Be forewarned: sometimes the traits you pass on to your children come back to haunt you. Just ask my parents.

As a boy, my father owned dogs and worked on the federal government's agricultural farm in Ottawa. My mother's folks were farmers so she was no stranger to animals. My parents' appreciation of all creatures' great and small continued when our family adopted its share of pets - cats, fish, dogs and even mice and salamanders. Then the tables turned. We children grew up and the 'grand-dogs' arrived on the scene!

At one point, six dogs in total summered at my parent's cottage - three of them mine. Over the years my husband and I have owned a large Border Collie cross, four Whippets, two cats, two budgies and a Sheltie. Right now we are down to just one Whippet and one Sheltie. Whenever we get a new dog, my parents roll their eyes, and then lovingly welcome it into the family.

One of the most unique 'grand-dogs' is Kody the Whippet. He is a loving, beautiful, muscular, fast-running dog that looks like a miniature greyhound. Kody is also gregarious, playful and spends a great deal of time swimming - something that most Whippets don't enjoy.

Kody is also a local celebrity. Last summer, he entered the Haliburton County Fair Kid and Mutt Show and won several firsts. My six-year-old son was his proud handler. As I watched the dog show, a woman standing beside me nattered away to her husband. She was berating one particular dog, calling it ugly, explaining why she couldn't stand that breed's looks, saying how she couldn't understand who would buy such an undesirable animal. As I listened, I realized she was talking about my Kody! As I walked away, anger welled up inside me.

Sociologist of religion Tex Sample tells a story in his book the Spectacle of Worship in a Wired World Abington, 1998). Sample was giving a lecture in which he poked fun at a hymn he felt was particularly "schmaltzy". He even went so far as to sing a parody of it in a whiny voice. After his talk, a woman came up to him and told him that particular hymn had gotten her through a devastating time in her life, that she had sung it each day in order to literally survive.

Hymns - like what breed of dog you choose - are extremely personal things. They are, to quote author Thomas Long, "…a powerful alloy of memory and emotion, expression and aspiration." It may even be totally illogical as to what sacred music you like or dislike. There is one particular standard hymn that I detest, but every time I play it, I get positive, heartfelt thanks. Its style may not be my taste, but it speaks to others. "People need to be willing to sing music they do not necessarily like", says Long, "for the sake of the unity of the body."

The next time you openly critique a piece of sacred music, think twice. If it is not a theological issue, perhaps your criticisms are best left unsaid. After all -- like the case of the Whippet-hating woman at the fair -- you never know who is standing next to you.