Reverts was it painful disowning your dog?

[Abu Zakir]

cats are very clean, they go out and bury their filth if they can. but yes the anti dog feelings are not always justified, some dogs have been known to attack and kill babies or children in the family so it is riskier to keep dogs. Keep them out doors, well trained and looked after not neglected and give them plenty of exercise and they can be good pets.

People keep cats and birds inside and have to clean up the filth.

What's the difference??

[NNoor]

People keep cats and birds inside and have to clean up the filth.

What's the difference??

With cats and birds, you don't have to stand there and wait while they do it. And it's not nearly as voluminous. But you're right; I don't understand the appeal of keeping cats and birds either (and I find keeping birds that are capable of flight caged to be a bit cruel). At least birds sing and fish are nice to look at. I will admit that dogs are friendly and loyal, whereas cats give off an arrogant vibe.

** Don't get me wrong, I don't hate dogs or anything. I think they can be very helpful animals. I just don't get this whole deal of keeping them in the house and pampering them.

[Husnaa]

Dogs are unique as guide dogs for the blind- it's amazing watching a blind man get on the bus with a dog; it knows when to get off at a certain stop!
Sniffer dogs at airports for drugs.
Police dogs.
Looking for humans on earthquake scenarios - search & rescue.
For someone who hates exercise having a dog (not as a pet) would force you to walk the dog.

In Islam the only issues are as house pets and when it comes to at-taharah (cleanliness and purity) when licked with its saliva (or brushed with its wet coat)?
I don't know if a dog's and pig's "outputs" are considered "dirtier" than other animals in fiqh or it's all the same.

To be kind to all animals is a must; recall the famous story of a prostitute whose sins were forgiven on giving water to a thirsty dog.

In 2012 there should be a better system of dog walking - it's not nice when owners don't pick it up and you have to walk at night! How joggers cope is a mystery! And peeing at the base of a streetlight - yuk!m

I recall in Spain (maybe other countries) there are special areas adjacent to the pavement for the dog to do its call of nature.

Oh at least we have a custom of taking our outdoor shoes off on entering the house just in case! Worse still if you have a baby crawling around! Some non Muslim cultures (e.g. Japanese) do the same.

[Acacia]

Dogs are unique as guide dogs for the blind- it's amazing watching a blind man get on the bus with a dog; it knows when to get off at a certain stop!
Sniffer dogs at airports for drugs.
Police dogs.
Looking for humans on earthquake scenarios - search & rescue.
For someone who hates exercise having a dog (not as a pet) would force you to walk the dog.

In Islam the only issues are as house pets and when it comes to at-taharah (cleanliness and purity) when licked with its saliva (or brushed with its wet coat)?
I don't know if a dog's and pig's "outputs" are considered "dirtier" than other animals in fiqh or it's all the same.

To be kind to all animals is a must; recall the famous story of a prostitute whose sins were forgiven on giving water to a thirsty dog.

In 2012 there should be a better system of dog walking - it's not nice when owners don't pick it up and you have to walk at night! How joggers cope is a mystery! And peeing at the base of a streetlight - yuk!m

I recall in Spain (maybe other countries) there are special areas adjacent to the pavement for the dog to do its call of nature.

Oh at least we have a custom of taking our outdoor shoes off on entering the house just in case! Worse still if you have a baby crawling around! Some non Muslim cultures (e.g. Japanese) do the same.

nice, balanced post sister. Just to add another area dogs (and other animals) are employed in: therapy.

I believe the saliva of dogs according the Maliki madhab is not impure. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

[Hellokitty]

With cats and birds, you don't have to stand there and wait while they do it. And it's not nearly as voluminous. But you're right; I don't understand the appeal of keeping cats and birds either (and I find keeping birds that are capable of flight caged to be a bit cruel). At least birds sing and fish are nice to look at. I will admit that dogs are friendly and loyal, whereas cats give off an arrogant vibe.

** Don't get me wrong, I don't hate dogs or anything. I think they can be very helpful animals. I just don't get this whole deal of keeping them in the house and pampering them.

Salams if you train a bird you don't need to keep it caged

[Husnaa]

Actually dogs can be very noble creatures, a dog saved a muslim babies life in my family, when she fell in a pond and would have drowned but the dog barked and alerted the adults who found her in time.

Agreed but dogs can attack and kill babies- it's on the news quite often as a headline. Usually it's a certain group of "dangerous" dogs?

Generally you find Muslims are scared of dogs because they've had no growing up with them. It can be scary if a dog comes up to you barking and you have no experience. Running away is I'm told the thing not to do!

[Acacia]

Domesticated dogs of any breed are only as scary as they've been trained to be or mistreated and neglected to be. Most any dog can be trained to do what you want them to do and some are a little more 'intelligent' than others - just think about it, you can train some dogs to fetch your food for you, sniff out certain things, find missing people etc.! Even some neglected or mistreated dogs can be rehabilitated and re-trained. A dog that knows its boundaries and place will not even step paw into or out of an area you've deemed a no-go-zone nor display any inappropriate dog behaviour (such as nipping, excessive barking etc.). Most healthy, trained dogs that are properly cared for do not defecate/urinate in a home and some will even avoid doing so in a yard as they like to do their business away from their living space.... but, if all you do is leave a dog tied up in a yard, you can expect it to relieve itself there (has no other option); likewise, in home too.

All said and done, people have a different understanding of dogs (at least in North America) perhaps because there are so many controls here - laws and regulations, disease control (vaccinations and vet treatments), population control (spay/neuter), lack of street dogs (for the most part), variety of breeds, etc. etc. Compare that to other places that have little or lacking control and perhaps and over-abundance of street dogs (increased chance of rabies and other transmittable diseases) and a very different relationship emerges where a dog is seen as a nuisance, a source of potential disease, fear, etc.

[sudoku]

It can be scary if a dog comes up to you barking and you have no experience.

You have to admit a dog's rather ungainly and ungraceful run at you (tongue flying here, ears flying there) can be daunting. But mostly it's harmless if they're trained not to jump on you. I don't mind dogs as long as they don't drool on me or lick my clothes.

@ sis Acacia- true. I know a guard dog that won't step into the house even if he is unleashed and the door is open.

[NNoor]

Generally you find Muslims are scared of dogs because they've had no growing up with them. It can be scary if a dog comes up to you barking and you have no experience.

I think its the other way around. Have you seen how dogs are treated in Muslim countries? People kick the hell out of them for no reason.

[AbdurRaheem2]

I think its the other way around. Have you seen how dogs are treated in Muslim countries? People kick the hell out of them for no reason.

Very sad, and not the way of the Prophet or of the Awliaullah.

Allah punishes people who are cruel to any animal on the Day of Judgement.

Also this wrong behaviour is not the case in every place.