The world is full of shih tzus.

It's not just my living room any longer (that's His Canine-ness enjoying the early morning sun during this most perfect of weekends). I've spoken before of Jessica, the little white and tan temptress who lives next door and has the ability to stir up desires in poor Buddy that he no longer has the equipment to satisfy, no matter how desperately he tries.

Added tot the mix as of this week, from the upstairs apartment out front is a shih tzu puppy who is identical to the Bud-man, looking like a younger, friskier version of him down to every last detail except the white markings on the paws. His face, although without the defining snaggle-tooth on the right side of the mouth, is Buddy's with some of the weight of the years removed.

I am surrounded by cuteness.

The puppy isn't yet socialized and so merely skitters away and hides behind its owner's legs rather than engage, but Buddy's approach has given me insight into how he deals with his peers. I've seen him mostly with larger dogs and he tends to approach, sniff and then stand perfectly still until the other dog loses interest. With a smaller member of his own breed, he acts more like what we call a "close talker," moving and close as possible and again standing still, but dominant in this instance. I suppose this is what the ADA means by the breed's "distinctively arrogant carriage."

With Jessica, of course, it's a sad, hopeless semi-hump.

Mostly I posted this so I could write that headline.