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you wrote: it is dogs they do not like.

Is it because dogs teach unconditional love? Because a dog will be your friend if you treat it reasonably well? Because female dogs refuse to wear birkhas? Because dogs are such a good judge of character?

Whhoooopppssss. Dogs are good judges of character! It might be that the dogs can sniff out a Terrorist by the odor of gunpowder and blood on his clothing and that is why Mohammad-the-terrible didn't want any dogs near him.

Be wary of anyone a dog doesn't like. There's usually a very good reason for the doggie-distrust.

Iraqi children are being introduced to puppies by some of the troops and civilians in Iraq according to a recent TV story I saw. The narrator stated that the children didn't even know how to pet the dog. Now, folks, THIS is a travesty of childhood. EVERY CHILD should have the opportunity to pet a puppy, even if it's the neighbor's puppy. And puppy kisses are nearly as sweet as baby-kisses (and just as messy).

Question for those who've been there: What birds fly in the skies of Iraq?

I agree that dogs are excellent judges of character. My Black Lab can tell a wacko at 20 feet. Her hackles go up and all.

The cultural bias against dogs in the ME is not a subject that I am particularly up on. I understand that dogs there are usually scavangers (like Hyenas) and considered little more than vultures. They see cats as best control and more useful.

Dogs take on a similare social structure to Humans which is why they are so successfully domesticated. That is also why they are so useful to us. The folks in the ME are really missing out!