Nick sounded like a great dog.

That's a wonderful photograph of him. I love dogs. I just got back from my cousin's house; his dog is pretty close to the end, but he gets excited when I am there. I consider him, like my own dogs, part of the family. And I remember ones now past as family, too.

Peace to you, my Friend.

I remember your posts in previous seasons where you often mentioned him. He sounds like a great dog. So sorry for your loss.

Its never easy, but in time I have found myself only remembering the great moments with my departed pets. May great memories of your time together find you frequently...

Losing a dog is one of the most heartbreaking things in life. He had such a soulful little face and he sounded like such a great companion. My thoughts are with you and Nick during this difficult time.

He is smiling with the angels now!😍

Loosing your very special dog transcends ownership... I feel, in reading your loving comments, that I'd lost him too.


I find it wrenching that, in your own serious health crisis you had to face this, but I hope the incredible example and comfort your dog was in your life will carry forward for you. He's there in spirit and undoubtedly would want you to know that and go on with your life.


I'm so sorry, dear DemoTex. I have experienced your pain with the loss of my own, and re-experience it through your curent account. My love to Nick on his journey and may he be there awaiting you in the distant future.

Had to put down my 17 yr old cocker a few months ago.

but this story really got to me. Sounds like he was a great dog who led a great life. Hope you're doing ok....it's rough...

And myself and my baby. She is 15 and her time is not far off and I am dreading it. When my first little girl died it was/is the most devastating thing I have ever experienced. I skipped Christmas that year. I know exactly how you are feeling and hope you take care of yourself. This is an enormous loss.

But Nick will be in your heart forever.

I had a "Nick" fifty years ago.

Still there, the beloved little monster.

Hang in there, I know the pain is just awful right now.

Holding you in my heart.

affectionately,
Bright

is heartbreaking. I'm so sorry.

I know Nick was such a presence for you when you were working the fire seasons. I loved your stories and pictures. He had a rich and full life with you!

I hope you're feeling better. I miss seeing your photos.

What a lovely tribute.

He was a lucky dog. Ever notice dogs love their owners no matter what, religion, sex, race, they just love us. People could learn from dogs. Sorry DemoTex. Peace.

Our pups take a piece of our hearts with them. What a great face he had, and such expressive eyes. RIP Sweet Nick.

I lost my last dog when she was 17 years old. That was over 20 years ago. I still think about her every day...

And Best Friends past and present.

Good boy.

And take care of yourself, as well. You know Nick would have wanted that!

Thanks for letting me know Nick Nick. Good luck to you.

Hardest decision ever - still miss my Roots.
Nick Nick was a beauty

It was a better place because of his presence, and he was one fortunate guy, having you as his companion and source of unconditional love. I recall that there were those in Bend whose lives were always brighter when you and Nick came to town. I'm sorry to have missed that privilege. Be well, be strong and know that Nick's wondrous spirit will always be with you.

Peace.

Nick Nick

My definition of heaven ... A place where you get to see all the dogs you ever loved.



I just hugged my big girl tightly because she knew your post touched me.

We have to love them enough to let them go, when the time comes. Nick Nick was a lucky guy, he KNEW he was loved, had a great home. He will be there waiting, over the Rainbow Bridge someday.

Good boy, Nick. You did well - you loved & you were loved.

Take care of yourself!

It is so hard when you lose a very special family member like Nick. My wishes for you are to remember the good times that you shared with him. And, Nick, God speed to the Rainbow Bridge. Say hello to "Rusty" for me. Just a special note to you DemoTex: You gave Nick the best life with lots of love and adventure. You also gave him the best gift at the end of his life, and it took a lot of courage and love to do that. God bless you and your memories of your special furry friend.

It's so hard to lose a best friend like that. Wishing you speedy recovery from your gall bladder problems.

I’m so glad he had a good life with you. I always felt like he was another DUer.

and rest in peace Nick.

I believe we all came to think of Nick as ours as we read your exploits and you shared those amazing photos. You gave him a wonderful life and he gave all of us joy.

RIP Beautiful guy... you will never be forgotten.

