Interesting Story Of Street Dogs Playing With A Plastic Dish.
We got to travel to Chile’s Valparaiso. For those who are unfamiliar with Valparaiso, it is a remarkably lively port city in Central Chile that is about an hour and a half’s drive from Santiago. As much, if not all, of Valparaso is covered in vibrant murals and exquisite graffiti, Valparaso is a must-visit location if you enjoy street art. Valparaso is a fantastic place for any art enthusiast to visit because of its abundance of murals, galleries, and museums. Additionally, Valparaso is well known for having a big population of street dogs, much like the majority of the rest of Chile.
Since we are professional dog photographers, taking dog shots is kind of our thing, so we were very eager to get our cameras out and start taking pictures of these lovely animals.
Since my wife and I were on our honeymoon when I visited Valparaiso, I had no intention of photographing. It was one of those days on our trip when, despite the fact that my wife is highly supportive of my creative endeavors, notably my work as a dog photographer, I wanted to put my focus on spending time with her rather than on my work. That is, until we came across these two engaged in play, at which point the whole idea was abandoned.
Our first day in Valparaso was that day. By way of Santiago, we had just recently arrived in the city that afternoon (another amazing city filled with so many friendly dogs). We always hire a local guide for our first visit to a new city, especially if we are not very familiar with the local language or, in this case, dialect (Chilean’s, I’m informed, are commonly regarded as difficult to understand, even for many native Spanish speakers from other countries). She had given us a walking tour of a large portion of the city, which had aided us in quickly getting our bearings.
There was a lot of walking involved, much of it up and down hills. It turns out that Valparaso is incorporated into a rocky hill. Having several inclines that even San Francisco’s most dramatic street angles can’t match. We were all rather exhausted by the time our trip was up, so our tour guide, in what I can only describe as a pity move, led us down to the waterfront so that we could rest on flat ground. Visit a few booths, pick up a few snacks, and recharge.
Almost anything can be a toy for a dog.
When I was at the docks, I noticed two stray dogs playing keep away with a huge plastic takeaway dish, one black and the other golden. the kind you might anticipate taking home after buying a rotisserie chicken at a grocery store.
The two canines were classic examples of mangy, flea-infested mutts. More significantly, they were totally unaware of the swarms of tourists who were going by. They were still dogs, despite the fact that they appeared to be strays. tug and stay away games were being played, just like you would anticipate seeing dogs playing in dog-friendly homes around the country.
While not in the best of health, these dogs were nonetheless alive. If the patchiness of their coats was any clue, at least physically. They all appeared to be in good mental health and were exercising frequently. The brief time I spent with these dogs made it clear they were genuinely content, well-socialized, and amiable.
They might have been an isolated instance. However, it seemed to be the case everywhere I went based on my interactions with the thousands of other free range puppies we encountered while traveling through Chile. We formed relationships with several pets and had incredible experiences with them. Especially in terms of how we coexist with our own pets, it really makes me question if there isn’t something we can learn from them.
Would our dogs be happier living outside the boundaries of our homes and yards, putting aside skin conditions, patchy fur, and lack of neutering? Are routine strolls sufficient? Or are we doing our dogs a disservice by preventing them from participating fully in society and from being liberated from the confines of fences and leashes? Do leash restrictions actually work to keep us and our dogs safe? Or if our dogs were given better opportunity to socialize, would we see less dog attacks?
Do leash restrictions actually work to keep us and our dogs safe?
And I truly don’t know the answers to such queries. However, that is a pleasant or at the very least an intriguing question to consider.
We sincerely hope you’ve enjoyed this cute collection of dog photos in black and white!
Photographer of dogs and owner of the Puptrait Studio, J.B. Shepard
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