The Many Faces of Buddy

We now have two dogs.  The personality of the older dog has changed with the introduction of the mixed (read, at-least-part-pit-bull) puppy, a female.  It's amazing.  They are inseparable, although Buddy, the older one, occasionally wants a reprieve from Nala, the puppy, and will come in my room where I am working.  Nala wants to play all the time, and she can get pretty rough.  Interestingly, Buddy has become more muscular due to the rough play--he's bulking up (or hulking out).  Nala has not learned the potty training drill totally yet, although she will bark when she wants out.  I call her Princess Poops-a-lot; I am Princess Scoops-a-lot.  Because she's a puppy we are not sure of her personality yet; she has two modes, all-out enthusiastic crazy, and asleep.  

Buddy, on the other hand, came to us with, and has developed, a larger range of facial expressions and personal traits.  Here are his many faces (I wish I had photos, but I am not one to walk around with a camera).

The denial face.  This is accompanied with his back turned to us.

The aren’t  people weird face, accompanied by the characteristic dog head tilt.

The begging strip face.  Oddly, the pit bull sits quietly and lets me give her a treat.  Buddy makes a noise like Orca at Sea World, and usually nips my hand while he jumps to get it (his original name was Jumpy.)

The unconscious face.  Sleeping, of course.

The almost unconscious face.  My son and I take them walking at night at a local high school (there are fewer distractions and dogs than in our neighborhood) and they are tired coming back.  I sit in the back with Nala who cuddles.  Buddy sits in the front (after Paul moves him from the driver's seat, where he always goes first and balks at moving from) and puts his head on the console in a sleepy but "I want to be in the backseat with you guys" way.  My son drives. 

The pitiful face.  Downcast, whites of his eyes visible, head hung low.  Perhaps he has committed a doggy crime; perhaps he wants sympathy.

The you may think I should go out but I’m just going to stand here.  Speaks for itself.  It is very similar to the "Humm, I can come to you when you call or I can go chase that cat or go bark at the dog in the other yard.  Which shall it be?"

The "I love to watch people make fools of themselves" face.

The "No, I am not a dachshund face."  

The "I am looking for something vertical to squirt on" face.  Very determined, that one is.

The "I am going to put Nala's toy a foot out of her reach (we have to keep her tethered) and bug her" look.

God made three really incredible, amazing animals in my book:  Horses, dogs, and elephants.  They rate highest because they get along best with humans.