It's a Dog's Life

The dogs have been in Peru for a month now, and they seem to have completely recovered from their travel ordeal. They've generally adjusted to apartment life, making the most of their three daily trips outside (really, how much poo does a dog have?) They love chasing all the birds in the park - cuculis (doves), mockingbirds, pretty red and yellow songbirds (vermilion flycatchers and saffron finches), red-masked parakeets. Kianne once caught a little dove - twice in the same day! I'm sorry to say that it didn't end well.

They don't understand that our neighbors are closer to us in the apartment than they are in our neighborhood at home, so Kianne and Maddie still bark when they hear the neighbors come and go. They drink tap water, and eat Peruvian Purina. They know the sound of our diesel minivan, and look down at us from our third floor window whenever we come home. It's so nice to have their company, and it makes life here seem a bit more normal.

Because we must consider their needs, we've been doing a lot of dog-friendly activities. We've walked to and through numerous nearby parks, and I'm really grateful for the pretty park right behind our apartment building. I can actually take them there in the middle of the night because it's so well lit and there's always a security guard. The dogs usually meet up with friends at the park, and Kianne will often play with them off-leash. We're always asked if the dogs are embras (female) or machos (male) because Peruvians almost never get their dogs neutered and I guess people are afraid that the macho dogs will fight. We always see dogs in the park, whether they're being walked by their owners, dog walkers or maids. And it appears that nearly every dog we see is either a Golden Retriever, Miniature Schnauzer, or Cocker Spaniel (but never a chubby, black, English-speaking one with a long tail - Maddie has that covered). There are also all the Labs - yellow, chocolate and black - a few Jack Russells, and the occasional small, white fluffy varieties. Kiko and I laugh every time we see one of these same breeds, also noticing that pretty much the only time you'll see a mutt here is if it's a street dog. Kianne is quite unique! 

We've taken Kianne and Maddie on a long walk along the malecon, the street that hugs the cliffs overlooking the ocean. There are a lot of parks along the way, and little stands where you can get fresh juice or coffee and a sandwich. We took them to the beach twice with their primo (cousin) Volvo, Miguel and Ceci's huge Great Dane. There's no specific dog beach here, so they can play in the surf and then roll in the sand anywhere they please! For Mother's Day weekend, we took the dogs on an overnight trip to a rustic retreat in Lunahuana, a few hours south of us. They enjoyed hiking in the dirt, dodging barbed wire to chase birds through the farms, and cooling off in the creek. They did not, however, like the loud fireworks exploding over our little bungalo ALL NIGHT LONG. The double bed was very crowded and felt very small!

Both dogs have been groomed twice since they've been here, already more often than they get groomed at home. It's amazingly inexpensive for a bath, nail clipping, ear and (gulp) anal gland cleaning - only $15 for the two dogs, with an extra $4.30 for Maddie's haircut! The place even provides pickup and delivery, and the vet on site will take a look at them to see if they have dry skin, ear problems or anything else that might affect their grooming.

So, the dogs are clean, they're enjoying new experiences and new friends, and they're learning a second language. Their next outing will be to the ranch in Barranca, where they will see (up close!) a creature even bigger than Volvo - a Peruvian Paso Horse. If only they could talk.