TRIBUTE TO BUDDY, A PRAPSO
Buddy was an astounding dog. He was by far the most intelligent dog we had ever seen...and so beautiful! Everywhere we took him, people would comment on his beauty, and his manners. He had such a spry and happy manner about him, in his personality, and in his step. When Buddy died on January 2, 2000, our family was devestated. He was only two and a half years old. I know a dog such as my Budmeister comes along once in a lifetime...and we are going to miss him sorely for a very long time. On a trip to Michigan back in the late summer of 1997, I stopped to visit my niece. She was so proud to show me her new pet....a 10 week old full blooded Lhasa Apso. I was shocked when as she went to pick the pup up...he growled and bit her! Her mother told me this was becoming a problem and she had growing concerns as her other daughter was only nine months old. I too was concerned! Only two weekends prior to that visit, my cousin's two year old daughter recieved eleven stiches in the face from the bite of a Lhasa. We discussed this, and my sister-in-law asked me if I would be willing to take the pup and give it a good home. I agreed, much to my niece's dismay. She was consoled by the fact that she would see Buddy occasionally, and that he would have a good home. Within a month or two, it became apparent that Buddy was not a full Lhasa. The hair on his face became short and smooth. He did not look like pictures of other pups of his breed at that age. I placed a call to my sister in law and asked her if she was absolutely sure this dog was full blooded Lhasa. She in turned placed a call to the original owners who confirmed it. Buddy was full blooded Lhasa alright, but I wondered why he was given away free, and why there were no papers to show his registration. The mystery only continued as Buddy grew...and his UN-Lhasa like appearance became more apparent.
Regardless of his breed though, Buddy was the light of our lives. His intelligence amazed us! I could show him a trick only three times...and he would get it! Not only did he learn tricks quickly, but as he became bored with doing them, he taught himself new tricks! One such trick was to sit up, put both paws up in the air, then fall over dead! We laughed so hard at this. We came up with a command for it. I would point my "gun finger" at him and tell him it was a "Stick Up" . He would obligingly stick both paws straight up in the air. I would then yell "BANG!" and he would fall over dead! This trick was always his favorite, and anyone who saw him do it always got a great laugh. Soon Buddy had more tricks than a circus dog. He loved to entertain, for a price of course! Dog biscuits were his favorite treats. Buddy's vocabulary was another facet of his personality that astounded me. I had never seen a dog with such an understanding of the human language. We often played word games with him. While riding in the car, I would say "Cow Alert!" and Buds would jump up and look out the window for cows. Once he spotted the cows...he would scratch furiously at the window and look at me as if to say, "Roll it down...HURRY!!!" So he coud catch a sniff. I swear he came to know each and every cow field between us and Nashville! He knew when to sit back, and when to watch for the cows. "Dog Alert" worked well too. Or if I simply said, "horses Buddy" he would jump to the window to have a look. Taking Buddy for a ride was always fun. He never just laid there as other dogs we have had. Buddy took an active part in our trips. He loved to watch out the window. He noticed new things, such as lit up malls or trailer parks. He liked to watch the big trucks as we past them. Motorcyles would have him jumping from window to window as he watched them for as long as he could. I travel quite a bit, so he was always excellent company for me in the car. Our friends and family came to love and welcome him into their homes quickly, as he had such good manners, and would be so excited to see them. Once, when he was about nine months old, I was packing for a trip, and taking things out to the car. As I turned around, I noticed Buddy scratching at the seat in my car. Upon investigation, I found a stock pile of toys and bones that he had "packed" for his trip! This was so amusing to us. And it became a ritual with him to pack his own toys when mom packed her car. Once, upon leaving Michigan for home in Tennessee, I told Buddy to get his toys and put them in the car. He did as I said, but upon returning home, I found that he had forgotten to pack his favorite toy. A couple of weeks later, I had to go shopping. As it was summer, and very hot outside, Buddy was not allowed to ride with me. I told him I would bring him home a new toy to cheer him up, as he was obviously upset. Four hours later I returned home and was putting away my groceries when I heard Buddy going through my bags on the floor. He had never touched my grocery bags before, and I told him to