My dog's smarter than your dog!

In the US I've seen dead dogs by the side of the road. Not lots of them but often enough that it isn't a huge surprise to see one on the road.

In the city I haven't really seen many dogs. On the bus trips I've taken I seen quite a few. For the most part they're all similarly built. Compact body, perhaps 20 pounds, with short coats and tails that often curl over their back. Very few have been chained. Even outside Saigon the road is quite busy and the homes and business are located pretty much on the road. The dogs are generally very close to the road as a result.

It seems to me there is PLENTY of opportunity for these pooches get nailed by a one of the many vehicles cruising by on the road. And yet I haven't seen any dead dogs in the road or along side it. I have seen the dogs moving to avoid traffic in ways I haven't seen dogs do in USA.

For instance I've seen them move onto the shoulder or cross quickly when the bus driver beeps the horn. And he's not beeping when he's right on top of the dog. It might be 30 or so yards ahead of us on the road.

So I'm thinking these dogs are smarter than the average dog I've known or at least they've developed really keen "street smarts". In any case lots of dogs (outside the city center), lots of traffic and no dog road kill anywhere to be seen.