Chinese New Year 2018 is the year of the dog! To celebrate this occasion, I am sharing photos and stories about the dogs of Asia (and some in Canada)
The year of the dog only comes once every twelve years, so it makes sense that I create a post to celebrate this occasion. That, and I am a big-time dog lover, in case you didn’t know.
Read on for some funny photos and touching stories about the dogs that I encountered while travelling in Asia for most of my yearlong travels.
I found baby Chewbacca in Chiang Mai
Mimi was six weeks old and only three pounds when we first met her in Sukawati. She would wait for us to pass by her place and would run towards us every time we passed by! She even tried to follow us a few times!
While we saw many stray dogs in Asia, we were surprised at the number of pet owners who treated their dogs like humans
A baby husky being carried like a child at the Surat Thani train station. See what I mean about dogs being well treated in Thailand?
I saw many pet stores around Asia too, which was a bit of a surprise.
This little one was modeling the clothes that her owner sold at the Sunday night market in Chiang Mai
Dog walker with dogs on Petitenget beach in Bali
This little puppy was trying to figure out his power. He wagged his tail and tried to lick us the first time we passed by during our trip to Hanoi. Then, when we walked by him the second time, he started to let out a little growl to see if he could scare us. Little bugger
A dog chilling in a home in Hanoi
A large golden retriever in Hanoi. It was strange to see large dogs in Vietnam
This little corgi…
…Slept like this… SO CUTE! My weird dog sleeps with a thousand things over her head too
Many dogs also came to work with their owners, like this golden who would sleep while her owner sold food at the night market near Chiang Mai’s south gate.
Sleeping like a baby while her owner is working
This cute dog would sit and watch all the craziness happening in Hanoi. See below for a video of him watching all the craziness
Here’s a video of the dog in Hanoi people watching and looking a bit anxious about all the noise that was happening:
We came across many adorable puppies during our trip
A cute little puppy at Mandalay Palace. Every temple in Myanmar had a litter of puppies
A sweet and playful dog in Nusa Dua Bali
Encountering a litter of puppies while climbing up Mandalay Hill
It wasn’t until we met this litter of puppies that we started to feel our heartbreak.
These cute and puppies in Bagan were waiting for their mother because they were starving
All of their siblings were eagerly waiting for their mother to come back and feed them
It was so hard for me to leave these puppies and not be able to give them any food. They were so happy to see us at first and started to cry really loud when we had to leave them.
The Stray dogs in Asia
A dog crossing the street. Some are good at avoiding vehicles, while others…not so much
I could not help but notice that most stray dogs were feeding off scraps, fending for themselves, with rib bones protruding from their bodies.
There were quite a few dogs who would limp across the street on just three of its legs. It likely got hit by a motorbike, which happens frequently. You’ll hear a loud thud before a dog starts yelping in pain.
A lovely stray dog who lived outside of our hotel in Kuta Bali. His best friend seemed to always be off searching for food while the white dog would sit on his square manhole, people watching. Most times, motorbikes and cars would drive around him, but when the traffic got too hectic, he’d move from his manhole, only to return and claim his space
Luckily, most dogs in Bali seem to have some food thanks to the Canang Saris, which are the daily offerings made by the Balinese. These offerings always had some food for the gods, which do not get removed by people. The dogs (and other animals) seem to take care of the food
I was in Bagan when I saw something that broke my heart. It was a stray dog trying to eat leaves from a tree because he was hungry. He was very scrawny and was more of a skeleton of a dog than anything. I had some bread with me, so I fed some to the dog.
He inhaled the food in one bite. Seriously. Never in my life have I seen a dog this hungry.
Being born as a stray dog in Asia
Stray dog napping in a Sukhothai temple
I couldn’t help but think about stray dogs and how they were born into the lives that they live, fighting for survival. They didn’t choose to be born under these conditions; it wasn’t their choice. But because of their circumstances, they live the life they now live. Eating scraps of food on the street, finding ways to avoid getting hit by cars, and sleeping where they can. All because of where they were born.
