Rez Dog
Dogs on the reservation have a different status than they do here. On the rez, dogs wander freely and seem to do whatever they want to do. They are not thought of as pets. Instructions to dogs are really more like suggestions. They come and go as they please. But they are mellow and healthy and happy. This guy followed us, and asked us to follow it, as we hiked around...but he wasn't really that invested either way. The Navajo word for dog (łééchąą’í) means "shit eater," which is accurate and perhaps reflects the mixed feelings that many people in the community have about them, because many dogs actually work protecting sheep from predators. But the rest are just loafers.
Rez Dog
Dogs on the reservation have a different status than they do here. On the rez, dogs wander freely and seem to do whatever they want to do. They are not thought of as pets. Instructions to dogs are really more like suggestions. They come and go as they please. But they are mellow and healthy and happy. This guy followed us, and asked us to follow it, as we hiked around...but he wasn't really that invested either way. The Navajo word for dog (łééchąą’í) means "shit eater," which is accurate and perhaps reflects the mixed feelings that many people in the community have about them, because many dogs actually work protecting sheep from predators. But the rest are just loafers.