Chuchos are street dogs.

This was one of the first things they warned us about on our arrival on September 28.

Don’t drink the water! Don’t eat street food! Keep a “wide berth” around the chuchos.

Chucho can easily be a really feo word- if you say “chucha” you mean bitch or even the f bomb. If you say “chucho hombre,” you’re saying something else entirely. So stick with calling street dogs chuchos and nothing more.

Chuchos… chuchos, chuchos, chuchos. Chuchos are like, well, a reminder with legs that life isn’t fair. Being from a country where stray animals are managed and prevented, it’s especially shocking to see all manner of dogs roaming the streets even in well-manicured neighborhoods. I am in a very posh area for training and the chuchos are just as slimy here as the dogs in el campo or Guaté.

I could write about how they often appear in packs or a duo that is in cahoots for public lovemaking sessions or caked in fleas or adorned with droopy udders that swing as they trot along in search of food or adventure. I suppose I just did. Sometimes I see a chucho that looks really lovable, and I say “What a cute chucho” but that’s the extent of it.

Then there is the dense reality of chucho droppings that punctuate the streets. You should Go Set a Watchman before you step or you might insult your shoes. And let it be known that chuchos invite themselves into all sorts of places they don’t belong. If you are in an open air school or church or house or grocery store, there’s likely a chucho attempting to make their way in. If the event includes snacks there are sure to be chuchos.

You can have a pet in Peace Corps once the first six months are up, but I can’t imagine I would ever adopt a chucho. I have a brave friend who did but it’s just not for me. Plus an e-pat told me that the chuchos are inbred and not to trust them. It’s a sad world for chuchos. I think I’ll get a gold fish.

So that’s the deal with street dogs. I call them Chuch because it’s important to give nicknames to things you deal with every day. “Go away Chooch” for example. So when you are wearing your work attire, carrying your lunch bag and purse on your way to start your day, you will be accompanied by chuchos, their waste, and the aftermath of their trash hunts. They seem to blend into the overall ambience.

This is life in Guatemala.