One of the things that cracks me up about our new home is the love affair that the people have with their dogs. Hong Kongers, especially those in Sai Kung, the area in which we live, LOVE their canine friends. Seriously. They treat them like they are children.
I confess that, being a cat person myself, I am at best indifferent, at worst, repulsed by the presence of dogs. I find their bad breath and odor a bit disgusting and I detest the way they like to lick and sniff private parts as a friendly greeting, not to mention the jumping, loud barking and growling. Relative to cats, I have always thought of dogs as, well, oafish and unrefined and I merely tolerate their presence. So, this total love affair with hounds is baffling to me….but also utterly amusing.
The pooches around here are pampered to the max. They are usually washed and groomed by domestic helpers several times a week or sometimes daily. And they are truly the best behaved dogs I ever encountered. They do not bark, growl, jump up, beg or whine. Some walk through the streets without leashes dutifully following their owners. Some don’t even have to bother walking as they are carted around in their own strollers.
It is not at all uncommon to see pooches politely sitting in chairs at restaurants with their own plates in front of them.
They don’t jump on the tables, whine, bark or beg. They sit there like people!! I have no idea how they get these creatures to behave so properly.
And of course, they must always be dressed to the nines.
Complete with matching shoes.
I’m telling you I CANNOT make these things up!
Team Woods Adventures is going to be a book one day! I so look forward to your writings! Love this about the dogs! It’s hilarious. You are missed.
I don’t dress my children that well. But then again, they aren’t that well behaved either. Especially in restaurants.
Funny and fascinating. I know that Hong Kong wasn’t returned to Chinese rule until a couple of decades ago, but does the one-child-per-couple law apply here? Pampering dogs, as a you said, is a near-substitute for pampering children.
Hi Robert. Thanks for reading my blog. In answer to your question, as far as I know, the people of HK are not under the 1 child per family law, but it’s an interesting thought. Having children here is a very expensive endeavor when you take account feeding, housing and especially schooling, so maybe that’s why some opt to have dogs instead.