The Gun Show, part Buddy

Los Alamos is having a Gun Show this weekend. I'm a bit of a firearms nut and decided to take a look. MDW (My Darling Wife), Michelle, was taking my middle child, Charlotte, to a birthday party, so I had my eight-year old son Malcolm, four-year old daughter Sasha, AND our one-year old beagle mix dog Buddy.

I wasn't sure about the dog and we almost left him in the Suburban while we looked around. But he so wanted to go and I relented. Buddy is pretty well behaved, especially for his age, and is particularly attached to the kids. So leash in one hand with Sasha's hand in the other, we headed in. I wasn't sure how Buddy would be received at the gun show, but the guy taking money at the door said it was fine.

If I had thought more about it, I should have realized what you probably are already thinking - people who like guns absolutely love dogs, almost without exception. Even if a gun lover doesn't particularly like dogs, they are certainly ready to tolerate them, since they are definitely a live-and-let-live people.

Buddy was a hit, even though he wasn't particularly well behaved. There was a snack bar and people were walking around the gym eating nachos and bratwursts while looking at pistols, AR-15s, bayonets, knives, all manner of scabbards and holsters, and of course turquoise jewelry (it is New Mexico). The result of all this snacking was quite a few crumbs and tidbits on the gym floor which Buddy was determined to clean up. So there was quite a bit of pulling on the tether and wrapping his leash around exhibit table and chair legs. Luckily we made it through the aisles without spilling a tableful of .223 and 9mm ammunition.

Buddy also likes to greet everyone, especially if they show any appreciation for him at all. I'll warn you-if you ever meet Buddy and don't want to be licked and jumped on, it's best to avoid eye contact and for God's sake, make sure you aren't carrying a hot dog.

So Buddy has a propensity for placing his front paws on the tables and greeting the exhibitors. At least I think that's what he was doing. It could be that he was simply inspecting the merchandise, looking for the perfect home defense weapon.

I heard several, "That's a good-lookin' dawg!" and "What a nice dog!" and "That dog looks like he could be a coon dog." I had a few offers to take Buddy in trade for various guns I was looking at (I am looking for a reasonably-priced AR-15, an oxymoron if there ever was one). It was tempting, but Buddy came home with us.