Dogs are vile, useless beasts that have no business living amongst us...

I bet Chinese people say the same about us laowai :-)

Or at least used to!

I was thinking you'd agree. I do recall last year two massive curs pursuing us into the raging torrent of a mountain river.
But seriously something does need to be done here, at least in terms of dog management etiquette, dog care, if not in terms of the sheer volume of dogs in many Chinese cities now. Its just exploded over the last ten years

@Chingis You can't be serious. Dogs are "useless"? Besides bringing comfort to us humans, dogs are very helpful. Ever heard of a 'seeing eye dog'? Ever heard of a 'bombing sniffing' dog? Ever heard of a 'cadaver dog'? Ever heard of a 'rescue dog'? So before you start talking out of your ass, think about what's coming out of it.

From a dog lover.

Ha haa, come on liumingke, it was obviously a little tongue in cheek! Don't fly off the deep end!

Those were clearly guard dogs who mistook us for wolves Chingis! I wouldn't want to mess with one of those buggers... weren't they Tibetan mastiffs? I completely agree though, something needs to be done from a humane perspective as well. I don't entirely disagree with the idea that dogs only under a certain size/weight should be allowed. Not from a safety perspective (well, maybe partly), but from a humane perspective. Big dogs in small apartments with people that refuse to take care of them is not fair on the dogs. So restricting breeds to small lap dogs/toy dogs unless you live in a house that has access to a secure yard of a certain size, I don't think is a bad idea.

Near where I live there is a family that have 2 very large Siberian Huskies. These dogs have hugely arched backs, obviously from sitting in curled up positions all day. I have offered to take them for a run once every few days but the owners think I am going to steal them I think. Occasionally they are let out for a short walk on a leash, I convinced them once to give them to me for a run around the block, which they absolutely loved of course! The people that owned them were perplexed when I bought back happy dogs that wanted to keep running! After telling them this type of dog loved to run and pull on the lead, they looked at me disbelieving, then claimed that actually no they like to be inside all the time!

Some of the most effective guard dogs are the little yappy breeds. I hate the little f888kers, some would say not a real dog. They make so much noise that they would wake the dead, and alert people in the house is not what a thief wants. Admitedly they are not much good for protection if attacked (compared to a mastif) but on the other hand they won't do much serious damage if they do turn on an innocent bystander.

Dogs, what are they good for?
Guarding.
Companionship, especially for the old and alone.
Teaching kids about duty, discipline, loyalty, and even bereavement (Fido won't live forever), and the need to look out for the needs of others (a dog will let you know).
A reason to stop blogging, get off your fat butt and go for a walk.

Actually I was quoting Newman, whose feelings towards canines are well- known.

Indeed Tibetan mastiff's scare the crap out of me more than any "wild" animal I've ever come across. A friend of a friend owns one and a few years ago it escaped captivity. It managed to hospitalise 6 innocent fools before it was finally brought under control. In the end the owner only had to pay the medical bills for the victims, and his precious friend was never put down.

From a Seinfeld lover...

Fashion statements without responsibility...China.

I think i used the wrong word. Is it "buff"? I watch too much tv.