Would you eat your dog?

I made pork chops for dinner and I started thinking, what's the difference between a dog and a pig? A dog is man's best friend but Wilbur, he was "Some Pig". I'm not some hippie here, I think humans are the dominant species but seriously, what is the difference between a dog and pig?

Mon. Feb 26, 8:07pm

It's just cultural -- a lot of people keep pigs as pets, and they're as smart and loyal as any dog.

OTOH, there are some cultures that consider Europeans and Americans filthy because we live with any mammal in the house.

Monday, February 26, 2007, 8:17 PM

i really dont believe there is any difference in animals except that we call them pets..they have meat just like any other animal that we eat

Monday, February 26, 2007, 8:31 PM

I took an introductory course on the Anthropology of Health Care, and this subject came up. The short answer is that we don't need dogs and cats as protein sources - there are cheaper, more efficient sources of protein out there, so we can "afford" to domesticate these animals. They are eaten in poorer parts of the world (think: dog soup in Viet Nam), as are insects for that matter. Some cultures have developed enough that they don't need to eat certain foods anymore (haggis in Scotland, which is made of offal, is a good example), but they've become so ingrained in the culture that they remain on the menu long after there's a nutritional need for them.

Monday, February 26, 2007, 8:54 PM

When my dog and cat are especially getting on my nerves I threaten to bbq them up. I probably wouldn't really do it.....but try me next time they chew up something really expensive.

Monday, February 26, 2007, 10:00 PM

I used to threaten my roommate's cat...I'm an anthropologist (following on 8:54) and know folks (outside of the US) who regularly eat cat because it allows them to take on the 'qualities' of a cat...lithe, able to move without being noticed, etc.

I also lived in a country for a year where insects formed the bulk of my neighbors' protein intake--they're super-good for you because they are high in fiber and you are ingesting the contents of their guts, which helps maintain your own gut flora. As 8:54 says, it's not the most efficient means of getting protein, but it has other benefits.

As for my dog, he's a scrawny little bugger (pound pup who was weaned too early and has digestive problems...like me!) and I don't think he'd really make good eating. :)

Tuesday, February 27, 2007, 8:56 AM

no, never and i wouldn't eat a pig either. eww! love animals, don't eat them!!

Tuesday, February 27, 2007, 9:09 AM

no!!!!! ewwwwwww, no!! I love my poochums.

Tuesday, February 27, 2007, 10:34 AM

MY dog? No, she is too fat. The ultimate couch accessory. Someone elses dog? perhaps.
I also love animals, but still eat them. I am firmly omnivorous. I murder and devour vegetables and fruits too, and routinely pluck flowers merely to decorate my home.

Tuesday, February 27, 2007, 11:01 AM

What we think is acceptable food is determined by culture and by our own view of the world. Most of us never question the practice of our own culture because we all try to fit in within out own group.

I am vegetarian and sometimes I feel like an outcast especially around holidays. I wish everyone was a vegetarian.

Tuesday, February 27, 2007, 11:26 AM

somthing to think about next time your in south Texas, AZ or NM...when was the last time you saw ANYTHING stray near a mexican resturant? If I was starving, yes, i'd eat my dog. I'm from South Texas, and I enjoy the local flavor there. I guess that's what gives the Tex-Mex that special flavor...

Tuesday, February 27, 2007, 12:03 PM

that comment is a bit racist, IMHO.

Tuesday, February 27, 2007, 12:07 PM

Earthlings

watch a documentry called Earthlings, you'll never want to put another animal by-product in your mouth!

YAY FOR VEGANS!

Tuesday, February 5, 2008, 3:39 AM

Further to 8:54's point

Dogs and cats were introduced into domesticity due to a need, Cats and dogs were used to keep the disease carrying vermon away, and dogs, to aid in the chores on the farm (cows, sheep) and to assist in hunting.

The dogs that you find in Asia that are used to make dog soup are a far distant relative to fido lying lying at your feet.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008, 8:51 AM

Dogs are dogs, dude. Timberwolves and Cocker Spaniels share 99.9% of the same genetic material. The dogs you find in Asia are no different than the dogs you find on your sofa. The sofa dog is just better cared for.

Now, would I eat MY dog? Things would have to get pretty bad. We're talking zombie apocalypse bad. Considering what he eats, I can't imagine that he tastes very good.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008, 10:30 AM

No, but I've threatened the cat!

:)

Tammy Lou

Tuesday, February 5, 2008, 10:50 AM

NEVER! I love dogs too much! Especially my own.

I wouldn't do it for all the money in the world.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008, 12:07 PM

Well I grew up on a reservation right here in the US - dogs are regularly consumed and they are just like the dogs lying at your feet. It's very much cultural there. Most of the younger generation finds this repugnant, but the older generation has no problem with it and sees it as an erosion of their culture the the younger ones find it distatsteful.

