What Does Our Lhasa Apso, Buddy, Say About Us?

At Forbes.com, there is an article on what your breed of dog says about you.  As you know, I have picked a Bichon Frise for the New First Family and I see they have picked a Poodle. That's okay . . . 

Now, the people at Forbes have not yet met Buddy, our Lhasa Apso, and there were no comments on this breed. 

If you take a close look at Buddy above, as compared to Buddy below (when he was first with us), you will surmise that Buddy has pretty much got Keith and me figured out. He knows we are animal lovers and probably will let him get away with a bit of attitude, which he definitely has! Buddy is also very smart and is very close to outwitting us sometimes. 

It is not a given that any dog will follow the known traits for his breed, and I had a Lhasa named Garbo (2) who proved that. She lived up to the "Lhasas live to eat" motto but she just did not get it when we went to obedience school together. She was shown and she just could not really grasp that either. Garbo was not a big time learner.

Buddy is nothing like Garbo except possibly for size. You know I have described him as Texas-size. 

Buddy catches on to just about everything very quickly and has by now a pretty extensive vocabulary he understands. 

So, what does all this say about what Buddy says about us? 

Does it say that Buddy has access to all the business magazines on the coffee table?

Does it say that Buddy is smarter than we are? Does it say that we let Buddy do whatever he likes?

Well, not exactly. Buddy is a reflection of a very happy household where he is an only. He knows he is loved and he knows that he is treated with utmost respect. He also knows he can wrap either of us around his paw and most of all:

Buddy knows that after I read the Bible Passage and Keith reads the Daily Devotion, that if he comes to the breakfast table to listen carefully to the Prayer, he will get a little dish of vanilla ice cream.

Does this make Buddy a religious being? Not unless you look at a second meaning for the word RELIGION: specific form of belief and practice (Webster). Buddy believes that if he practices coming to Keith as he reads the Prayer, he will get vanilla ice cream. 

How does Buddy know this? Smart dog!