"Jay R" wrote in
news:PGwek.185$kf4.30@trnddc03:

I agree on the dogs, problem in asian cultures is they don't have that
specialized relationship we Westerners do.

In a very real sense, this has to do with food as well. Up until about the
Victorian age, people looked at dogs primarily as working animals, and less
so as pets. During the Victorian era it became a status symbol to have a
non-working dog as a pet. This was a form of conspicuous consumption -
showing off the fact that you had enough wealth (and food) to support an
animal just for the pleasure its company gave you. During this time there
was a great movement towards breeding smaller and smaller dogs as
companions, giving us many of the breeds we have in our homes today.


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