# In Russia, stray dogs learned to use subway and commute! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 16, 2009, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-russia-stray-dogs-learned-to-use-subway-and-commute/506663 "2009-08-16T21:31:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2009, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-russia-stray-dogs-learned-to-use-subway-and-commute/506663/1 "2009-08-16T21:31:53Z")
I couldn’t think of a way to make the title totally Yakov Smirnoff. > **[Ananova News](https://ananova.com/news)** > > Visit the post for more. > [@](#): > > Biology professor Andrew Poyarkov said he had seen several dogs unaccompanied on the city’s underground rail system, reports [rupor.org](http://rupor.org). > > He claims the dogs travel into the city centre, where they can more easily find food, each morning and travel back to where they live each evening. ---
**Author:** ![luv2draw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@luv2draw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/luv2draw)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2009, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-russia-stray-dogs-learned-to-use-subway-and-commute/506663/2 "2009-08-16T23:48:39Z")
I have a friend who moved to Moscow from the US a few years ago. He indeed has told me the same story, wondering how the dogs knew which stop to get off. Great instinct, I’d say… ---
**Author:** ![Jamicat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c67d28/32.png) [@Jamicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamicat)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2009, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-russia-stray-dogs-learned-to-use-subway-and-commute/506663/3 "2009-08-16T23:58:00Z")
When they start carrying a briefcase it’s time to worry. ---
**Author:** ![imfloating](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bc79bd/32.png) [@imfloating](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/imfloating)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2009, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-russia-stray-dogs-learned-to-use-subway-and-commute/506663/4 "2009-08-17T02:09:25Z")
It’s like the flys knowing where to get off the elevator for the cafeteria. ---
**Author:** ![HelenGawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@HelenGawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelenGawn)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2009, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-russia-stray-dogs-learned-to-use-subway-and-commute/506663/5 "2009-08-17T18:50:28Z")
Why commute? Why don’t they just live in the city? It’s not like they have to worry about sky-high HOA fees. ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-russia-stray-dogs-learned-to-use-subway-and-commute/506663/6 "2009-08-18T02:33:27Z")
Perhaps the obedience schools are better in the burbs for the lil pups. ---
**Author:** ![Arglefraster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3bc359/32.png) [@Arglefraster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arglefraster)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-russia-stray-dogs-learned-to-use-subway-and-commute/506663/7 "2009-08-18T12:59:55Z")
Here’s a longer article with more detail: [http://englishrussia.com/?p=2462](http://englishrussia.com/?p=2462) Apparently there are a lot of abandoned buildings in Moscow’s suburbs, and the dogs live in them. ---
**Author:** ![Mervyn\_Pumpkinhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ab097/32.png) [@Mervyn\_Pumpkinhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mervyn_Pumpkinhead)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-russia-stray-dogs-learned-to-use-subway-and-commute/506663/8 "2009-08-20T03:04:52Z")
> [@Jamicat](#): > > When they start carrying a briefcase it’s time to worry. From the mind that brought us _Master and Margarita_ comes… **Heart of a Dog!** [http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Dog-Mikhail-Bulgakov/dp/1441480315/ref=sr\_1\_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250737283&sr=1-3](http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Dog-Mikhail-Bulgakov/dp/1441480315/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250737283&sr=1-3) ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-russia-stray-dogs-learned-to-use-subway-and-commute/506663/9 "2009-08-20T03:06:22Z")
In Russia, dog strays you!! ---
**Author:** ![Imasquare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Imasquare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imasquare)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-russia-stray-dogs-learned-to-use-subway-and-commute/506663/10 "2009-08-20T07:10:09Z")
I saw a dog wearing shoes yesterday. A small dog wearing yellow knitted shoes a bit like thick socks. They seem to be turning more and more like us humans. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-russia-stray-dogs-learned-to-use-subway-and-commute/506663/11 "2009-08-20T20:54:30Z")
Considering that more and more humans are going to the dogs, it’s only reasonable for it to be an exchange program. Pretty sure we’re getting the better end of the deal. _Wonders what the first doggy Doper nick will be_ ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-russia-stray-dogs-learned-to-use-subway-and-commute/506663/12 "2009-08-21T01:47:35Z")
'm gonna take a lot more convincing that this isn’t kind of randomly anecdotal; I can see plenty of similar actions taking place on THIS is of “intent.” ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-russia-stray-dogs-learned-to-use-subway-and-commute/506663/13 "2009-08-24T20:54:43Z")
> [@Imasquare](#): > > I saw a dog wearing shoes yesterday. A small dog wearing yellow knitted shoes a bit like thick socks. > > They seem to be turning more and more like us humans. Last winter, when we had a lot of snow on the ground that wouldn’t go away, I saw a homeless guy with a dog, and the dog was wearing honest-to-goodness little boots. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-russia-stray-dogs-learned-to-use-subway-and-commute/506663/14 "2009-08-24T20:57:41Z")
That’s fucking awesome. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-russia-stray-dogs-learned-to-use-subway-and-commute/506663/15 "2009-08-24T20:58:41Z")
> [@luv2draw](#): > > I have a friend who moved to Moscow from the US a few years ago. He indeed has told me the same story, wondering how the dogs knew which stop to get off. Great instinct, I’d say… Why do you insist that it’s instinct? What sort of feat would they have to perform for you to attribute it to intelligence?