People and dogs resemble each other for a lot of reasons, I think. One is that dogs really emulate the behavior of the humans they are with. These dogs were taught to assume a prayerful position and attitude before eating, and I'm sure it was the combination of repetitive training as well as the way dogs observe how we humans behave. This is the logic I use to justify our dog Edgar's sometimes erratic behavior - he just learned it from me is all!