Street Dogs: A student died of rabies after being bitten by a stray dog in Delhi. Following this, the problem related to stray dogs has become a nightmare. The Supreme Court, after hearing this, has issued an order to catch stray dogs and keep them in shelters. This has become a national topic of discussion. According to a census taken in 2024, there are 1.8 lakh stray dogs in Chennai alone. Of these, only 27% of the dogs have been sterilized. Work such as vaccinating and sterilizing dogs is ongoing. However, Sridevi, a dog behaviourist from Coimbatore, has given explanations on how we can be safe with dogs.
She said, “Since the time of the hunting society, dogs have been helping humans. Due to urbanization and civilizational change, dogs have had to grow up alone in big cities. Dogs have certain needs. Food, freedom of movement, and biological needs are the primary ones. Domesticated dogs get nutritious food. But there is no freedom or ways to fulfill biological needs. Due to this, domesticated dogs sometimes behave aggressively. Whereas, stray dogs behave aggressively due to lack of nutrition and hunger even though they have freedom of movement and biological needs are met.
Stray dogs primarily target children. If an adult is chased by them and they raise their voice or engage in actions such as attacking, the dogs will back off. But since children cannot immediately attack or react, street dogs target children first. Children are easy targets for stray dogs. Owners give pet dogs care and affection. But street dogs do not get such affection. Due to this, street dogs behave aggressively towards passers-by. In times of disaster, it is also difficult for street dogs to get food. Then they are afraid. At that time, attacking and chasing humans is more likely.
Street dogs have a strong group mentality. They do everything together, whether they are roaming, searching for food, or eating. Stray dogs are more dangerous when they are in a group than when they are alone. It cannot be generally said that all street dogs are dangerous. Not all street dogs behave aggressively. Nowadays, dogs have learned to live without human intervention and do not depend on humans. Dogs determine their boundaries based on the availability of food. If food is constantly available in one place, they will stay in that place. If the availability of food stops, they will move to another place.
Bad experiences that street dogs have had in their childhood also change their behaviour. For example, if they engage in activities like throwing stones or hitting them with sticks, the dog will behave aggressively towards humans. If another dog in their group is hit by a vehicle, the dogs will chase the vehicles when they see them. Their behavior will also change depending on the experiences they have had. If dogs chase you while riding a two-wheeler, you should go a little faster. When walking, you should keep a stick or other object in your hand. Most dogs do not attack. They are just trying to scare you. If we make a loud noise or show them something to show fear, dogs will back off, says dog behaviour expert Sridevi.
When a stray dog chases you, don’t run away in fear. If you run, it will think you are threatening it and start chasing you further. Fear is a kind of challenge for dogs. If you run, it may chase you further. If you stand still in one place, it may get confused. This may distract it and stop chasing you. But you should avoid looking the dog directly in the eyes. If you do, it will think that you are ready to attack. If you have a water bottle or any other object in your hand, you can throw it in the opposite direction. This will distract the dog and it will run in the opposite direction. If you cannot stay still, keep your hands close to your face. This will protect your face from the dog.
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