This is Buddy, our Lhasa Apso who is almost 9 years old. Buddy is not my first Lhasa. Had two Lhasa named Garbo. They were both golden shades. Garbo I was never shown and spent her time at home before I even knew her. She was gentle and quiet. Garbo II was a real "caution" as Grandma would have said. I took her to training school at Humber College in Toronto. The day I acquired my first bifocals, she had me down on the floor several times as we navigated the highway-style orange pylons. Garbo II won "Most Improved" in that class! ("Most Improved" is of course totally relevant to how bad the dog behaved at the beginning, isn't it?) Garbo lived to eat, as did most of my Lhasa. She made excellent money for her part in a dog food commercial. When we moved to Port Hope, the man who delivered heating oil to our home was happy to take Garbo II. . The most memorable Lhasa we had in Toronto was Bobo - black with silver markings - and you have read about him before. He is the one who sent a thunderous message back down to us the night he died to let us know he had arrived at the Rainbow Bridge.
My main breed was Shih Tzu and I owned, bred and showed Shih Tzu for 25 years. I brought my last two homebred Shih Tzu, Sadie and Harry, with me to Texas.
They lived the good life here . . . no shows, just love and fun. Sadie went first (very quietly one morning) and our minister came over on a rainy day to bury her at the back of our yard. We had to rinse his loafers under the tap - it was that muddy. I have always thought that was a very nice thing for that man to do. Special.
Harry started having seizures which I had never seen in dogs before. It is a very ugly sight. Harry had been my best effort at actually showing dogs. He was smart as well as attractive. When he went to Humber College, he got it all right and the instructor wondered if he might even be just taking the instruction from her rather than waiting for mine.
The saddest part of owning dogs (I know they own us, we do not own them) is when they die.
There is a belief that our dogs will be waiting for us at The Rainbow Bridge and when we reach Heaven, they will scamper off with us. It is a nice thought.
Of course, Rudyard Kipling wrote a poem about how when we give our heart to a dog, it will be broken. And it will indeed.
One Saturday morning, Harry took a massive seizure and was literally rolling across the floor. We bundled him tightly in a blanket and Hubby put him on my lap as I sat in the back seat of the car. That was the Saturday our neighborhood was having garage sales on every street at probably 40% of the houses. It was the longest drive ever, or it certainly seemed it. He had to be put down that day.
So, it seemed like a good idea since we had also lost Hubby's two cats, that we should give up on having pets. And we did -- for five weeks.
It was a little too quiet.
There were two ads in the paper that day, one for a Boxer and one for Lhasas. I had owned a Boxer way back and it too is a great breed. The Lhasa is smaller and I was used to what they might or might not do. So, I phoned the Lhasa ad first. Probably that the kennel was on Martha Street in the next town was the omen that sent me over there.
He was older . . . 10 months and stood back just eyeing me. Mr. Lucas accommodated me by bringing out a table to set the dogs on. First he placed a puppy on the table and I went over it, trying to remember everything I had ever learned. I learned a long time ago that if a puppy does not catch your eye with that little something extra, that puppy is not for you.
I asked Mr. Lucas if the older dog was available. He said yes and he was 10 months old. He placed him on the table and this dog with no name, a little outsize (Texas-size, right?) gave me a very special look. I went over him very carefully and he was very nicely put together. He might have been too large to show, but I had no intention of showing him.
We met his mother and some of her offspring and the place was jumping like a great breeding kennel does.
I looked through an album and saw what these folks had been doing with Lhasa. They knew Lhasa!
It took both Hubby and Mr. Lucas to get the little fellow to the crate that I had placed on the car's back seat. He was a little nervous and it was lightly raining.
We drove back home, stopping at Wal-Mart for some toys and food and then brought him home. We also thought it would be good to give him a name and as simple as that, he became Buddy. (At that time, the Clintons had a dog named Buddy.)
It took Buddy two days and nights to settle in but he certainly did.
Today, Buddy took that familiar ride - round the loop - to Lucky Puppy where he always loves to visit. He gets a tidy trim and a bandana and NOW he even has a ramp so Hubby doesn't have to navigate the steps. He's happy to go at 10 in the morning and happy to leave at 4 in the afternoon. Buddy loves routine. (Lucky for humans, most dogs like routine.)
So, when Buddy has been freshly groomed and is wearing that bandana - that is a great time to get the camera. Just keep snapping. As you can see, today's shots are pretty much alike because I just keep snapping and do any editing later. Hubby was holding him and he was happy when I was finished.
I have a friend in Western Canada who is a professional dog photographer and she will read this and tell me what she thinks. Since Buddy doesn't go to shows, I don't have the privilege of people like her who can get just the right pose. I believe the secret to getting a great shot of your dog is to keep snapping. As you can see, today's shots are very similar but you can crop them and use them however you want.
I enjoy posting photos of Buddy on Facebook and I have cropped (scrapbooked) many. Dogs are great subjects.
Enjoy your dog, love your dog and yes, photograph your dog. They are only here for a little while and they are for us to enjoy. Dogs are very easy to love because they are not judgmental and never tell you that you look fat in that outfit. And yes, Buddy plays - it is only fair to tell you that he has a toy box on wheels under the coffee table. He loves to eat ice cream and cheese sticks and yes, Buddy is spoiled. We know that!
