Training Boji
Transit officials treat Boji as though he is their own. According to McGrath, one member of staff even took him home for a week, bathed him, ensured that his shots were up to date, and took him to a few training sessions. On top of this, they gave Boji his very own collar – with his name on it and everything! Boji also underwent a behavioral study to ensure that human interaction was not a problem for him.
Unsurprisingly, he did very well, which makes sense considering how long he had already been using the subway and other public transport systems.
Boji’s Personality
According to McGrath, Boji is the perfect dog. He is super happy and shows no signs of aggression. He always receives pets from train passengers, which he has no problem with. In fact, he absolutely loves the attention. All he wants to do is travel the city. Although his actions are rather bizarre for a dog, everybody has simply gotten used to him. He seems to be perfectly content when traveling on his own.
He’s incredibly calm and confident, walking around as though he is just another commuter. While nobody knows exactly what breed Boji is, we are pretty sure that he is a mix.
A Rule Breaker
It is safe to say that Boji is a bit of a rule-breaker. He does exactly what he wants to do, when he wants to do it. It’s almost as though he plans his schedule beforehand and plots his train route accordingly. He always arrives on time, sitting patiently as he waits for his train to arrive. Unlike a lot of people, he is perfectly content deciding his own schedule and interactions. He’s also unbothered by the fact that he does not have an owner.
According to McGrath, he also doesn’t listen to anybody. If you try to tell him to do something, he either completely ignores you or looks at you as though you are crazy. Boji believes that he is just another passenger, so why should he take orders from a stranger?
A Typical Dog
Even though Boji likes to act like a human, there is one thing that gets him going, just like every other dog… Cats! The only time that locals have seen Boji get excited or energetic is when a cat is nearby. Unfortunately, stray cats are a bit of a problem in Istanbul, which means that Boji often finds himself in a bit of a tricky situation. Every time Boji sees a cat in the distance, he begins to chase it.
According to McGrath, it happened 3 to 4 times in a single day. One time, he even ended up chasing a cat all the way to a nearby park. It’s rather strange to see such a calm dog act so excited, but the locals still adore him… even with his cat-chasing tendencies.
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