Leashes optional

But I’ve noticed many people here walk down the street with their dogs wandering freely behind them. Apparently leashes are optional even though Taipei is a crowded, busy city. I wonder what the Dog Whisperer would say of this casual relationship with pets. It’s not that they aren’t well taken care of. Even dogs I thought were strays had collars on and someone waiting for them nearby. They’re impeccably groomed and very friendly. I’ll admit, I’m a little jealous. What would my dogs do if they were allowed to wander the city streets with me without a leash? The chihuahuas might be okay, but my big dog would be off chasing cats and greeting other dogs– oh, and hit by a moped, I’m sure. 

That’s not to say that some people don’t use leashes, it’s just that most people don’t and their dogs wander around with them without incident. With so many Americans struggling with their dogs on leashes, I can’t help but wonder what’s different here. If anything, you’d think the bustle of motor vehicles would motivate people to use leashes. I almost got hit by a moped today, and I can understand (sort of) traffic patterns! 

I wonder why that Chihuahua is sitting on a stool with a sign all in Chinese except for the word “money.”

So, the very well cared for dogs lounge about adorned with decorative collars and without a fear of strangers. Do you think maybe all the dogs who are not good off-leash dogs have just run away? Maybe you would just cut your losses and move one until you found a dog that didn’t require a leash? 

Yesterday, I was sitting on a bench at the university- which is very modern and very clean- and a dog loped by. No collar. Very dingo-like. “Ah!” I thought, “That’s what would happen to my big dog if we lived in a leashes-optional culture. She would’ve run off and joined a ferrel pack.” They looked like her and acted like her. I say “they” because shortly after the one went by, another that looked exactly like it wandered by. Obviously from the same litter. They look like the dog in the picture above, only with hound-dog (blue tick) markings. They don’t seem to bother anyone, or the pet-dogs that walk with their owners off leash around campus. The university does post signs not to feed them though. “Don’t feed the dogs or the pigeons.” At least that’s what I imagine it to say. Your guess is as good as mine. Minus those two urban dingos, all the dogs I see laying about the sidewalks and streets trusting the many passersby to not step on them, all the dogs seem well cared for, happy and healthy. It’s actually really refreshing what a natural, symbiotic relationship with their canine companions. Yet another reason I think I could live here…

Sign on the benches at the university