Should you be careful of stray dogs in Thailand?

In the western world, dogs are usually not to be feared and have gentle temperaments, developing beautiful relationships with humans. The same can be said for the stray dogs in Thailand, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be wary when interacting with them on the street.

As mentioned, stray dogs can carry a number of diseases, many of which go undetected and can be transmitted to humans. Stray dogs can also be ridden with fleas and ticks and are often unclean. Contact with stray dogs can expose you and your pets to lice and harmful bacteria.

It’s best to keep a distance from stray dogs, and if you come into contact with their fur, wash your hands and skin as soon as possible. Stray dogs will often approach tourists and dwellers in the hope of food and do so in a friendly manner. But if you want to feed a stray dog, do it away from restaurants, hotels, and other dogs.

Business owners can become annoyed and link stray dogs to a lack of trade if you feed them nearby. They can even take this out on the dogs, so failing to consider your environment when feeding a dog could do more harm than good.

Groups of dogs are likely to get territorial or aggressive over food, which could lead to alienation or even dog fights if you’re not careful about how you approach feeding. Always exercise caution and look out for aggressive behavior before interacting with stray dogs.