[juanbenae]

Originally posted by Jeff Higgins
I'm a dog lover as well, having owned dogs my entire life. As a hunter, they have all been retievers of one kind or another. I don't like these pictures either, but that doesn't mean it's wrong to post them. I think beyond the shock value, some usefull discussion could actually come of this.

First, how does a dog get into this predicament? That is a far more complex question than it may first appear. I can't think of a single species of wild animal that might wind up like that. Some of you pointed out that your dogs are wimps and one or two quills would have done it. I don't think they are wimps; I think they have some brains, and some fear, and some self-preservation instincts. Same with other wild animals. I have pulled quills from dogs before; a handful at most. How did this dog wind up with so many? He or she obviously didn't give up. Why? We do not see this kind of stick-to-it-evness in the natural world.

I think it boils down to breeding. My dogs retrieve in a large part because they can't help it. It's in their blood. I believe Pit Bulls are mindlessly aggressive and fearless for the same reason. Men have bred them to be this way. That is their purpose; they are fighting dogs. Lots of folks will run to their defense and exclaim how sweet their Pit Bull is, which is all well and good. They ignore the purpose for which the dog was bred. Mankind has perfected purpose-bred animals in all domesticated species; he did a particularly good job with dogs.

So how did this poor dog get into this mess? Mankind bred it to be that way. Couple that with a possible irresponsible owner and there is a recipe for dissaster. Was the owner watching, thinking his badass Pit Bull would take the porcupine? The guy needs to be in jail. Was the owner not watching, letting such an aggressive animal run loose? What if instead of a porcupine, it was a kid? The guy still needs to be in jail. Thes dogs ARE dangerous; many of their owners even more so. It's too bad. I hope the dog made it, but I really don't know if it did or not.

thats what i meant in about 1/100 of as many words