I was afraid of dogs for all my life until I ended up living with a pit bull for 3 months. I was taking care of a lady 24/7 for hospice care and this was the dog of the house. I did not find out she was there until I was on my way to move in. I knew I would just have to deal with it.
Sugar turned out to be as sweet as her name and we became friends quickly. She liked to play catch but would not let go of the ball when she had it. I ended up wearing a hospital glove and reaching into her mouth to get the ball many times a day. This was quite an amazing thing for me to do at the time.
Now in Thailand "soi dogs" and "711 dogs" are everywhere and often roam in packs. As long as you do not bother them, they will not bother you. Sometimes you have to step over them to get to the atm or the door of the store. They do not care or more away as you do that.
You have some gigantic dogs there, Joan. They look friendly and fun to me now and a few years ago they would have scared me instead.
Glad to learn you overcame that fear, things happening in childhood can put one off.
Abandoned cats survive easier than dogs, sad to hear your abandoned dogs are packing for protection among each other @fitinfun
They are not really abandoned here. People feed them and take care of them. Each soi (alley) has their soi dogs. They patrol their territory at night, and sleep in the day. Once you are known or if you walk through nicely, nothing happens. But if drunks come by or someone is out at night causing trouble, the soi dogs let everyone know by their ruckus.
When I first get to anyplace they dogs check me out since I am out at night. But once they know me they only glance up. I have a jacket with a hood and one time it was raining so I had it on at 3 am. They all came running. But I took off the hood and they all stopped, looked and walked off. My heart was pounding, and I was so glad I realized it was the hood without thinking :)
So the dogs are looking after people of the area in exchange for food, a very good system to have and to learn about.
Excellent security considering they get to know you by smell allowing you access to move around feeling safer at odd hours.