Rest in Peace Bear, our Best Friend

Our German Shepherd passed away the morning ofDecember 10, 2006.  The Bloat seems to have crept up on him and tookhim fast.  He had recently turned 9 years old.  

He was quite the talker, always letting meknow how much he missed me when I came home, or just telling us howmuch he loved us.  Friends often compared the 105lb guy to Chewbaccafor his size and the sounds he made.  Any time Robin and I would hug,he would bark and nose in between us.  When a baby or child was sleeping in the house, he made routine checks to ensure their safety, and was gentle when playing with them.  Although intimidating, he never bit or tried to harm anyone.  He was also my co-pilot when mowing the lawn.  I would be using the pushmower, and he'd follow behind.

He was a major part of our family and will be dearly missed.  

Rest well, buddy.  Good boy.

My nephew enjoyed hiding from Bear in a ball pit.  He would throw a ball out and Bear would fetch it back - not always in the best condition, though.  Those balls crushed easy.

When Robin was in the hospital, he waited for her at night on the couch, knowing this was where she often napped.  He even laid his head on her pillow 

Here he's trying on a hat belonging to my friend, Bill.  He loved company and wasn't shy about showing off for everyone.

A rare moment when he jumped in our bed when it wasn't made.  He usually insisted it was made before climbing up on it.  I like to lay in bed and write and he would lay down next to me and watch, making the occasional noise when it was time to take a breakand give him a good chest scratch.