Today I watched two little boys kicking a puppy. That is not at all a strange occurrence. A few days ago I was playing with some stray puppies outside one of my friend's apartment building and a little boy, probably only 4 or 5 years old came out and started kicking them for no reason. Mongolians are strange about dogs. Mostly they are terrified of them. The same day I was playing with those puppies a group of little girls was giving me the "hello!" chorus, and started to come over to me. One of the puppies ran up to them wagging its tail and the little girls ran away screaming. There are lots of street dogs in Mongolia, (somehow the yearly mass-murder of the stray dogs doesn’t quite solve the problem) and if they go within 10 feet of someone the person will throw a rock or yell at them. Watching Sophie run around town is an interesting sight. She is one of the friendliest dogs I know, she is always wagging her tail and running up to people, whose response is inevitably to jump back with a terrified expression and yell. Or pick up a rock and throw it at her.
I admit that sometimes she can be a little startling, there have been a few times I’ve been walking back to my apartment when she is outside and she runs up behind me at top speed. But she really just wants to say “hi.” And she’s not enough of a Mongol dog to know that people are not her friends. It surprises me that Mongolians are so fearful and mean to dogs. Most people who live in hashaas have a dog, and their dog is a pretty important part of their home security. Hashaa dogs keep the drunk men away and won’t allow strangers to wander around your yard. And dogs are used to guard herds. But many Mongolians practically starve their hashaa dogs. I can’t count the times I have walked into a hashaa and seen a skeletal, mangy dog tied up to a short rope looking up at me with sad eyes. In my experience dogs are most loyal when you feed them and are nice to them. There are many Mongolians who understand that and care for their dogs. But there are many more that don’t. And it’s no wonder they are all scared of dogs. They throw rocks at them and kick them every chance they have. Even puppies that belong to someone generally wander around the streets to some degree, and they are at the mercy of every pack of little boys roaming around looking for something to pick on. Every time I see a herd of boys beating up a puppy I want to go and kick them. It seems that torturing small animals is not a sign of sociopathy in Mongolia.
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4 comments:
It is man's best friend in Mongolia. I know that most of last generation kids are stupid and disrespectful, but dog is definitely a family member in countryside as protects the family and herd.
In the city people are terrified of crazy dogs that some families have in ger districts. This is only reason that most people have this misleading fear from street dogs who are really "neglected".
I do really love to have a dog, but not much time to take care of it. Otherwise it's #1 animal in Mongolia.
Well dogs have never been kept as pets in Mongolia traditionally. There are many Mongolians who still consider dogs to be unclean animals and do not allow them in the house at all. Of course it's a bit different nowadays, especially in UB where many people keep dogs as pets. I guess I should also mention that animal rights have never been a very important issue in Mongolia, as in nomadic societies, animals all fulfilled very functional roles. Traditionally, Mongolians were shamanistic and respected all living beings, and no being was harmed without a reason, i.e. for food, and even that after asking forgiveness from the animal. This mentality along with many other traditions is slowly disappearing.
sad, but true.They have skeletal dogs because they are skeletal themselves. Hungry poor man has a little to offer the poor dog, but still he needs it.
It's a tragic.
Hello Emily the Rider,
You seems to be in equestrian sport are u?
Cultural differences are obviously differing among nations. Of course you will see the strange things such like you described about the dogs but dogs are dogs – Mongolian philosophy. After spending this much time among Mongolians you probably know religious beliefs still very intact among nomads. Dogs are inferior living thing comparing the human.
Real Mongolian dogs breed “Bankhar” http://mayaguais.blogspot.com/2008/08/lets-save-bankhar-mongol-dog.html are disappearing because mix with Russian and German shepherd or god knows what…… In distant countryside if you lucky enough you will find them.
Well so much for a story. Your Sophie looks like one of those mixes.
If you sin you will born in lower living forms for many lives. It can be anything from spy – to dogs. But when they dye Mongolians cut their tales, (preventing catching on the door…)put some milk fat “shar tos” I their mouth and wrap with red material and leave them in places helping them pass the door of the heaven. Next time he will be human if he served well.
D.D
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