# Do stray dogs really commute on the subway?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-stray-dogs-really-commute-on-the-subway/492398>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 8, 2009, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-stray-dogs-really-commute-on-the-subway/492398 "2009-04-08T15:11:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jarjarwang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jarjarwang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jarjarwang)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2009, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-stray-dogs-really-commute-on-the-subway/492398/1 "2009-04-08T15:11:46Z")

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Do stray dogs in Moscow really live in the suburbs and commute by subway downtown for lucrative begging?

[http://englishrussia.com/?p=2462](http://englishrussia.com/?p=2462)

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**Author:** ![HorseloverFat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8e8cbc/32.png) [@HorseloverFat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HorseloverFat)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2009, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-stray-dogs-really-commute-on-the-subway/492398/2 "2009-04-08T16:15:27Z")

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I dont see how that’s possible unless someone specifically trained them to do so. Trains and train routes are abstract concepts. How dogs think of space has a lot to do with smell cues and their own internal map. Memorizing stops seems pretty unlikely, not to mention [englishrussia.com](http://englishrussia.com) is something of a goofy news site, like fark, so you should take it with a grain of salt.

Also, obligatory [onion.com](http://onion.com) link:

> **[The Onion | America's Finest News Source.](https://www.theonion.com/?utm_source=b-section)**
>
> The Onion brings you all of the latest news, stories, photos, videos and more from America's finest news source.

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**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2009, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-stray-dogs-really-commute-on-the-subway/492398/3 "2009-04-08T16:24:31Z")

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There’s lots of people on the subway. I’m sure some of them can’t help but give some morsels to stray dogs frim time to time. Perhaps the dogs are just getting on the subway and following the migration of people?

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**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2009, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-stray-dogs-really-commute-on-the-subway/492398/4 "2009-04-08T16:30:41Z")

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> [@HorseloverFat](#):
>
> I dont see how that’s possible unless someone specifically trained them to do so.

Figure that a couple of stray dogs have friends among homeless people. Those homeless people travel back and forth every day on the metro, showing those dogs how to do it. Those dogs then proceed to teach their pack how to do the same.

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**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2009, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-stray-dogs-really-commute-on-the-subway/492398/5 "2009-04-08T16:34:05Z")

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Why should that be any different then traveling to the next watering hole? Now I’m not sure if it happens or not, but it doesn’t sound too unlikely.