Falling in Love (with street dogs!) And why they sometimes bark.

Erika Abrams, founder of Animal Aid Unlimited in Udaipur shares her rich experiences in interacting with street dogs here in India with us. The Seattle native moved to India with her husband, Jim, and daughter, Claire, nearly 20 years ago, after traveling to the Subcontinent and falling in love with the land and its people. 

"I have met and adored thousands of Indian desi street dogs in the 20 years of running the street animal rescue and sanctuary Animal Aid Unlimited Udaipur. Here’s what I’ve learned about the nature of dogs. Indian dogs are adorable and gentle sweethearts.

When offered the smallest kindness—a piece of a biscuit, a bowl of water in the heat, a warm smile, a gentle hand—street dogs are extraordinarily generous in their courtesy, affection, and loyalty.

The more experience you have interacting kindly with the dogs near your home, school or workplace, the better you’ll be able to understand their facial expressions and interpret their fascinating—and usually friendly methods of communication. And the more your life will light up with joy and love.

So if you do not have a street dog friend, make that new friend today. Always carry a few biscuits. Whenever you pass a dog gently toss half a biscuit toward her feet. Make sure you do it slowly, though, so that he or she doesn’t think you’re hurling a rock at them!

Within about 2 days you’ll have a friend who might risk their own life to protect yours. That’s the incredible thing about a dog’s loyalty. They will absolutely never forget you as their beloved friend. So take the biscuits with you all the time and you’ll have many sweethearts in your life. You don’t need to give them much—half a biscuit a day is enough. Just a tiny little treat. And gradually, let them smell your hand, and they will take it gently from your hand directly. Work up your confidence to stroke their forehead.

But why do dogs bark?

Street dogs bark if they’re protecting something precious to them. They’re defending something they cherish—either territory, a baby you might not be able to see or a scrap of food. Maybe there is a person in the house behind them who they’re protecting. You may never know what, in the dog’s heart and mind caused her to be so upset, but just remember, she’s probably frightened of losing something she really cares about.

She also may have been kicked, hit with stones or abused in some other way by humans who came before you, so she might be barking to protect herself. Lastly, she might be barking because she had been sleeping and you woke her up and this scared her. So try not to wake up a sleeping street dog.

When a dog barks, she is displaying “fear aggression” and although it LOOKS aggressive, just remember that the barking dog is only trying to tell you to go away because she’s scared of what will happen if you don’t.

So what should you do?

Imagine you’re happily strolling in the evening twilight and suddenly your peaceful dreams are interrupted by the clamour of a barking dog, standing in the driveway of a nearby house, and she’s looking right at YOU with her ears forward, her tail curled high.

First, remember, she might not even be barking AT you. She might be afraid of another dog she sees or smells in the distance who you can’t see (or smell).

If you sense she’s looking right at you, here’s what to do:

• Always carry a packet of biscuits.
• Without looking in her eyes, gently toss a piece of a biscuit a few feet from where you are, toward her (but not so she is afraid of a stone) and keep walking.  And if you don’t have a biscuit:
• Don’t look in their eyes.
• Don’t stop.
• If you can comfortably cross the street, do so, with your eyes down. If you feel you need to keep track of where she is, do not meet her gaze, just figure out where she is using peripheral vision. Can’t emphasize enough—do NOT look into her eyes.
• Don’t alter your pace. Don’t run.
• Don’t wave your arms, don’t lift your arms.
• Don’t say anything to them. Try to pretend they’re not there.

It would be extremely rare that if you followed these things, for a dog to come up from behind to threaten to bite you. If you sense the dog approaching, try to keep cool and continue walking following the earlier rules of basically doing nothing sudden. I’ve only known a few people ever to be bitten by a dog, and those who did were not following the rules above.

To learn more, this excellent Hindi video shows you how to make friends with dogs, and prevent getting bit. An unprovoked bite would be one which took place even after you observed the points above about not looking, crossing the street, etc. This is so rare that it’s hardly even a risk.

What to do if you're bitten by a dog?

• Wash the wound for 10 full minutes with soap. An anti-bacterial soap is best but any soap is better than no soap and if you don’t have soap, just keep rubbing the wound with running water. You will eliminate 98 percent of the danger of infection if you flush the wound well and wash with soap.
• Then, within the next 24 hours, go to the doctor and begin the 5-part treatment for post-exposure rabies vaccination. 

I’m 62 and I’ve been friends with hundreds of dogs. The only time I was bitten by a dog was an accident—the dog was trying to hold onto something in his mouth and I was trying to remove it. He was soooo sorry afterward, I could just tell.

I do hope you will make good friends with the dogs in your life. Most do not have rabies or any other disease. They need people who can touch them so that if they ever become seriously injured they will accept loving care and treatment.

Please, be one of the people dogs can trust and love. A few minutes a day will make their world so much more beautiful—and yours too."

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