Tradition is important, and ensuring grace is said before meals is a staple part of life for millions of families all over the world. Sometimes, it seems, the habit is also adopted by pets, who can be surprisingly religious when the mood takes them.
One particularly pious pooch who has been winning hearts on TikTok is BudTheBlackLab, the good boy and apparent spiritual guide for TikToker @sykotic_girl. Bud, a gorgeous black labrador, went viral in a way that most people could only dream of by refusing to eat his dinner unless prayers were said beforehand.
Upon having his meal placed in front of him, Bud refused to budge, giving his owner a pleading look instead of diving face-first into the bowl. The issue, it seems, was that grace had yet to be said, and Bud just wouldn’t eat unless the correct level of praise had been raised.
His owner even tried to encourage him to eat by giving him a gentle nudge in the direction of the food, but he wasn’t having it. Even when sykotic_girl, real name Haley Buckland, said “Amen” a couple of times, he wasn’t fooled. Bud knew his prayers and wasn’t going to be tricked into stepping out of line with the Lord for some meat and vegetables, no matter how tasty he thought it looked. Even referring to the food as a “little snack” couldn’t convince him that it would be okay to take a little bite.
Bud stares longingly at the food, glancing from the bowl to his owner and occasionally slapping the ground with his paw to indicate that something is amiss with this dish. Eventually, a simple but popular prayer was enough to make Bud feel that proper credit had been given for his good fortunes and tasty treats. After Haley said the “God is Great” prayer, finishing with an Amen, worried Bud was placated and free to start chowing down.
“God is Great
God is Good
Let us thank him for our food
By His hands we are fed
We thank You for our daily bread. Amen.”
Needless to say, the comments section is in love with Bud, with many people remarking on how “considerate, mindful, and demure” he is.
The video has proven to be a smash and is currently sitting at over 30 million views, nearly seven million likes, and over 35 thousand comments expressing a degree of love and admiration for Bud. But there is hardly any expression of shock at his antics since it is widely and affectionately known that dogs are more like us than we think they are. Studies have discovered that somewhere along the path of their transition from wild animals to pets, dogs learned everything from understanding our facial expressions to adhering to and even enjoying our daily patterns.
Hopefully, Bud is feeling good about having brought a smile to so many faces, and this dog of God is enjoying lots of nice food and heartfelt prayers.