Is it permissible to adopt the Maliki school of thought regarding the purity of dogs, and is it permissible to trade in them?

The jurists differ concerning dogs. The preponderant opinion is that their bodies are pure, but their saliva and spittle are impure, based on the hadith: "The purification of the vessel of one of you, if a dog licks from it, is to wash it seven times, the first of them with earth." The Hanafis hold that a dog is not intrinsically impure, but its leftover drink (su'r) and moistures are impure. The Malikis consider a dog to be intrinsically pure, whereas the Shafi'is and Hanbalis consider a dog to be intrinsically impure. It is permissible to adopt the Maliki view for one whose ijtihad (independent reasoning) leads him to it, or who seeks a fatwa, or who imitates someone whose knowledge he trusts, provided that the motive for imitation is not merely to seek concessions. It is not permissible to sell dogs or trade in them, due to the Prophet's prohibition of the price of a dog.