Q:
Is there anything wrong with having a puppy? Someone asked me and I didn’t know what to say.
A:
Is it right to raise a dog in your house? I’m not going to answer that question directly but in most cases it’s done as a form of demonstrating a certain unity with the environment; with a certain gentile attitude of having a dog. Jews usually don’t have dogs and people who like to walk with a dog in the street, or have a dog in the house, it’s a sign that they’re yielding to the environment.
Now, I’m not paskening any halachos, but it’s a matter of hashkofa that we don’t want to walk in the ways of the goyim. I once walked into a house to be menachem avel, and they knew my attitude so the dog was concealed. I heard a scratching behind the door! They were very much embarrassed! They knew I’m against it.
What business do you have having a dog in your house? It’s not because it’s a watchdog; no, it’s not a watchdog at all. Some people have these little dogs – tiny fragile things – and the dogs themselves need protection. These little dogs, anyone can give it a good kick and kill it. And even if it’s a bigger dog, in most cases what it really means is, “I’m a goy like all the goyim.” That’s what it really means in most cases. It’s considered a form of yielding to the environment. That’s why I say that in general I disapprove of it.
TAPE # 999
