The mean streets of Dubai … for dogs

I lived in Dubai from November of 2016 to March of 2018 and while I was there I finally adopted a dog. I’d been wanting to for decades literally but never felt that I had a stable enough personal situation to do it. But there I was in a decent job and making good money, and I decided to go for it.

I ended up with three dogs in three months instead of the one with which I started. There’s a story there about what it’s like to be a dog in the UAE, and what it’s like to own a dog there. It explains how I ended up with three dogs instead of the one I started with.

Let’s start with the climate. In the winter months, the temperatures are often in the mid-20 degrees C during the day and can go as low as 12 or 13 degrees C over night, but are usually around 18 or 19. In the summer months, the temperatures are usually in the mid-40s and can go over 50 degrees C. For the Americans in the room, that’s a regular daytime temperature in the shade of 120 degrees F. The overnight low is usually around 32 or 33 degrees C for July and August, and the humidity is usually above 70 percent. So it’s hot. From sometime in March when the temperatures start rising again to late September or early October, it’s hot. Very hot. Too hot to stand on the paved sidewalk without burning your bare feet hot.

The most common local breed is the saluki. They are thought to be an ancient breed, predating and the likely ancestors of the greyhound, the whippet and other sight hounds such as the borzoi or Irish wolfhound. They are long…