Pity the Bali dog, and Dog Lovers

Pity the Bali Dog, and Bali Dog Lovers

Try to talk nice to a dog here, and you get snarls for your trouble.  Bali dogs seem to be descendants of two dogs that seized control before independence from the Dutch. One was a white, short-haired, medium sized dog with a pointy muzzle and long tail. It fell in love with a black, short-haired, medium sized dog with a pointy muzzle and a long tail.  They met, fell in love and were so happy, their tails curled.

I suspect that one reason the Dutch left was to get away from these one-time domesticated beasts.  Once upon a time in Bali, people and dogs lived in harmony.  One day a disoriented traveling pooch missed his port call. He had too much Brem, the rice brew reminiscent of American Ripple, with a little Nyquil thrown in for flavor.

Being true to its colonial heritage, he fathered a few offspring, and soon marked his territory from Seminyak to Batur.  The nascent breed became pack leaders, talked tough and took charge. Calm, gentle dogs were soon following in their footsteps. Well-kempt dogs began to neglect their appearance to fit in. 

Dog brushes have been collecting dust for decades. Vestiges of dog grooming appear in cave drawings west of Tabanan, but modern canines refuse to go near water unless they are very thirsty. The newer breed abandoned traditional customs and values. Dog obedience test scores plummeted.

Who can blame island residents for indifference toward dogs today? Erstwhile dog lovers stopped buying can food. “If you’re going act like that, you can eat dry food.”  And so the rift between humans and dogs remains at an impasse.   Dogs seem indifferent to their human counterparts.  They scare me, and if they don’t want their shots, fine.  I’m not getting mine either. 

Let’s be fair. Many Bali have social graces. For one thing, they poop in private.  They must have learned to dig latrines as I rarely see any dog poop on the road.  Can’t say that for French dogs. In Nice for example, the dogs prefer to use clean cobblestones.  They have also been known to sign their work.

My gratitude goes out to people of Bali Animal Welfare Association, who are devoted to animal rescue, placement and welfare (www.bawabali.com / 0811 389 004). Be nice to them.