About Dogs?

I never know dog, never live even a minute with them let alone owning it. But from my observation I don't see anything wrong with them.

I think because dogs are friendly animals which will make the human owners forget that they are animals by treating them equally like humans. It will make the human master retreat from human association. Possible?

My husband and I have an African dog, the Rhodesian Ridgeback.  He is a very gentle giant.  We always bath him, I brush his teeth with a doggie toothbrush and toothpaste.  We take him to the vet's for grooming, such as trimming his toenails and keeping his "shots" up to date.  He is probably better behaved than most small children.  He follows all our commands.  If I am upset, he knows it, and will lay his head on my knee and look up at me with his big, brown eyes.  He loves to play with us and his stuffed animals.  He has NO bad odor and he does not have saliva coming from his mouth.  He loves children and nice people.  We live far out in the woods, so he never had to be fenced in or chained.  But he refuses to leave the yard when he is outside unless we hike in the woods with him.  He wants us around when he's running in the woods.  He has his own little room across from our bedroom, where he sleeps on his own dog bed.  We love him very much, and he loves us just as much.  Here is a picture of "Ridge" if you would like to see him.

Oh, Suleyman, they are wonderful dogs!  I love dogs, they are so faithful and loving.  It's very sad that some people abuse them and don't understand that they have feelings too.

I like to watch The Animal Planet here on television.  They show many big Championship shows, which chooses a champion dog from every type....like herding dogs, hunting dogs, hounds, miniature dogs, etc.  I have seen your sheep herding dogs on there.  They win a lot of awards, and are very beautiful dogs.  They are really BIG, but big dogs are not any more to be feared than a little poodle.  It's how the dog's "person" trains the dog that matters.  It's up to the owner to properly teach and instruct the dog in how it is to behave properly...just like we do with little children.  (Our big dog, Ridge, sleeps in his cushioned dog bed with a little stuffed animal.  He loves his stuffed animals........and his favorite people are little children.  He seems to sense they will never hurt him, and he recognizes their innocence.

Also, many dogs perform some great services.  They help lead the blind, the sniff out drugs and explosives, they search for persons who have been trapped in earthquakes or explosions, and they find missing people in the woods.  They have also saved people many times by pulling them out of the water when they were drowning.  I love dogs and believe God gave them to us as a "gift".  I once heard a saying that the only thing bad about dogs is that they "don't live long enough".  I cannot imagine what my life will be like without Ridge when he finally is gone.  It will be very sad at our home.

Here is a picture of Ridge swimming with me in the Bay behind our cottage:

Here he's in a "contemplative" mood:

God's Peace!

Hi Patty and suleyman,

Thankyou both for taking time to write on this subject. What wonderful dogs you both have, and what lovely writing, about a subject very close to my heart...

t is so nice to see so many who love the creation of  Allah, i hope others now see that dogs only show the difference, because they can not talk..they feel, love, cry, and suffer like any human, and are certainly more well behaved than many humans, let alone children

A