The Big Picture: Max the Peruvian Labrador
OK, so this is an overly indulgent photo on my part. Yep, this is Max (Máximo to be precise) and he is my little black labrador. He was about three-months-old in the photo above, which I took a few weeks ago in the main square of Tarapoto, San Martin, near the time of Peru’s Independence Day celebrations.
Max was very uneasy in the presence of marching humans. I don’t blame him, to be honest.
It’s been an interesting experience having a dog in Peru. Some people (mainly elderly women) are terrified of him despite his puppy status, in part due to some strange Peruvian beliefs about dogs. Little kids love him but always ask if he bites before approaching. Men tend to ask how much I bought him for (one guy even asked to buy him from me) and are generally surprised to hear he was only S/.180 (about US$65). A black labrador puppy in Lima normally sells for about S/.500 ($180), or so I’ve been told by a few people.
Anyway, that’s enough about Max. It’s time for his walk…
Photo © Tony Dunnell.
