welcome. Good luck with your story.
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Awww.
Yeah, I've heard about these dogs.
And I've seen some images of them being rabid, but most of what I've read/seen says that the majority of them are sweethearts.
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I think rabies is a thing of the past. They can be quite mischievous at times, but it's all in good spirit.
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Yes, and rabies is quite uncommon, really.
And d'aw. C:
I'm sure. Dogs are quite social, and well socialized to human.
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