BS: Taking the fun out of walking the dog

Subject: BS: Taking the fun out of walking the dog
From: GUEST,Joy bringer
Date: 30 Jul 08 - 12:05 PM

A new law was passed in Saudi Arabia today announcing a ban on selling cats and dogs as pets, or walking them in public in the Saudi capital, because of men using them as a means of making passes at women.

There is a rising fashion among some men using pets in public to make passes to strange women.

I know we have to respect the laws and traditions of other countries, but I find this one a little hard to understand. I often give my neighbour Mrs,L's dog the odd left over sausage, will be a bit more careful from now on.

Well I suppose at least they aren't using the dogs to make passes at men !

Subject: RE: BS: Taking the fun out of walking the dog
From: CarolC
Date: 30 Jul 08 - 12:52 PM

They do this with cats? I think that would be worth seeing at least once.

Subject: RE: BS: Taking the fun out of walking the dog
From: Michael
Date: 30 Jul 08 - 01:42 PM

"There is a rising fashion among some men using pets in public to make passes to strange women."

Why do men in Saudi Arabia WANT to make passes at STRANGE women?

Mike

Subject: RE: BS: Taking the fun out of walking the dog
From: Rapparee
Date: 30 Jul 08 - 01:50 PM

Does that mean that you can raise them for food? And if you take them for a walk you'd be exercising your livestock, not walking a pet.

How strange are these women?

Subject: RE: BS: Taking the fun out of walking the dog
From: CarolC
Date: 30 Jul 08 - 02:07 PM

Exercising livestock

Subject: RE: BS: Taking the fun out of walking the dog
From: John on the Sunset Coast
Date: 30 Jul 08 - 02:18 PM

The world gone mad again.

CarolC--that is one cute video. They ought to make a western TV series about adventures on a cat-l drive.

Subject: RE: BS: Taking the fun out of walking the dog
From: pdq
Date: 30 Jul 08 - 02:26 PM

Check out Art Thieme's epic Western saga "The Great Turtle Drive". Ooops, sorry, it's OOP.

Subject: RE: BS: Taking the fun out of walking the dog
From: Joe Offer
Date: 30 Jul 08 - 02:53 PM

Guess that dog/cat ban must be true - here's the story at foxnews.com. Spin added at no extra charge...

Subject: RE: BS: Taking the fun out of walking the dog
From: GUEST,Jack the Sailor
Date: 30 Jul 08 - 03:03 PM

>>"I tell them this is not a Western innovation," he said. "Our religion says we should take care of animals."

OK first off, I think anyone who has more than a few cats is nuts. This guy has 35. On the other hand. He is right. The ancient Egyptians, Chinese and Japanese kept cats before the dark ages. So it is hardly a western invention. On the other hand, his religion does NOT tell him to keep 35 cats.

Subject: RE: BS: Taking the fun out of walking the dog
From: pdq
Date: 30 Jul 08 - 03:10 PM

The Fox News article linked to (above) does not seem to claim that Islamic men are using their pet dogs to get the attention of "strange women". It states that the ban is an attempt to wipe out unwanted Western influence. Blue jeans, Pop music, dancing and other things that are part of the culture of the "infidels" and are also targeted.

Subject: RE: BS: Taking the fun out of walking the dog
From: GUEST,Jack the Sailor
Date: 30 Jul 08 - 03:15 PM

To be fair to the network I love to hate. It appears to be an AP story carried by Fox, and not Foxes own work.

Subject: RE: BS: Taking the fun out of walking the dog
From: Rapparee
Date: 30 Jul 08 - 03:35 PM

I still want to know about those strange women.

Subject: RE: BS: Taking the fun out of walking the dog
From: pdq
Date: 30 Jul 08 - 03:40 PM

If they want a few more, perhaps we can send them Rosie O'Donnell, Barbara Streisand and Whoopie Goldberg?

