22 September 2017

Dogs

Above - it's the new South Korean President Moon Jae-in with his rescue dog - a four year old  cross-breed called Tori. The President has another older dog called Maru and a stray cat he adopted called Jing-jing. The image suggests that Koreans really do love dogs... and not just on their plates.

In recent years there has been a marked decline in the consumption of dog flesh in South Korea. At the same time there  has been a corresponding growth in the ownership of pet dogs and a shift in attitudes towards dogs. President Moon Jae-in has been happy to promote a more westernised relationship with dogs even though it was always the case that thousands of Korean families had pet dogs in their homes.

To the majority of Muslims the very idea of eating pork is horrendous. To millions of Hindus the thought of eating beef is outrageous. According to legend, the French eat snails and frogs' legs all the time. One's meat preferences are frequently linked with one's particular cultural heritage.

British people are generally averse to eating horse but viande-de-cheval is widely available in French supermarkets along with animal brains, eyes, lungs, hooves and trotters. The British have forgotten the potential culinary joys of such products and even turn their noses up at liver and kidneys these days.

Here in the blogosphere there are many dog lovers. People often blog about walking their dogs, taking them to the vet's or even sleeping with them. However, dog ownership has never appealed to me. My family didn't have dogs when I was a child and frankly I don't see the point of them unless they are being used to round up sheep, guard property or sniff out drugs.

You have to walk dogs, clean up their faeces and feed them. It's not for me and another thing - dogs smell. Dog owners may become accustomed to dog odours but those of us who live in dog-free homes can usually detect the sickly aroma of dog when we enter a dog  owner's home. The level of smelliness will depend on the size and  number of dogs in the home, diet, gender, the age and breed of the dog and how often the dog is shampooed.

No wonder that my father-in-law - who was a Lincolnshire farmer - kept his two working dogs in a kennel or locked up in the barn. He loved those animals but never wanted them in the house.

I realise that in expressing my latent aversion to dogs I risk being pilloried by dog owners everywhere. They are a fearsome lot and what is more some of them snarl and bite. I'm talking about the owners, not the dogs!

43 comments:

  1. Anonymous11:09 am

    Consider yourself pilloried. I did have a laugh at your Korean comment on the blog of John Gray of Wales.

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    1. Andrew - that is the most vile, despicable, cruel, unseemly and hurtful comment I have ever received! No one likes to be mocked!

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  2. Gawd, you'll be telling us that you keep a cat next.

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    1. How did you guess Derek? I am an unashamed cat man. By the way, I respect the fact that you have always been a dog lover and have enjoyed some great companionship through the years. You are often outdoors and your dogs have enjoyed that experience with you. If I get a new cat we shall call him Derek in your honour and then have him neutered.

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  3. Each to their own YP.
    Personally I find there is no greater companionship than that of a dog. The company of my Lab. has helped me through this difficult time after my husband's death. I have friends who are wonderfully supportive but I still have to return home to a house without him. The joyous welcome I receive from my dog each time, is worth all the work involved.

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    1. It's nice that your Labarador helped to fill that void CG. What's his/her name?

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  4. I can't say I thought your aversion to dogs was at all latent.

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    1. Ha-ha! well spotted Kylie! Well spotted? You must be a Dalmatian!

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  5. Well, just an FYI....my dog Ginger never smells bad. Ever. She has a soft, luxurious coat and she always smells nice. I don't understand it, but it's true. George, on the other hand is frequently kind of smelly. They eat the same food and live the same life so I have no idea why! He needs baths much more often.

    There's nothing like the love of a good dog. Walking them isn't a hardship--if anything, it's good for us all! And I swear Ginger was the best therapy for Gregg when he was recovering from cancer. She's the best dog in the world...in my totally unbiased opinion! :)

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    1. I know how much you love your dogs Jennifer and of course I respect that.

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  6. Muslims also think dogs are filthy, but cats are so clean that they are allowed inside mosques. Women, not so much.

    I used to think there were only 2 kinds of people, cat people and dog people. I come from a long line of cat people. I currently have 9 cats, all former ferals who wandered into my yard and stayed after I trapped, neutered, and released them. 6 of them live in my house most of the time. I love cats.

    Three years ago I got my first dog, a 17-year old cocker spaniel who had been sent to the Humane Society at the death of her owner.

    That dog was a mess -- deaf and not housebroken, and not very smart. Her owner had been a bit of a hoarder, so my dog had a peculiar personality (didn't like to be petted or hugged). That dog was endless work. I had her for 9 months, 2 weeks, and a day and when she died I went crazy with grief. There is just something about having a dog in your life that resonates to your soul. I think it's elemental -- dogs and people have been co-evolving for so long that we are entwined molecularly.

    I am hesitant to get another dog...my first dog was SO MUCH WORK. But I pine after every dog I meet, so I think it's bound to happen. The heart wants what it wants.

    That's nice that the president of South Korea has dogs. I liked David Cameron for having a cat. And when my sister was allowed to visit 10 Downing Street last August through US State Department connections, she got to meet Larry!!! Forget the politicians and diplomats -- she got to meet Larry!!!

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    1. If Larry were to replace Theresa May as Prime Minister I would rejoice. His decision making would be far better and his TV persona so much more engaging.

