What's Poppin' with Commuting Canines?

This spoiled schnauzer wouldn't last a week on Moscow's mean streets. Photo: Getty Images

While Bo Obama is keeping America distracted, a confederation of Russian wild dogs are poised to take over the world economy. In Moscow, they've already mastered riding the subway from the suburbs -- where they live in industrial complexes -- into the city center each every day, where they scavenge and scam before returning to the 'burbs for the night. They've learned to judge the length of time to stay on the train to end up at the right place -- though admittedly they sometimes they fall asleep and miss their stop. (Dogs! They're just like us!) They've even devised fun and games to while away their dreary commute. "They jump on the train seconds before the doors shut, risking their tails getting jammed," says an expert. "They do it for fun."

The tricksters are learning other urban-living skills, like using traffic lights to cross the street. "And they use cunning tactics to obtain tasty morsels of shawarma, a kebab-like snack popular in Moscow. They sneak up behind people eating shawarmas -- then bark loudly to shock them into dropping their food." Sneaky! But rest assured that world dog domination is still a ways off -- as the Sun's video attests, they haven't yet mastered the art of the escalator.

--JESSANNE COLLINS

Previously >What's Poppin' with Poofy Pachyderms?