I have a newfoundland (large) – at the beach the other day there were a number of orthodox jews. Anyhow they came around from behind a cliff and the dog bounded up to say hello before we could stop him.

There were several children a couple of whom started screaming at which point the dog got thought it was a really good game and started bounding towards them quicker.

2 kids who were now clinging on to their Dad’s leg peeled off and started running and screaming for their lives. The child (prob 7 years old) ran straight through a rock pool in which the he fell over (being orthodox he had the skull cap on, the pig tails and the unsuitable beach attire). He then hid around the other side of the cliffs.

Anyway we got the dog and apologised…

I can confirm that some Jews really are terrified of dogs.

It’s spelt Qur’an

In this country we spell it KOOOORAN. If you want to spell it Qur’an, you can geeeeeet out!

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMOcyCLZHBQ[/video]

alex222 – Member

It’s spelt Qur’an

You big bunch of racists

No, it’s not it’s Koran but if you misspelled it might turn into Korean.

Do Jews not like dogs? It’s a new one to me.

Neutering/spaying of animals (or humans!) is generally regarded as not allowed by Jewish law/tradition, although there has apparently been some debate recently about whether not doing it may be more cruel to the animals. That probably contributes to the lack of pets, if that really is the situation?

http://www.jpost.com/JewishWorld/Judaism/Article.aspx?id=142274

We should also remember that as a culture that regularly keeps dogs and cats as non-working pets we are almost certainly in the minority worldwide. They are, after all a fairly pointless and very expensive luxury. If you and your friends don’t keep pet dogs and you aren’t that used to seeing them then fear of them is pretty natural.

No, it’s not it’s Koran.

Only if you are uncultured.

alex222 – Member

No, it’s not it’s Koran.

Only if you are uncultured.

I thought you were referring to the Korean as uncultured people … 😯

khani – Member
Some people from lands far far away don’t like dogs because of the problem of rabies in their country of origin, and the fear of rabies can also be passed down to their children,

I’d say it the other way round…

..only the UK/US-centric folks with their anthropomorphism of inbred companion animals actually like dogs 🙄
but hey, don’t let that stop you coming in with a bit of casual racial/cultural stereotyping…

..personally I’d far rather share my space with people “from lands far away” than dog owners and their foul beasts 😕

I thought you were referring to the Korean as uncultured people ..

No people who don’t spell it Qur’an are uncultured.

[edit]and very racist[/edit]

I like dogs and I’m Jewish.

As an aside it’s always interesting to observe people air their prejudices. No one could tell from my appearance thAt I’m Jewish and I have in the past been able to point out to people that what they’ve just said is in some cases quite bigoted.

I realise much of what’s said here is tonge in cheek (having said that there was one thread last week which I viewed as extremely racist). HOwever I find it peculiar that people will say things on here that they wouldn’t say in a crowded pub.

My two cents.

Anyhow: dogs, great

Edit….CBA….going out with the pooches….

alex222 – Member

I thought you were referring to the Korean as uncultured people ..

No people who don’t spell it Qur’an are uncultured.

[edit]and very racist[/edit]

Yes, I agree that country with the world largest muslim population is uncultured because locally they use/write the term koran, so are their neighbours … other koran countries … 😆

Not Korean?

Yes, I agree that country with the world largest muslim population is uncultured because locally they used/write the term koran, so are their neighbours … other koran countries …

hmmmmm

I realise much of what’s said here is tonge in cheek (having said that there was one thread last week which I viewed as extremely racist).

Which one?

HOwever I find it peculiar that people will say things on here that they wouldn’t say in a crowded pub.

Agreed.

My Jewish ex-grrlfriend had two dogs.
My Welsh ex-grrlfriend had two dogs.
My English current grrlfriend has two dogs.

I think that settles it.

I don’t go in pubs, but if I did, I’d say it in there.*

*Only if it came up in conversation of course.
I wouldn’t just walk in and announce it. I’d look pretty silly standing there while everyone looked at me waiting for the punch line.

alex222 – Member

Yes, I agree that country with the world largest muslim population is uncultured because locally they used/write the term koran, so are their neighbours … other koran countries …

hmmmmm

Ya … right …

…also transliterated Qur’an, Koran, Al-Coran, Coran, Kuran, and Al-Qur’an,…(Wiki … )

I thought I saw Kurt Cobain … and … Korean.

Pleaderwilliams and Jezkidd – thanks for the only two sensible responses so far 😉

Even as I typed the OP I realised I was opening myself up to the usual comments, and accusations of sweeping generalisations (which I suppose it is). But as always, my opinion is based purely on my personal experiences. I own a dog, and live quite near a large Orthodox Jewish community.

FWIW, most of the adults seem terrified of my dog (who looks like a cross between a hamster and a Furby) and this fear is passed on to the kids, who will literally cross the road to avoid the dog (or maybe it’s me?!).

Interesting topic. I think it was a dog-owner who asked this the other day, on a thread which was (needlessly in my opinion) closed.