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  7. I think you hit the nail on the head when you said you never had dogs as a child. People who grow up with them learn to love them and then NOT having one becomes unthinkable. I grew up with dogs and switched to cats in college, and had cats for about two decades. Then, upon meeting Dave, I switched back to dogs. (Having both isn't impossible but it can be a challenge!) Dogs are a lot of work, but you see how much joy I get out of Olga. She's well worth the trouble. (And just FYI, she's not smelly at all -- I think because her hair is so short and she's not an oily "water dog" like a Lab.) I feel about kids the way you feel about dogs -- I'm sure they're terrific for some people but they're a lot of work and they're EXPENSIVE!

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    1. I think I have just been pilloried. However, I managed to dodge most of the rotten fruit. I love to read and see your "Adventures with Olga". Yours must be one of the only homes with a dog that doesn't have a doggy odour. Frankly, I have never been in such a home.

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    2. For me, it's always homes with CATS that smell bad. Litter boxes are horrible no matter how clean people try to keep them.

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    3. CATS! CATS! RA-RA-RA!

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  8. Life was simpler, cheaper and cleaner before we adopted Rick but he has bought something very rich and precious into our lives. But I do understand that dogs are not for everybody.

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    1. I like reading about Rick, Olga, Winnie and the rest of them but not for me thanks. Too much bother.

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  9. I like dogs in theory, just not in practice. I don't want to have to walk a dog, clean up after it or arrange babysitting if we go away. We have a cat and unless we're going for longer than 4 days she takes care of herself.

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    1. Yeah. In comparison, cats are low maintenance. You don't see people out walking their cats.

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  10. Well said YP. Having a point of view is to be commended. I'm a vegetarian by the way.

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    1. I've just heard that SALT have now put pig's trotters and lamb kidneys on the approved food list. Enjoy!

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  11. Although we had a dog while I was growing up, I've always liked cats more. That being said, I find our cats are a lot of work because they are completely indoor cats. They need entertained and exercised and I'm not good at either! I also do not like doggy smell, or cat litter box smell, and I clean up the boxes promptly so that they don't smell. I think it's good that everyone has a different preference; that way more animals get taken care of :)

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    1. I would like to have a Bengal tiger as the nickname of my football team is The Tigers. He would have to sleep in the spare room. I'd call him Tiddles.

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  12. Now then Mr Pudding, do you need a hug?....

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    1. How much do you charge for that particular service Wanda?

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  13. My late brother and I had pets all throughout our childhood - dogs, cats, guinea pigs, chickens, canaries, budgies; and I'm glad we did. They played a big role in our lives. I think all kiddies should have a pet...they learn so much from them.

    I can't imagine my life without a pet/s. I can't imagine my life without my two cats, Remy and Shama. They make more sense than most humans, and give unconditional love.

    The last dog I had was Missy, a black and grey cocker spaniel. Missy was a lovely dog, one who caused no dramas. I never had to walk her. Each place I was living in had ample room for her to run around, but she didn't need a lot of exercise, preferring the luxury of leisure.

    She was my brother's pet, but when he couldn't have an animal where he'd moved to, I took over Missy's care. When she was with me, I also had my two cats (not the two I have now)...and the three of them got on very well. Missy was in my life for five years and it broke my heart (and Graham's) when she died.

    Dogs are fun...they show and give so much joy. Life is one big pleasure ball for them. :)

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    1. I know that Remy and Sharma bring you great joy. Of course I have no problems with cats. I had Oscar (1959 - 1972), Blizzard (1981 - 1995) and Boris (1997 - 2007). They were three of the best friends I have ever had. They could read my mind just as I could read theirs.

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    2. Remy and Shama become 15 years old on 4th November...I got them both when they were three days shy of 6 weeks old...on 13th December, 2002...and they act like a pair of loony kittens. keeping me highly amused. They're very spoiled, of course...and, are the rules of the household...of course! I have to, daily, remind them that they are, in fact, cats!! :)

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  14. I also don,t have dogs or any other pet . I, will be watching the comments you receive.too many times I have to make allowances for some bodie,s dog. Many times the owner is completely unaware or in denial that I have had to put up with something.

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    1. I know that feeling very well Red.

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    2. I reread my comment and it looks like I'm illiterate. I'd better start checking what I write.

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  15. John Gray got his first dog in his forties and now look, he has a whole pack! To know a dog is to love them

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    1. "To Know A Dog is to Love Them" sounds like an advertising slogan for "Kylie" - the new dog food brand.

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  16. You are quite entitled to not be keen on dogs. I wasn't until I had my first dog about 15 yrs ago !
    Re the " smelliness" of dogs...it is certain breeds that can be whiffy. Especially dogs that like to go in water, for instance springer spaniels, as they have a greasier coat. My schnauzer doesn't smell at all, even when wet !

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    1. Your schnauzer may not smell Frances but what about your dog?

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  17. Well. You asked for it. I LOVE dogs and miss my dog which sadly died 4 years ago. He was not at all smelly,I promise you, and would sleep on our bed.


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    1. Aw! Why not get a rescue dog from the RSPCA or Battersea ADDY?

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  18. Last year ten days after my husband died I adopted my little dog from the shelter and he is helping me heal, bless his heart. I take him on two walks a day and bought a leash which says "who rescued who?". I am happy that my cat accepted him.

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    1. Thanks for sharing this Terra. Perhaps it is just a myth that cats and dogs don't get on with each other.

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  19. Anonymous10:15 pm

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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Mr Pudding welcomes all genuine comments - even those with which he disagrees. However, puerile or abusive comments from anonymous contributors will continue to be given the short shrift they deserve. Any spam comments that get through Google/Blogger defences will also be quickly deleted.

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