Dogs

I.

Sometimes I wonder about Border Collies. I mean, is there any law (no not a law, obviously); any stricture against a border collie breeding with another dog, say a bulldog or a greyhound or something? I mean who is there to guard the purity of the Border Collie breed? Those hundreds and hundreds of years it took to perfect the breed. Who, the American Kennel Club, AKA? I read recently that there is an organization called the Mixed Breed Dog Clubs of America (MBDCA). Their website says it is "a national registry for mixed breeds, providing many of the same opportunities that the American Kennel Club (AKC) offers for purebreds.""Many of the same opportunities..." Of course mixed-breed dogs need equal opportunity too, right? Who's looking out for them against discrimination? Equal opportunity, maybe some affirmative action is what's needed on top of it?

It might be interesting to do some research and find out AKA's official opinion on, say the mixing of purebreds. Do they have a plank regarding this? On "mutts". Yes, and maybe MBDCA can enlighten us on whether the term "mutt" is derogatory? Would it be a faux-pas to use such a term in polite company?

Here's another one: has anyone sorted out the moral implications of mongrelizing (whoops, is that derogatory too?), say, a Golden Retriever with a pit-bull? I wonder if such a scenario would fall under the "moral" at all - are we talking human morality, and if not, is it presumptuous to entertain any notion of dog morality?

II.

Contemporary society places dogs in an increasingly fuzzy category in terms of their place in the "family". Their status is as quasi-human, or as a human child to many people. They are often spoiled or doted on like any middle-class, suburban child, ferried around on chores; or as with the smaller breeds, as meta-infants, cradled in the arms of stylish young women with Prada bags.

And dog parks are increasingly common in America, popping up near every new suburban development or shopping plaza. People take their dogs out to socialize and exercise, and maybe socialize and exercise a bit their human-selves. Of course, proper ediquette in these parks requires that one clean up after one's pet, too, and place it in the proper receptacle (God forbid you walk your dog around a park like a pasture of cowpies but worse).

Let us consider a hypothetical situation that might fall under this as yet, unrealized "dog morality" framework:You're a guy and your neighbor's wife happens to be at the dog park with her golden retriever, long, golden main flowing, slightly vapid smile and curious, innocent eyes. Such a beautiful dog, you muse to yourself. But alas, oh no! right before your eyes, your male pit-bull (let's hope he's neutered) proceeds to mount your neighbor's golden retriever. So you and your neighbor house-wife stand helplessly, stupified for a moment at the scene unfolding. You both come to your senses and hastily pull your pets away from each other - it turns out to be a slightly awkward maneuver since both are leash-less in the park. The implications/connotations are painfully embarrassing, and you hope that she won't mention it to her husband or that it gets back to your own wife.

Let us be sure that this has happened probably more than a few times; pet owners pitifully embarrassed for themselves as for their dogs. It pains one to imagine such a scene, no? So then, where does this fit into our as yet inchoate framework of dog morality...

-d.g.w. 5/16/07

source: http://members.tripod.com/mbdca/