A boy and his dog

My friend Steve's beloved golden retriever, Professor Jiggs, died in the wee hours of the morning today. He was a grand old dog of 13 years. He breathed his last lying next to his best pal and constant companion.

You can read Steve's tribute on his blog.

When Jiggs entered Steve's life in 1996 a transformation began. Steve, a fastidious and, some might say (but I never would), obsessive complusive neat-freak, saw his lifestyle markedly changed by that golden puppy. I think in many ways Steve's priorities shifted that day Jiggs entered his life. He became more carefree and more spontaneous. He may beg to differ, but this is what I saw - the before and after.

Isn't it amazing that dogs can impact our lives so? The motto of this blog is: Dogs are not are whole lives, but they make our lives whole. They truly do.

Rest in peace, Professor. You led a long and glorious life and brought many smiles to all of us. Find comfort in your memories, Steve. You always did right by Jiggs and gave him a life to be envied.

To everyone else...hug your dog today and say "thank you."

Snug as a bug

For the first time since Gracie's knee injury in April, she was able to sleep in bed with me last night. I woke up in the middle of the night in that familar "spoon" - Gracie's butt in my face and the rest of her long body stretched out along side mine. It made me smile.

When we first went to bed she laid quietly beside me for a few minutes and then jumped down. She was in the living room for several minutes and then wandered back into the bedroom with her Pig. With Pig in bed with us, all was perfect for a goodnight's sleep.