The setup:
Judy and I were sitting at the table eating breakfast and Max was in his “I see prey” pointing pose, staring out the window..
We join the conversation with Judy stating “He sees something.”
“So he does.”
“He’s watching those birds with the long tails running around.”
“Quail.”
“Yeah, quail.”
“I love his pointing pose – he’s so tense and still – poised for the attack.”
“Pointing.”
“Yes, pointing. I think we should let him out.”
“You don’t like those cute little birdies?”
“Sure I do – they’re birds… And they’re cute – What’s not to like?”
“But you want them dead..”
“Not exactly.”
“But you want them to be chomped up in Max’s jaws, and eaten like that miserable mouse..”
“It’s what his breed does.”
“Well they shouldn’t. He is a domesticated dog and he should know better. And so should you.”
“I just think that we are going against nature by not letting him go out and kill something.”
15 seconds of silent stare, followed by an exasperated word that sounded an awful lot like “Gah!”
Yes, I believe that was it. “Gah.”
Things With Six Strings 
Reminds me of an exchange between Bogart and Hepburn in “The African Queen”–
Charlie Allnut: “A man takes a drop too much once in awhile, it’s only human nature.”
Rose Sayer: “Nature, Mr. Allnut, is what we are put in this world to rise above.”