We have been here three weeks.

We have been here two taxi rides, three trips to the mall, one visit to the zoo, and four dog baths.

We have been here two parties, one brunch and one dinner out, and I don’t even know how many loads of laundry (very slow loads of laundry).

The neighbors are friendly, and several speak English. Many have dogs, and some have cats. Ute loves the cats. He now spends his days staring out the glass doors, or laying on the porch, and watching for cats in the street outside the yard.

He also loves other dogs, but the street dogs are not social, and the neighbors are mostly too cautious to let Ute close to their, usually smaller, dogs. Today, I learned why the extreme caution. A couple years ago, someone brought a not so nice dog into the complex and it killed a beloved little dog. Rather violently. We’ll need to do some trust earning here to help people relax. Although Ute is not considered a large dog in the States, he is mostly taller than the street dogs. Ute’s black color and one stand up ear seem to add to the perception that he is a large dog. I think the pointy-ish muzzle and stand up ear also seems similar to the Alsatian breed dogs, which are expected to be so aggressive that they are required to be muzzled in public. Our gate guards like Ute though, and spoil him with treats.