Wee companion

Met Poppy while o­­ut walking this afternoon. She is a three-year-old Tibetan terrier, a breed I had not come across before. 
We discuss the merits of the breed and it was clear her owner adores her. She gets two hours walking a day. “I am retired” he said “ so I have the time”.
 
 Tibetan monks kept these dogs as companions but they weren't limited to life in the monasteries where they were born. Considered to be luck bringers, they travelled the high plateaus with nomadic herdsmen, guarding their tents. Fearful of tempting fate by "selling" their luck, neither the monks nor the herdsmen ever sold the dogs. Instead, they were given as gifts in return for favours or services or presented to officials as a mark of esteem. 
 
Well it’s a long way from Tibet, considered to be the Roof of the world, to Bridge of Allan yet their function remains the same as companions.