[HornyMolly]

Patches was with me for 16 years and died in my lap with me knowing he was going to pass and I still have a hard time with it. I have dreamed about him, seen him out the corner of my eye for a bit after he passed. I got all emo a couple days ago when I was looking through old pics and saw a couple with him in them.

I truly believe our relationships with our dogs are the most intimate we will ever have. They know things about us that even our spouses don't know. They are with us through thick and thin and provide us with a special closeness that I don't think most of us can feel for another human simply because a human may decide to leave, but we know our dogs will always love us and be there. of course, because of this type of special relationship, it is very hard to lose them. Of course we will be affected by that loss for years.

It's natural to feel the way you feel. Heck, I still feel that way for a childhood dog that passed in 1996. Most of the time I am fine. I can talk about her if she comes up in dog conversation or if I see another of her breed, but then every once in a while I get hit by surprise grief and thoughts of her.