I have been working in a construction site away from Head Office in Melbourne CBD for the last few days. It's located in a very isolated place in the industrial Western suburbs of Melbourne. The site compound has a number of site huts which are basically container styled temporary offices. The first thing I noticed after arriving here was that the compound is supposed to be guarded by this "dangerous dog" at night. During the day, this poor lonely, aging dog stays in his kennel, bored and nobody to play with being locked up in a small wired enclosure. I tried to get him to come out of its kennel and come towards me at the fence a few times. Every time I walked past to visit the toilets, kitchen or out for lunch, I would go near his kennel ,say hello to him and practise my canine language with him behind the fence. Conversation (only one way!) revolved around food, the weather, politics, etc. Ever so slowly, each time he came out closer and closer towards me, wondering what this strange human was crapping on about before turning back and hiding. He must have figured lunatics don't have intentions on stealing anything! Yesterday I threw a ball over the fence but he wasn't interested either. I guess he must have been a swimmer in its younger days!
But today, after three more visits, he finally came all the way to where I was standing behind the fence. One of my colleagues held her breath and looked in sheer horror as I reached through the wire fence and pat him on the head. She was convinced that I won't be typing next week with one of my hands missing. I'm not sure why but I felt like I've achieved something today. I waved goodbye to him before I left and hoped that he will enjoy his evening walks with the guard...
I reckon it was a good training exercise to help deal with dogs on my future trip overseas. *chuckle* I remember before departing for Nepal in 2006, the doctor gave me vaccinations for polio, Hepatitis A&B, typhoid and tetanus. I asked him for rabies vaccination as well which but he simply said, "Do yourself a favour: Stay well away from dogs and monkeys and save yourself $200."
I forgot everything he said once I got there. They were a lot of dogs (some strays ) in Kathmandu and on the trail. They weren't your purebred, clean, well looked after dogs back home. Rather, most of the ones I encountered were filthy, flea infested, smelly and wild. But for me, it is simply too hard not to pat every single dog I come across. It would be like walking past a friend without saying hello. So I was the only silly trekker running around patting dogs after all the western tourists gave them all a wide berth. I was also silly enough to pat monkeys, cats, ponies and yaks! LOL!! Hopefully the first dog that gets me won't be from my beloved Dobermann breed...
But today, after three more visits, he finally came all the way to where I was standing behind the fence. One of my colleagues held her breath and looked in sheer horror as I reached through the wire fence and pat him on the head. She was convinced that I won't be typing next week with one of my hands missing. I'm not sure why but I felt like I've achieved something today. I waved goodbye to him before I left and hoped that he will enjoy his evening walks with the guard...
I reckon it was a good training exercise to help deal with dogs on my future trip overseas. *chuckle* I remember before departing for Nepal in 2006, the doctor gave me vaccinations for polio, Hepatitis A&B, typhoid and tetanus. I asked him for rabies vaccination as well which but he simply said, "Do yourself a favour: Stay well away from dogs and monkeys and save yourself $200."
I forgot everything he said once I got there. They were a lot of dogs (some strays ) in Kathmandu and on the trail. They weren't your purebred, clean, well looked after dogs back home. Rather, most of the ones I encountered were filthy, flea infested, smelly and wild. But for me, it is simply too hard not to pat every single dog I come across. It would be like walking past a friend without saying hello. So I was the only silly trekker running around patting dogs after all the western tourists gave them all a wide berth. I was also silly enough to pat monkeys, cats, ponies and yaks! LOL!! Hopefully the first dog that gets me won't be from my beloved Dobermann breed...
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