{"id":16413,"date":"2026-07-22T04:32:14","date_gmt":"2026-07-22T04:32:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.strangethingstraveling.com\/encounters-with-stray-dogs-in-the-countries-of-the-caucasus\/"},"modified":"2026-08-19T12:16:07","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T12:16:07","slug":"encounters-with-stray-dogs-in-the-countries-of-the-caucasus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.strangethingstraveling.com\/en\/encounters-with-stray-dogs-in-the-countries-of-the-caucasus\/","title":{"rendered":"Encounters with Stray Dogs in the Countries of the Caucasus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Encounters with stray dogs<\/strong> were my main concern at the start of my trip to the Caucasus. I had read some rather alarming accounts about their aggressiveness. In the past, I\u2019d had only one nearly negative experience, and that was in Thailand<\/a>. Elsewhere, I\u2019d had no problems, even though I\u2019d encountered many of them, especially in South America. <\/p>\n\n

\"Two
You always see cats around\u2014lots of kittens<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n
\"Yellow
One of the shelters for stray cats in Baku<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

When I arrived in the area, however, I saw mostly cats\u2014roaming freely and well cared for. In downtown Baku, there are several colorful little houses (cat houses) for the cats. I also saw several kittens. <\/p>\n\n

During this trip, I read *A Lost World*<\/em> by the mountaineer, traveler, and journalist Walter Bonatti<\/strong>.<\/a> His book is a must-read for anyone interested in travel and nature. I also consider him a kind of superhero. Some of his feats\u2014often undertaken solo and given their physical demands\u2014I believe would have been impossible for at least 99% of the world\u2019s population. This is especially true when you consider the resources available in the 1960s and 1970s. <\/p>\n\n

As I read Bonatti, I find comfort in thinking about my encounters with stray dogs<\/h2>\n\n

In the book I read during those days, Bonatti made me think a lot about wild animals, people, and travel. Even back then, he argued that mass tourism was inexorably altering both the destinations and the people\u2014particularly the residents of new tourist destinations, who were becoming morally corrupt in their quest to capitalize on the new revenue streams. <\/p>\n\n

Decades have passed since his first remarks, and the situation has certainly worsened. Today\u2019s travelers often delude themselves into thinking they\u2019re having authentic experiences\u2014perhaps by watching the lackluster dance in a Masai village that comes to life only when tourists pass by, or by haggling over trinkets made in China. And then, back home, they talk about how kind those people are, when in reality they\u2019re seen only as gullible walking wallets to be fleeced as much as possible. <\/p>\n\n

In one of the stories, Bonatti tries to approach the crocodiles in a river, convinced that they won\u2019t be interested in him. I tried to imagine that this idea would be useful to me, too, when I encountered stray dogs. <\/p>\n\n

In Azerbaijan to some extent, and especially in Georgia and Armenia, encounters with stray dogs are quite common, even in cities. I got the impression that there were few of them only in Yerevan, the busiest city.<\/p>\n\n

But running into them when there are other people around you really isn\u2019t a cause for concern. They usually mind their own business; at most, I\u2019ve seen them arguing among themselves. Only in Tbilisi, in front of a McDonald\u2019s, did one of them seem to have it in for me. Maybe because he knew I was just going in to use the restroom and had no intention of buying anything? Before leaving, I checked to see if he was still around, but he was gone. <\/p>\n\n

It would have been quite different to encounter them on my own, out in nature. <\/p>\n\n

Encounters with stray dogs while hiking and having breakfast<\/h2>\n\n

I spent two nights in Dilijan<\/strong>, in what some crazy people call the \u201cSwitzerland of the Caucasus.\u201d I had planned to go hiking. I would have considered a guided tour, but nothing was organized, and the trail\u2014rated as easy and well-marked\u2014started right from the village. The forecast called for rain around lunchtime, so I set out planning to walk for a couple of hours and then head back. <\/p>\n\n

After just half an hour, without having seen anyone and deep in the woods, I catch a glimpse of them in the distance; there are three of them. I decide to turn back\u2014the trail is narrow and steep, and there\u2019s no way to get around them. <\/p>\n\n

After a short while, I hear them running toward me. I don\u2019t even have time to feel anything\u2014it\u2019s obvious they\u2019re friendly. They greet me enthusiastically and even squabble a bit to get my attention. I resume walking, and they turn around too; they want to escort me into their territory. Like most stray dogs, they aren\u2019t exactly in good shape. One is limping, while the leader is blind and leads the way by holding on. They accompany me for a while, then stop and watch me as I walk away. <\/p>\n\n

\"Two
Speaking of encounters with stray cats, here are two of the three friends I met in the woods<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

The next morning, before heading out again by minibus to Yerevan, I stop at one of the vending machines on the street. It\u2019s the only way to get a coffee before 9 a.m.; it costs just a few cents and is actually pretty good. Another dog approaches me\u2014this one\u2019s pretty lame, too. It curls up beside me near the nearby bench. When I get up and start walking toward the bus station again, it follows me and stays with me for a while; shortly after, another dog joins the cheerful little group. <\/p>\n\n

\"Two
Puppies Are Also Among the Stray Dogs We Encounter <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Last Days in Armenia <\/h2>\n\n
\"The
The waterfall, with its designer standing in front of it<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n
\""The
Botero’s Soldier<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

I spent the last part of my trip in Armenia<\/a><\/strong>, a country rich in history whose people have been severely mistreated throughout history. The capital, Yerevan<\/strong>, isn\u2019t ugly, but\u2014especially compared to other capitals in the region\u2014it lacks character and has nothing particularly noteworthy to offer. <\/p>\n\n

The most popular area is called the Cascata<\/strong> . It’s a rather steep staircase with a garden and several works of art. Among these, the statue of the architect who designed it stands out, resembling a DJ busying himself with the mixer and turntables. I especially liked the statues of Fernando Botero<\/strong> ,<\/a> whom I adore. <\/p>\n\n

\"Mount
Mount Ararat<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

But what I like even more about Yerevan is its proximity to the looming, biblical Mount Ararat<\/strong>, which is always in the background\u2014almost always snow-capped but also often shrouded in clouds. We got a closer look at it during the fascinating tour, but not close enough to find Noah\u2019s Ark, since it\u2019s located in Turkish territory and the border in that area is closed. <\/p>\n\n

These were the other stops on the tour.<\/p>\n\n