Sorry for your loss. The attachment to the special ones makes things tough when the inevitable arrives. My worst one...

Just as I got out of the service a buddy of mine had just imported a 5-6 month old Rottweiler. Just as he arrived, I was being discharged and he got unexpected orders to middle east. He asked me to keep the dog til he got back. He was a military policeman and all into the working dogs, bite work, obedience, police service stuff. I took the puppy home with me. This dog was so smart. He responded to casual conversation not commands or orders.

I did some bite work with him, got interested in that stuff and he eventually was titled as Sch. B. Bite work and obedience down pat but I could not get the tracking down. He was most definitely limited by me. He lived 13 years. Great dog. Luckily for me, he remained in the middle east for nearly two years (not so lucky for him), and by the time he got back I was offering whatever it took to keep him. He ended up letting me have him. Maybe the best companion I ever had.

The last weeks were tough as his mind/heart was telling his body to do things it could no longer do. Toughest trip to and from a vet's office I ever made. He was a special one.

Sorry for the loss. EWO