Shutting a thread down too often causes more problems than it solves, Stirder. I've got enough trust and faith in my friends here to know that they almost always work around their misunderstandings and miscommunications. About the only time I shut down a thread is when we've got a troll.
Lea, Nedim and Babyblue have all shown themselves to be very good at carrying on discussions in the past and I've got every confidence in them.
Now, as to directly answering the thread in a linear fashion . . . well, you don't usually get any farther than shouting matches when you start opining on whose breed is smartest, best, prettiest, strongest, best guardian, ad infinitum - and I know Lea well enough to know that that wasn't what she had in mind at all! She's a bright girl and is very good at looking at things from different viewpoints. Lea's been more of a peacemaker than an arguer; right now she's sad since she just lost her Grampa and her feelings are a bit tender, otherwise this would have all been much, much different.