1. My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Any separation from you is likely to be painful.

2. Give me time to understand what you want of me as I will serve you and protect you at all cost.

3. Place your trust in me. It is crucial for my well-being. 

4. Don’t be angry with me for long and don’t lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, your entertainment, but I have only you.

5. Talk to me. Even if I don’t understand your words, I do understand your voice when speaking to me.

6. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it.

7. Before you hit me, before you strike me, remember that I could hurt you, and yet, I choose not to bite you.

8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I’m not getting the right food, I have been in the sun too long, or my liver and other organs might be getting old or weak.
 

9. Please take care of me when I grow old. You too, will grow old.
 

10. On the ultimate difficult journey, go with me please. Never say you can’t bear to watch. Don’t make me face this alone. Everything is easier for me if you are there, because I love you so. 

Jake had helped me through a neck injury, moving, career change,  as well as the loss of a dear friend. He had been my best friend and my constant daily companion for all of his life, and now has left me so lonely for his beautiful eyes that always connected with mine.  But this time I had a much tougher decision to make. I had the power to end his life and his suffering, but I didn’t have the will. I had to put his needs above mine, as I had done many times before, but it was different this time. The finality of my own death would have been easier to accept.

Jake was put to sleep in the comfort of a loving environment with our beloved friend Michelle.  I was with him to the end. Now there are only the memories. At night I can still hear his breathing. The sounds of him drinking water, eating, barking, and panting after a run are as real to me as if he were still here. His empty spot on my bed, the deep quiet in our beloved truck when I look to the right and he’s not there, his dishes and BONES, and the photos of all the good times we had are now constant reminders of how important he was in my life.

Ever since he was a puppy it was a love affair that healed many wounds, and I thought he would live forever. He was the best dog in the whole world, and life just isn’t as good with out him to share it.