Rainy Season in Hat Yai: Lek and the Flooded Soi

If you live in Hat Yai, you know that the rainy season is not a joke. Some years the water on our soi reaches my knees, and the motorbikes go by like little boats. My Thai Ridgeback, Lek, has now lived through three of these seasons, and I have learned a lot about what to do with a smart, athletic, slightly aloof dog when the sky stays grey for a week.

Lek hates wet paws. He stands at the gate, looks at the water, looks at me, and waits for me to arrange a miracle. When the street is flooded I carry him over the worst part, which is not easy with a twenty-five kilo dog, so now I take two short walks on dry higher ground near the temple instead of one long one. He moves like a deer even in drizzle, but he will not step into brown water, and I am glad, because flood water carries everything: bacteria, sharp objects, sometimes snakes.

After each walk I rinse his legs and belly with clean water and dry him with a towel. I check between his toes for cuts, and I keep his ridge dry as well, because damp skin under the ridge can get itchy. Our vet told us that leptospirosis can spread through flood water, and that the sensible thing is to avoid letting dogs wade or drink from puddles and to ask about vaccinations. I wrote it on the fridge.

At home, the main challenge is boredom. Lek is clever, and a bored Ridgeback will find entertainment, like unpacking the shoe rack. So I hide treats in a cardboard box, play a game of find-it in the living room, and practise commands on the stairs. He sits by the door when the rain gets heavy and watches the street like a security guard, ears forward.

Last week we had a day when the water came into the garden. I moved the bag of dog food and the bed upstairs, filled a bottle of drinking water, and packed a small bag with his papers and medicine, just in case. In the end the water went down by morning. Lek walked out to the gate, inspected the mud with great suspicion, and returned to bed. I have never been prouder.