Colombia has an interesting dog culture. In Barranquilla, for instance, people bring their dogs into stores, malls, and so on, and I noticed ZERO problems. There are also plenty of stray dogs out and about on the streets. Besides the occasional begging, or the occasional stray poop pile, they don’t bother anyone. I’ve seen a stray dog mosey into a local grocery store, stretch out near the entrance, and take a nap. It wasn’t in the way, so nobody bothered it, not even the security guard sitting a few feet away.

I’ve been at an outside restaurant, dining with a new homie, and a few stray dogs boldly walked up to tables, sat politely a few feet away and “begged” for food… they got thrown a few scraps, enjoyed them, and then eventually moseyed along to the next table or Human Meeting Spot. Not a single bark or growl, not even amongst themselves.

Even the pets being walked or transported by their owners are well-behaved, although it’s still advisable to ask the owner before attempting to pet the dog.
One time I saw a group of 3-4 stray dogs hanging out at the street corner, smack dab in the middle of a river of pedestrians going home from work. These dogs all looked like they “had business” there, like it was “their spot”. They didn’t bother anyone, and nobody bothered them.

Later on, further down the road (I was walking) I saw the very same group of dogs calmly, but with real purpose, go behind a restaurant, where I’m pretty sure the staff discarded leftover food and bones.
It’s almost like stray dogs in Colombia have their own little subculture or “invisible world” where, I dunno, Stray Doggy stuff happens, I suppose!

It seems to me that one big difference between dogs in the USA, and dogs in Colombia… is that in Colombia they KNOW they are dogs, and they know their place in the social hierarchy. In contrast, dogs in the USA – both stray and homed – just seem FAR more “loud”, “entitled” and “rabid”, if that makes any sense. If you’re an expat or Tourist from the USA or Canada, you’ll probably notice this difference, much more than locals 😅