XPost: alt.animals.dog, rec.pets.dogs.activities, rec.pets.dogs.behavior   
   XPost: rec.pets.dogs.breeds   
   From: nicholsruth@bellsouth.net   
      
   If you haven’t seen this piece on Animal Planet, it is definitely a must   
   see.  Phenomenal show about the training and use of landmine sniffer dogs   
   being used in Afghanistan.  The most amazing thing to me, aside from the   
   gorgeous, intelligent dogs, is the cultural issues that needed to be   
   overcome.  In the Muslim faith, dogs are equated to pigs, as unclean,   
   unhealthy animals, never to be kept as pets.  There are no pet dogs in   
   Afghanistan.  But, these Afghan soldiers have come to love and admire their   
   dogs and are breaking down that taboo.  There are scenes of children petting   
   a dog for the first time in their lives; very awkward for them, but   
   obviously succumbing to the charm of a gsd puppy.  There are over 1,000,000   
   landmines in Afghanistan, many left over from the Russian invasion.  These   
   dogs have their work cut out for them.  Sadly, some will be lost, but the   
   human life that will be saved will be immeasurable.  It doesn’t look like it   
   will be on again until 2/13/05 at 4:00 am, but definitely worth setting up   
   for taping.   
      
   --   
   Ruth, Greta, Woody & Thelma   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)