Please take time to grieve but be around friends too.

with tears in my eyes. You gave him a beautiful tribute.

after a long life of being a great friend to pretty special human.

I'm so sorry for your loss. I know you miss him. This reminds me to give my furry girl her daily vitamin for her hip.

It can leave you devastated, I know. Remember that you gave him a good life, and Nick did the same for you. The passage of time will help, but there will always be a tug at your heart when you think of him. Right now, that feeling is painful, but it will turn bittersweet, and eventually, loving and grateful for the time you and Nick were together.

This is a tough time; try to hang in there, DemoTex.

You two deserved each other, and I know he understood that you couldn't be there in the intervening time. I hope you heal - form all of this - quickly and gently.

We lost our Dulcinea back on Feb, so I know about the pain of losing a best friend. I'll send a prayer to our Sancho and our Dulcinea at the bridge to keep and eye out for Nick and let him know that there are lots of folk still down here thinking loving thoughts about him.

Sometimes life just sux and this is one of those times.
Wish I could do something but, as usual, at times like this, there's nothing that can be done to make it better.

I can truthfully say I know your pain.
Been there too many times.

Beau, Studs, Max, Gypsy, and Nasha.
Fifty or so years of fantastic German Shepherds.
All truly loved members of our family.

I grieve with you.

Your lovely tribute and your devotion to each other was so touching. Nick sounds like he was one in a million, and you were lucky to have each other. What a face. I am so, so sorry you were ailing in his last days. Please accept my sincere condolences at the loss of your very best friend. There are tears falling in Michigan for your Nick.

Nick-Nick sounds like an extra special dog.

and heroic pup!

Seeing this photo of him I can see that there's lots going on behind those beautiful eyes. Today is a tearful day and you're staying on my mind.

I'm sorry you are having such a bad time these past few weeks. That's a really long life for a dog. You sure took good care of him. I'm glad you got to be there to say good bye. I hope you are feeling better soon.

He sounds like a wonderful friend and dog.

I can't imagine the devastation of losing not just a beloved and loving friend and companion, but the wise being that actually saved your life. At first I thought he had saved you from a fire, which would have been amazing enough, but to save you from carbon monoxide... how did he know? What special sense did he have about you that told him you were in trouble? And just think about the strength of his love for you that kept him strong and alert enough to warn you... he really was a special boy and the two of you really had an incredible bond. I am so sorry for your loss.

They are so worth the profound sadness when they are gone.

Just looking in his face you can see an old soul.

I'm so sorry for your loss.

and, sadly, I can relate only too well. I just (6/15) had to put down my 16+ dog, Roxie, who took most of my heart with. her. She didn't save my life the way Nick-Nick did yours, but she has been my reason for staying alive for quite some time. We will both need time to grieve and heal. I wish you the best. Take good care.

Beautiful
Looks like our dog

what a loss for you. I'm so sorry you have lost your good friend - who saved your life. Peace to you DemoTex.

glad you were able to be there at the end with him to see him on as he passed. Don't fret about the last few weeks away you were with him all those years . Think of the good times . I had to be away a little bit when my cat was very ill and I knew would die soon
I know it broke me up but someone reminded me of all the good times we had so many years . I know your heart is heavy . RIP Nick. What a sweet pic
Take care

What a great dog. Goodbye good friend.

all meet again, my dear sweet boy

LOVE NEVER DIES

❤️Nick-Nick❤️

What a good, good boy.

So very hard to say goodbye to a loyal friend and hero who shared everything.
Sad times, to lose a best friend. So sorry,

The adventures you must have had together...

My condolences.

A friend sent this to me when I lost my dog Allie. I still read it on occasion.

Dogs never die. They don’t know how to. They get tired, and very old, and their bones hurt. Of course they don’t die. If they did they would not want to always go for a walk, even long after their old bones say:” No, no, not a good idea. Let’s not go for a walk.” Nope, dogs always want to go for a walk. They might get one step before their aging tendons collapse them into a heap on the floor, but that’s what dogs are. They walk.

It’s not that they dislike your company. On the contrary, a walk with you is all there is. Their boss, and the cacaphonic symphony of odor that the world is. Cat poop, another dog’s mark, a rotting chicken bone ( exultation), and you. That’s what makes their world perfect, and in a perfect world death has no place.