Subject: RE: BS: Taking the fun out of walking the dog
From: TheSnail
Date: 30 Jul 08 - 03:46 PM

How can you tell if they are strange if they are wearing a burka? Could be anything under there.

Subject: RE: BS: Taking the fun out of walking the dog
From: CarolC
Date: 30 Jul 08 - 03:58 PM

Women don't wear burkas in Saudi Arabia. They wear abayas with head coverings...

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/5e2c4/bc1/a/


This could be one advantage of wearing such garments. It seems like it would be easy to hide a small dog under an abaya.

Subject: RE: BS: Taking the fun out of walking the dog
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 30 Jul 08 - 07:26 PM

... or even a pussy...

Subject: RE: BS: Taking the fun out of walking the dog
From: Little Hawk
Date: 30 Jul 08 - 11:58 PM

There are some cats who will walk on a leash, Carol. They're rare, but they do exist...I've seen the odd one who was quite happy to walk on a leash beside its owner.

And there is NO doubt whatsoever that walking a dog or a cat is simply a fabulous way to strike up conversations with women (or men) who are complete strangers. Nothing beats it. I'm not surprised the Saudi authorities are concerned! ;-D

Now, in that society it is not considered proper to initiate conversations on the street with women you don't know. It's a breach of etiquette. That used to be the case in many Asian countries too, and it probably still is in some. It even used to be a breach of etiquette in some European societies, I think, but things have changed.

Subject: RE: BS: Taking the fun out of walking the dog
From: GUEST,Joy Bringer
Date: 31 Jul 08 - 12:32 AM

A lady who lives near our home in France walk her cat on a leash, it's not common, but she has been there as long as we have. The cat is wonderful, so good with kids.

Subject: RE: BS: Taking the fun out of walking the dog
From: Goose Gander
Date: 31 Jul 08 - 12:45 AM

A dog will learn to tolerate a leash, but cats hate them.

Subject: RE: BS: Taking the fun out of walking the dog
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 Jul 08 - 12:54 AM

That's because you haven't learned how to apply the leash. You don't fasten it to the cat--you drag it on the ground 18 inches in front and the cat follows.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Taking the fun out of walking the dog
From: Big Mick
Date: 31 Jul 08 - 12:56 AM

It is always best to remember that dogs have owners, but cats have staff.

Mick

Subject: RE: BS: Taking the fun out of walking the dog
From: Goose Gander
Date: 31 Jul 08 - 01:14 AM

I have not and never will 'learn to apply the leash' . . . cats don't belong on leashes . . . and dogs only if you live in densely populated areas where there is danger of the poor hound running in front of a car.

Subject: RE: BS: Taking the fun out of walking the dog
From: GUEST,Joy Bringer
Date: 31 Jul 08 - 01:25 AM

The cat seems happy enough, it is more like a padded breast harness. It straps across the back. This lady is quite old, it means she has control over it while out and the companionship is priceless.

Subject: RE: BS: Taking the fun out of walking the dog
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 31 Jul 08 - 01:55 AM

I was forced to walk our pair of cats on leashes while in the Army in Arizona. Post regulations prohibited any free-roaming pets due to the danger to the animals from scorpions, snattelyrakes and coyotes, and the likelihood that unmonitored small critters would attract more of same.

Without small animals to attract them, the coyotes pretty much stayed out of the living quarters area, which was well defended by a "herd" of stink-pussies (a.k.a. skunks) that lived under the "reviewing stand" on the parade ground in the middle of the post. (I counted 38 of them one night, cleaning up the bugs and grubs on the parade ground; but nobody ever smelled one during the time I was there.)

I have not met a cat (that could be petted) that couldn't be taught to accept being "leashed," althought the training with some can require body armor (to pretect the trainer) and tall ladders (to repeatedly retrieve the cat until reasonably trained).

John

Subject: RE: BS: Taking the fun out of walking the dog
From: Goose Gander
Date: 02 Aug 08 - 05:45 PM

This may be going just a little too far . . .

Saudi Arabia Bans Sales of Cats + Dogs in Capital