Buffy Tang - Portrait Of A Good Dog

When people tell me what a good dog they think Buffy is, I often wonder what they mean by this statement.  Most of the time, I people think Buffy is a good dog because of what she doesn't do. Buffy is not a nuisance. She doesn't eat food off of tables, Buffy isn't much of a barker and most of the time when she is around the house, she's not very needy and keeps to herself.

While I like these things about Buffy, characteristics that could describe a lamp don't really seem to define in my mind what makes a Buffy a good dog.

I asked my wife, Diana, her opinion on this subject and she came up with some insightful ans touching thoughts.  Below are her thoughts.

Buffy is a dog with personality. She's loyal and wants to please but also thinks for herself. While she likes people and other dogs, she's not the kind of dog that instantly falls in love with whoever she meets. Buffy has a little attitude, and sometimes she seems like teenager, but when it's important she puts that aside and shows an amazing level of maturity.

Buffy cares about the people who are importance to us.  Somehow Buffy figures out who Diana and I love and in her own way shows affection towards them.

Buffy is a strong dog. She is incredibly adaptable and brave. Buffy has handled uncertain situations with amazing spirit. Whether it's on a plane, at the farmer's market, or the T train in Boston, Buffy faces this life with optimism and excitement even when she have no idea what lies ahead. After Buffy was attacked by a dog last summer, Buffy showed amazing resilience and strength. This trauma didn't shake Buffy's spirit and through this experience Buffy maintained a positive outlook on life.

People often say that there aren’t bad dogs, only bad owners. So does that mean there aren’t good dogs, only good owners? No, there are plenty of great dogs with horrible owners.  I believe that all people are good and I believe that all dogs are good deep down inside, even the dog that bit Buffy. I believe that dog had some experience that made him so frightened and scared that the only way that he could deal with life was to lash out.

When people tell me that Buffy is a good dog, I take pride in hearing this but I don’t take credit. I didn’t make Buffy a good dog, Buffy was always a good dog.  Diana and I simply put in the work to bring out the best in her and allow her to be good dog who can be as proud of herself as we are of her.