However, dogs get very very sleepy. That’s the thing, you see. They don’t teach you that at the fancy university where they explain about quarks, gluons, and Keynesian economics. They know so much they forget that dogs never die. It’s a shame, really. Dogs have so much to offer and people just talk a lot.

When you think your dog has died, it has just fallen asleep in your heart. And by the way, it is wagging it’s tail madly, you see, and that’s why your chest hurts so much and you cry all the time. Who would not cry with a happy dog wagging its tail in their chest. Ouch! Wap wap wap wap wap, that hurts. But they only wag when they wake up. That’s when they say: “Thanks Boss! Thanks for a warm place to sleep and always next to your heart, the best place.”

When they first fall asleep, they wake up all the time, and that’s why, of course, you cry all the time. Wap, wap, wap. After a while they sleep more. (remember, a dog while is not a human while. You take your dog for walk, it’s a day full of adventure in an hour. Then you come home and it’s a week, well one of your days, but a week, really, before the dog gets another walk. No WONDER they love walks.)

Anyway, like I was saying, they fall asleep in your heart, and when they wake up, they wag their tail. After a few dog years, they sleep for longer naps, and you would too. They were a GOOD DOG all their life, and you both know it. It gets tiring being a good dog all the time, particularly when you get old and your bones hurt and you fall on your face and don’t want to go outside to pee when it is raining but do anyway, because you are a good dog. So understand, after they have been sleeping in your heart, they will sleep longer and longer.

But don’t get fooled. They are not “dead.” There’s no such thing, really. They are sleeping in your heart, and they will wake up, usually when you’re not expecting it. It’s just who they are.

I feel sorry for people who don’t have dogs sleeping in their heart. You’ve missed so much. Excuse me, I have to go cry now.

What a beautiful picture...

I am so very sorry for your loss. I always liked reading of your adventures with Nick. He was well loved and he loved you, too.

What a beautiful guy.

I've been there, too, and it never gets any easier. Nick sounds like a wonderful companion - we loved him, too - and he was so very fortunate to have found you...

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I feel special now, knowing what a tremendous and wonderful friend you were lucky to have, and you sharing this difficult moment w/ all of us. A very difficult thing to do.

RIP my friend, Nick Nick...

They have such loyal sweet hearts, it hurts that they leave us so soon. Their flame burns brighter than ours and ends more quickly. We lost our half Catahulan half Siberian dog, Bud, late in Jan. and it still hurts to come home to be greeted by no howls.

I know some think it's silly, but I hold in my heart the hope that somehow, some day, I will meet up with my beloved pets that have passed. The Rainbow Bridge. I know it may be silly. But who knows? I don't know for a fact that it's not true. And it would be unbearable for me, if it isn't.

There's something special about a bond with a dog. For me, anyway.

It's the most heartwrenching thing in the world to end your sweet pet's life.

You had a very long and happy time with Nick, so think of that.

I only had a short 6 years with my darling little Bunkie, who contracted that horrid disease, cancer, and was taken away from us last summer.

I think we've all been there. Helping them cross the bridge is always tough.

He really was a wonderful dog, and you were blessed to have each other. Sorry for everything else you have endured over the last weeks. May things improve quickly now.

Lady oft he Beasts, take Your little one gently home, and send peace and comfortt o all who love and miss him.

prayers and healing vibes for your complete recovery. you are loved and valued here.

What a grand ole boy you had there in Nick-Nick. So brave and devoted.

I know you will miss him. The memories will be so sweet.


Tikki

Nick must have been a wonderful dog! I think he was hanging on until you could get back to him. As you said, he was ready to go - animals know.

He looks very tired in that picture, but maybe that's just his resting face. Again...my condolences.

All the best to you as you recover from your surgery. I suspect it will be easier, than getting used to the fact your pal is not around anymore. But always in your heart.

...

losing furry friends/companions. My deepest condolences.

comfort that you were there when he crossed the Rainbow Ridge. I know how it feels to put a loved pet to sleep due to illness. As you grieve at losing Nick, take care of yourself. Best regards.