This stray dog in Sukhothai would always come to the hotel in the afternoon. He always came up to me, wagging his tail, wanting nothing but affection
The hotel owner had no idea why this dog loved the hotel so much, but he did. He slept right outside the hotel every night
I kept thinking about my dogs and how lucky they are to be born in Canada. My dogs would never have to beg for food out of starvation.
My yorkie and her friend. She’s upset that her friend is in her bed eating her treats
My little bugger
Like my dogs, I too am lucky to be born Canadian. That’s something I think about quite often, especially while in Asia.
Yes, many animals survive without humans, but it doesn’t change the fact that anyone born in a developed country is considered very lucky. As Warren Buffet says, we’ve won the Ovarian Lottery.
But regardless of their circumstances, dogs still live for the moment
There are many lessons you can learn from dogs if you spend enough time with them.
Like, how to be happy and enjoy each moment.
A happy dog enjoying the sunset at Petignet beach in Bali
Or how they don’t discriminate against other dogs, regardless of their circumstances.
Stray dogs and dogs with owners happily playing together at Petignet beach
Or to never forget to be curious.
Curious dog on Petitenget beach
Some dogs have learned to take a nap while waiting for food
This dog from Mingun waited so long for food that he’d nap while waiting for food
And to not forget the simple pleasures in life.
Cute dog taking a nap in Ubud
A temple dog in Bagan where he also has a bead necklace around his neck
This dog was ADORABLE! He was trying to stay awake while patiently waiting for his owner to share his lunch with him. His eyes kept closing, and he’d jolt to wake himself up
We came back to our parked e-bikes in Bagan to find this dog… just chilling… by our bikes
We had no idea a dog was sleeping under our table until we felt something warm and fuzzy brush up against our leg
This dog knew that I was taking a photo of him… he turned around to give me a knowing look afterward
A dog sleeping in Krabi. I woke him up from his nap. He didn’t get mad at me and just went back to sleep
A napping dog in Ayutthaya. I don’t know what the sign says… I’m guessing it means do not enter
Temple dogs in Doi Suthep
A dog falling asleep while everyone celebrates the Yi Peng Festival in Chiang Mai
A cute little puppy in Mandalay
This post was inspired by my aunt and dedicated to my first puppy, who recently passed away less than two weeks ago. Losing my pet has not been easy; if you’ve been through this process, I would love to hear from you.
My first dog – the most mature, smartest, and most loyal dog I’ve ever owned. He lived a good and long life full of love and food
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Related posts:
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An Epic Start To The Nomadic Lifestyle In Bali
Why Blue Bird Taxi Bali Is The Best Option
The Swaha Hotel Bali | An Authentic Balinese Hospitality
What Life Is Like Living As A Nomad
Visiting Seminyak Bali For The First Time
Our Surprisingly Mellow Stay In Bali Kuta
The Sad Truth Of Life As A Nomad
You must have been tempted to adopt all the strays!
A great pictorial story.
You’re right, I was very tempted to adopt them all!
I spent 2 months this year in Southeast Asia, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam. I loved my solo tour staying in 3 towns in each country. I was always saddened by the many stray dogs. Many appeared healthy, while others clearly suffering. It did amaze me how adept many were at navigating crossing busy streets. I was never fearful of the dogs, they did not approach other than to quietly watch while I ate street food and “accidentally” dropped leftovers close to them.
I very much enjoyed seeing your pics and reading captions. I will return.
Thanks for sharing your experience with your encounters, I love meeting other dog lovers 🙂 Do you have a dog too? I agree with you how they can cross the street with so much ease, and yet here we are in North America putting our dogs on leashes because they’d instead chase after a squirrel than pay attention to staying alive.
I wasn’t afraid of dogs in Asia until I got chased (twice now!) by dogs in Chiang Mai! One was a pet dog while the other was a temple dog just being territorial of the temple since it was getting dark. I find the strays in Asia are either very chill or are intimidated by people. The chill ones probably have positive interactions with humans (i.e. like the one in Sukhothai who was often fed by a kind-hearted human!) while the latter seemed to lack self-confidence – they’d walk with shrunken shoulders 🙁