Chuck

There are a lot of street dogs and cats in Istanbul. They usually sleep all day, and they have a policy of 'don't bother me and I won't bother you' that they strongly adhere to. Occasionally you'll get a dog that is a bit different. Like Chuck here. 

When I left work a couple nights ago, he began following me. He would race ahead of me then wait until I caught up and walk next to me for a while. He would explore front yards and then run after me. He stuck by my side for a good ten minutes. I named him Chuck because I could. I also talked to him for a while. In Turkish, of course, Chuck doesn't speak English.

At first, I asked him if he was going to walk me all the way home to Bebek. Then, we moved onto "what are you doing?!?!" Chuck got out of control real fast. I've seen this behavior in movies before but never in real life: he was literally chasing cars. He would wait in the middle of the road until they drove by then bark at them while chasing them for a bit. I was legitimately concerned for him, more for his mental well-being than his physical safety. Abby has said before that the adult strays must be the smartest because they've survived the city. And that totally makes sense - Chuck had to be a smart dog but he was not acting like it. 

I felt somewhat responsible for him, too, because was following me. After a car would go by he would run and catch up to me. I told him to stop and go home but he wouldn't listen. I really just wanted him to go away so I wouldn't see him get hit by a car - a very real possibility from his cavalier attitude towards the street and the cars whizzing by. 

About 30 seconds after I took the picture above, Chuck entered into someone else's territory. Three dogs, which are usually curled up asleep when I walk by, chased Chuck off. I laughed. This dog should be smart but, boy, was he dumb.