Some Connections are Difficult

In South Asia, many people think dogs are filthy and that they are viscious. Some think their religion forbids them from even touching us. We may not be as finicky clean as cats but we are not viscious by nature. After all, we have been domesticated by people. Nor do we bite everything and everyone, otherwise why would so many people make us a part of their families? As far as the religion argument goes, I don't know of any religion that prohibits people from interracting with dogs. If a human could take the time to get to know us, he would find that we are happy to accommodate to human rules such as not putting paws on the couch. Also, there are always some bad apples in a group who bite a lot (as in all species) but otherwise we only bite to defend ourselves. Please don't assume we will automatically bite you! I feel sad when I see people move away from me on the sidewalk. I feel very sad when I hear parents teaching their kids that all dogs bite all the time when they say things like "Stay away or the dog will bite you". I can sense their fear a block away. So every time I see a person in a sari, I think I better steer clear. It's very hard to repair such negative conditioning but we all must try. One of my friends wears saris occasionally so I know not all people in such clothes distrust dogs. Above I am enjoying the compay of a muslim in hijab (modest dress for women) from the Indian sub-continent who doesn't think I'm dirty or banned by God. I have since become friends with many South Asian muslims.