[andyfox]

You make some good points (as usual). Maybe what makes us dog lovers is exposure to the Garagiolas, Iversons and Bin Ladens of the world that give people a bad name.

I just don't understand what they're judging. If they jumped through hoops or did stupid dog tricks, there'd be some entertainment value. Some of those minature dogs yesterday looked like porcupines or some mutant Martian creature to me.

My tongue-in-cheekiness notwithstanding, I find dogloving a bit strange. I was once waiting for my son to come out of school when a woman came out to walk her dog. The dog took a dump on the neighbor's lawn (which the woman did clean up) and she told the dog, "Oh, what a good boy you are, I'm so proud of you." Well, hell, I could have taken a dump on the neighbor's lawn, would I have been a good boy for soiling someone else's property? Exactly what was the laudable achievement here that generated such pride?

When I had a dog, I really hated picking up the poop. I mean, if aliens come to earth and they see one species taking a dump and another one picking it up, who are they going to think is in charge?