Yeah - things would have to get pretty bad before I'd consider eating my dog, and by that time it's debateable as to whether or not it'd be a futile effort.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008, 1:11 PM

I don't think I'd eat dog... I'm kinda a picky eater and not too into trying new foods. I'll stick with my bison, beef,cow, turkey, chicken- I'd eat kangaroo if I was in Australia... But I also admit I want to try ostrich...

I wouldn't eat my cat cuz I love her. Kind of a stupid question to ask- "would you eat something you have an emotinoal attachment to?" I mean, I have NO emotional attachment to the animals I eat, hence why I eat them. (I also kill ants and flies and hornets in the summer!!!)

Tuesday, February 5, 2008, 1:27 PM

In the United States, we culturally prefer herbivores/homnivores to carnivores as food. So the main difference is that dogs and cats are carnivores, descended from predatory animals, whereas pigs are omnivores and we can feed them a vegetable diet and pretend their ancestors (and even the still-wild varieties) never ate meat.

That is not to say we don't eat any predatory or carnivorous animals, but far fewer of us have actually eaten bear than even venison.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008, 1:50 PM

your an ass not a donkey do you see the difference about that!!!

Tuesday, February 5, 2008, 3:49 PM

And a related question: Would your dog eat you?

I have a friend who spent the last years of her life living on her own with a terminal illness and a cat. She had a conversation with a young nursing student that she was simultaneousled unnervated by and amused by (you'd have to know her to understand!). This nursing student was a paramedic or EMT, can't recall (probably whichever one is lowest on the medical totem) and unaware of her circumstances when he asked her if she knew the difference between dogs and cats. She said she didn't, to which he responded (with an air that convinced her he knew from life experience): "Dogs don't eat their owners."

She kept her cat anyway...but she sure made a great storytelling moment out of that.

Okay, sorry, macabre humor, but she'd have said it if she'd been here so I couldn't help myself. Back to the real discussion...

Tuesday, February 5, 2008, 3:51 PM

Asian Dogs - For Dinner

These are not like poochie here, they are a dog - racoon cross breed, and not very friendly.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008, 5:05 PM

349

you're the ass.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008, 5:06 PM

normally I wouldn't consider eating dog, cat, horse.. etc... but I'll be traveling to China for 3 weeks and I intend to try it. I'm there for the culture, why not complete the experience?
As for my own dog... he's old and probably gamy.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008, 7:13 PM

I heard a story where a dog DID eat its owner!

Tuesday, February 5, 2008, 9:48 PM

Marie Prevost, star of the silent screen, was eaten by her dog... She died in seclusion of a heart attack, her little dachshund needed food, 'nuff said...

Nick Lowe did a song about her back in the 70's...

Wednesday, February 6, 2008, 10:40 AM

Given the circumstances a dog would eat its owner if it needed to survive. I would definitely eat my dog if I absolutely had to, if my life depended on it. I would be horrified but the will to live I would imagine would be fierce. Killing the dog would be the hardest part.

Wednesday, February 6, 2008, 12:10 PM

No fido burgers for me.

Wednesday, February 6, 2008, 1:29 PM

Related Content: How To Lose Weight- The Basics Weight Watchers Points System The Fat Smash Diet The Eat To Live Diet The Beck Diet Solution How To Get The Motivation To Lose Weight		How To Be Successful Using PEERtrainer How To Burn Fat Online Weight Loss Support- How It Works Does Green Tea Help You Lose Weight? Tips On Using PEERtrainer Visit The PEERtrainer Community Diet and Fitness Resources
Fitness Weight Watchers Meetings Learning To Inspire Others: You Already Are Writing Down Your Daily Workouts Spending Money On A Personal Trainer? How I Became A Marathon Runner		Preventive Health How To Prevent Injuries During Your Workout Flu Season: Should You Take The Flu Shot? Are You Really Ready To Start PEERtrainer? Super Foods That Can Boost Your Energy Reversing Disease Through Nutrition
New Diet and Fitness Articles: Weight Watchers Points Plus How To Adjust Your Body To Exercise New: Weight Watchers Momentum Program New: PEERtrainer Blog Archive Review Of The New Weight Watchers Momentum Program		Weight Loss Motivation by Joshua Wayne: Why Simple Goal Setting Is Not Enough How To Delay Short Term Gratification How To Stay Motivated How To Exercise With A Busy Schedule
Real World Nutrition and Fitness Questions Can Weight Lifting Help You Lose Weight? Are Protein Drinks Safe? Nutrition As Medicine?		Everyday Weight Loss Tips How To Eat Healthy At A Party How To Eat Out And Still Lose Weight The Three Bite Rule Tips On How To Stop A Binge