“Does he pray?”

asked the young woman as she looked at the poodle.

i have no answer…

“He certainly begs!” i reply as he eyes the cookie in her hand.

“oh.

i meant the trick,

you know,

where the dog puts his paws on the chair or table and then bows his head.”

“no.

he doesn’t know how to do that.”

and so we start to teach him.

with the cookie from her hand.

but learning to  bow your head as if your are in prayer

is not the same as praying.

and begging is not the same as praying,

although it often gets confused.

i can not say if someone else prays,

but i do know if they say thank You.