I’ve asked my Jewish girlfriend and other Jewish friends why many Jews don’t seem to like dogs much, and all I can really ascertain is that Jewish people have traditionally not kept dogs as pets; as another poster points out, the keeping of dogs as pets really is quite a Western indulgence; most other cultures see dogs as working animals at best, and often as unclean, dangerous beasts which are a threat to wildlife.

So it’s more of a cultural thing than anything else I think. Judaism forbids cruelty to animals, and only permits slaughter which delivers as little suffering as possible. In norther Europe at least, peole used hunting with dogs. This has in turn led to peole retaining working animals as household pets. I think hunting with dogs may be considered forbidden in Judaism, as it may influct unnecessary suffering on animals. An animal killed by dogs may well not be kosher. Also, you are forbidden to work on Shabbat, so keeping animals which require walking etc may not be permitted.

Ultimately, keepimng dogs as pets isn’t something which is traditional amongst many Jews. so many aren’t used to having dogs around, hencve why they may be scared/wary around large dogs. Parents are unsure how to act around large, ‘dangerous’ looking dogs, and pass on that uncertainty and fear to their children. Dogs can react defensively if they detect fear, and may start barking and snarling, which just exacerbates the situation. Then the children rember the negative experience with dogs, and the cycle of fear and ignorance continues. This is not limited to Jews; other groups particularly south Asians are not often comfortable around dogs either.

It’s spelt Qur’an

You big bunch of racists

actually, it’s not, in Arabic there are no written vowels, so any spelling of it will only be a phonetic approximation. As such Koran or Qur’an are equally right and equally wrong. It depends how you pronounce it which matters.

singletracked – Member

As such Koran or Qur’an are equally right and equally wrong. It depends how you pronounce it which matters.

See … I thought I saw Korean again!

Well, at least Kurt (Kuran) Cobain (Coran) is not present …

But as always, my opinion is based purely on my personal experiences. I own a dog, and live quite near a large Orthodox Jewish community.

In that case, you’re not really entitled to an opinion

Come again singletracked? Why the deuce not? I’m hoping posts like yours won’t derail this thread.

You only entitled to that which you can defend with rational argument. You need to construct and defend your case for that view and you need to recognise when that view is not defensible

chewkw

Ya … right …

You got me.

I thought you were referring to the Korean as uncultured people

I’m sure Koreans like dogs.
Usually with a bit of chilli and ginger.

How do you spot Jewish people then?

I know there’s those guys with the funny hats and hair who can’t drive and then there’s their wives who dress in a sack but after that I wouldn’t have a clue.

alex222:

You got me.

Best approach.

“You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog,
And spit upon my Jewish gaberdine”

I have a friend who is a bastid-hard genuine certified Zulu Warrior (although he rarely dresses like one!), and he is absolutely terrified of cats.

Don’t know if that helps at all.

You only entitled to that which you can defend with rational argument.

This is the internet. Anecdotes and opinions are worth far more than evidence.

How do you spot Jewish people then?

For males, I would have said ask to see their foreskin (and if they show you in it a jar…).

However, as Jews Against Circumcision conclusively proves, you don’t have to mutilate your children to be a follower.

The koran says that Muslims can never be friends with jews.

Really? Wow, i thought the koran asked them to treat Jews with respect and stuff ‘cos they were people of the book.

Now that’s the kind of well-informed and entirely free of sweeping generalisations post that has made STW the place for reasoned debate that it is.

No it doesn’t. Surah 5:51 is clear as as anything about it, and anyone who offers you a kind of nonsense analysis of the koran/qu’ran/quran (there is no correct spelling..pedants on the forum…because its an arabic word.) is misleading you and has simply decided to reinterpret the koran for the 21st century and the west.

This thread has caused me to rethink all my pre-conceptions. I don’t like dogs and never do my own work on my house, and I thought it was because I am middle-class.

Binners – I asked the Irish next door but one about getting hold of some AKs and they were a bit funny about it, I tried to spot which foot they were standing on but was not easy. However I do now have a freshly sealed driveway, they had some materials left over from another job, so it’s all good.

(and for the record, circumcision of baby boys was the norm for all in NZ and Australia right up to my generation, something to do with being cannon-fodder for British Imperialism in a couple of desert wars, so that technique may work down under, but doesn’t work ahem Down Under)

I always believed that certain animals, particularly dogs and pigs, were held to be inherently ‘unclean’ to both Jews and Muslims.
Some people find large, boisterous dogs intimidating, and also small, yappy dogs that look like they could snap at you.
On the other hand, some very large, hairy dogs seem to be people magnets, like my brother’s dog Mac. At a recent country fair, they walked into a very large marquee, to be almost instantly surrounded by people who wanted to make a fuss, so they left him there and wandered off to look around, coming back more than thirty minutes later to find him still surrounded by people.
Depends on the dog, I guess, Mac is just big, fluffy and cuddly, with a benign, dumb expression on his face; people just love him like a living teddy bear.