It's a dog's life.

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for the People: Dodo, Boulot, Metro

Each morning, like clockwork, they board the subway, off to
begin their daily routine amidst the hustle and bustle of the city.



But these aren't just any daily commuters. These are stray dogs who live in the
outskirts of Moscow Russia and commute on the underground trains to and from
the city centre in search of food scraps.



Then after a hard day scavenging and begging on the streets, they hop back on
the train and return to the suburbs where they spend the night.



Experts studying the dogs, who usually choose the quietest carriages at the
front and back of the train, say they even work together to make sure they get
off at the right stop – after learning to judge the length of time they need to
spend on the train.



Scientists believe this phenomenon began after the Soviet Union collapsed in
the 1990s, and Russia’s new capitalists moved industrial complexes from the
city centre to the suburbs.



Dr Andrei Poiarkov, of the Moscow Ecology and Evolution Institute, said: “These
complexes were used by homeless dogs as shelters, so the dogs had to move
together with their houses. Because the best scavenging for food is in the city
centre, the dogs had to learn how to travel on the subway – to get to the
centre in the morning, then back home in the evening, just like people.”



Dr Poiarkov told how the dogs like to play during their daily commute. He said:
“They jump on the train seconds before the doors shut, risking their tails
getting jammed. They do it for fun. And sometimes they fall asleep and get off
at the wrong stop.”



The dogs have also amazingly learned to use traffic lights to cross the road
safely, said Dr Poiarkov. And they use cunning tactics to obtain tasty morsels
of shawarma, a kebab-like snack popular in Moscow.



With children the dogs “play cute” by putting their heads on youngsters’ knees
and staring pleadingly into their eyes to win sympathy – and scraps.