Happy 4th of July!

It was a relief to know there would be no loud fireworks to scare the 60+ dogs that have found sanctuary at The Elephant Nature Park. When the sun goes down so does human activity and the noise level…well most of the time. The past couple of nights have been the exception. The dogs have been engaging in dog culture.

Their lives are different from anything you might experience in the US: they are free roaming. Like in India and Nepal, the dogs in Thailand actually have their own culture. They are loved, fed and cared for by humans, but they are also allowed to be dogs in the most basic way. They have self-designated packs and form close bonds with fellow pack members.

In addition to providing ample freedom for the dogs, their freedom brings with it dog disagreements. It takes some time for most of us to appreciate that allowing the dogs their culture means leaving them alone when they are establishing the pack hierarchy.  It’s hard to stand back but that is the best thing. Their boisterous yelping and barking is usually as bad as it gets.