but still sharper than his owner ...
Posted on 08/16/2002 2:47:00 AM PDT by kattracks
'dusty', and yes, he's smart enough to act dumb when it suits
"And before anyone asks, no, I am not a Rabbi."
I'm not a Rabbi either, but I'd think that a pig would be no more unclean than a dog, and vice-versa. As far as I'm aware, an animal is either clean or unclean. So if it's OK to use dogs as worker-animals (or for that matter horses), it should probably be OK to use pigs in the same role.
I do know that the Muslim thing about dogs being taboo is genuine. Devout Muslims will not allow a dog inside their house under any circumstances, even if it's one of their own working dogs.
Dogs really can develop "biases". I had a dog years ago that was raised by Mexicans. She was a large yellow lab. They were not particularly nice to her (I heard "stories" in the neighborhood about them kicking her and so forth), and she kept running away and coming to our place. We'd call and they'd get her, until one day they said to just keep her, so we did.
That dog did not like anyone that she thought even looked anything like a Mexican, it was uncanny. She would bark and growl at anyone with skin just a tad of a deeper complexion, including an Indian guy who was walking down the middle of the road, and my stepfather, who was Georgian (the Georgia that's next to Russia).
No one ever trained her to dislike anyone, she developed her own oddball defense mechanism on her own.
Your dog is not the only one.
Probably the basenji - the "barkless" dog.
The Basenji is a small, short haired hunting dog from Africa. It is short backed and lightly built, appearing high on the leg compared to its length. The wrinkled head is proudly carried on a well arched neck and the tail is set high and curled. Elegant and graceful, the whole demeanor is one of poise and inquiring alertness. The balanced structure and the smooth musculature enables it to move with ease and agility. The Basenji hunts by both sight and scent. Characteristics--The Basenji should not bark but is not mute. The wrinkled forehead, tightly curled tail and swift, effortless gait (resembling a racehorse trotting full out) are typical of the breed.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.