stop. But he kept nosing in all my bags! Suddenly I heard a "squeak" and turned around to see Bud standing there with that silly grin of his, and his new squeaky toy in his mouth with his tail just a wagging! I, once again, was completely amazed by this little dog. Not only had he understood what I had said when I told him I would bring him home a new toy, but he REMEMBERED! Even after four hours! Buddy was also the bravest little dog I had ever seen. He did not like strange dogs. Oh he accepted our Golden Retriever, Casey, and other dogs that lived in the neighborhood fine, just not strange dogs. One day while shopping in Pet Smart, a pet store that allows you to bring your pets inside shopping with you, he tried to attack a full grown Mastiff! After I succeeded in dragging him around to the next row away from that dog, who would surely devour my little dog in one swift bite, he challenged a fully grown Great Dane! "Good Grief!" I thought, "have you no sense?" Size did not matter and on several occasions I have seen him challenge much larger dogs. Even after neutering, which we had done when he was seven months old, he would charge after other dogs. And they certainly were not allowed anywhere near our property! This interest in other dogs never did disappear. I wonder if that is a breed trait? My golden retrievers showed no interest in other dogs after neutering or spaying. But daily Buddy had to make the neighborhood trek to visit the other dogs in the neighborhood. I would like to interject that Buddy was not a mean dog by any stretch. Only on one occasion did I ever see him bite. I was at my mother's home, and my niece was there visiting. It had been a full year since we had gotten Buddy from her. He was sitting on the couch between my niece and I when she reached over to pet him, he bit her! She had done nothing wrong. He immediately was sorry for his action, and tried to apologize to her as she ran out the door. Five minutes later, when she came back in, he was still trying to love on her to show how sorry he was. He rubbed himself all over her, licked her from head to toe, and gave her his special hugs. The only thing we came up with was, it was some kind of a flashback to when he was a puppy. He never bit another person. Never even tried. But I didn't trust him around any children, and never left him unsupervised with them. Looking through a dog book one day, we came across a picture of a Tibetian Spaniel. There looking back at us from a page in a book, sat our Buddy! I knew then that the owners had somehow made a mistake. Buddy was not a Lhasa, but a Tibetian Spaniel instead! I wondered how a breeder could make such a mistake. As I read the characteristics of a Tibbie, I became certain that was what our little Bud was. It was not until his death, while looking for Tibbie breeders in our area, that I came across a paper on a web site about Prapsos. I researched Prapsos, and sure enough, there on this web site, were pictures that could have passed for my dog! I have raised Golden Retrievers for the last sixteen years. I am not familiar with the characteristics and personalities of Lhasas. All I know is Buddy was an amazing little dog. I always knew when it was 4:00 AM, for he would be watching for his Daddy to pull in the driveway from work. He loved to swim with us in the swimming hole. Woe to any person who tried to sneak up on us! For his barking would alert the neighborhood! He was friendly and loving to those we accepted, but cautious around strangers. He was loyal and protective. He loved new sights and sounds. His intelligence never ceased to amaze me. He loved to play thinking games such as hide and seek, or hide the toy. He was definately a thinking dog. Our hearts will feel the void left by his death for a very long time. Buddy died on January 2, 2000. He died the agonizing death caused by Canine Streptococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome. We are not sure how he got it. Our vet tried everything to save his little friend. But Buddy's lungs filled with blood as he bled out. He suffered tremendously. It has been devestating and even now as I write this, I begin to cry. There will never be another like him, and my heart aches for my little Buddog. I have read that breeders do not like to admit that they have a Prapso in their litter. That they show inferior blood lines in their dogs. All I know is this, Buddy was a worthy dog. He carried himself regally. He knew he was a blue blood even when we doubted it. His beauty was admired by all who saw him. We would give anything to have another Prapso. We have been searching for a red prapso pup online. For if they are anything like our Buddy, they are the only dog for us. The following is a poem I memorized as a child. It describes my Buddog to a T.Chums.
He sits and begs, he gives a paw, He follows everywhere I go, But still no matter what we do,
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