Dedicated to Jake, Jr.

Just a few years old

Getting older, but happy chewing

My very first dog, Jake, Jr., is now seizure-free, not afraid of thunder, and living the ideal dog life in dog heaven. It was a difficult decision, but we knew (and were reassured by many reliable sources) it was what needed to be done so there were no regrets down the road. We will keep our memories of him with us always. I don't have the energy to look up all the film pics of him and scan them, but my favorite is one of Jake wearing his dog pack at the top of a mountain we hiked up in North Carolina. He was just a puppy and we didn't have the boys. It was a sweet adventure with a great dog and a beautiful day to remember always. With his boys

McCance took it the hardest, but has dealt very well with something that is so difficult for a three-year old(--and a 37 year-old.) The boys helped Scott dig a hole in the yard where he loved to run and chase balls (on a long lead, of course). I think that physical work was therapeutic to each of them.
We have adjusted pretty easily to being a one dog family even though sweet Jakey is missed here. Adelaide goes on a walk with the boys and I each weekday morning and stays inside with us to do what she lives for--guarding her family. (A true shepherd's heart.) She's become calmer and seems to take her job even more seriously. We no longer have a gated kitchen or have to take care to clean every crumb off of the counter or make sure all food items are out of Jake's reach (meaning atop the refrigerator!). He was not a low maintenance dog by any means, but that didn't change our love for him.