I just lost my dog Jake on Jan.22/01 after 16 years of companionship. He died at home, of old age, with my husband and I present. We petted him, hugged him and told him how much we loved him. We buried him in our back yard and I can see the spot from my kitchen window. I keep having to remind myself that he's not here, laying in the middle of my kitchen floor, or getting up just as I walk over him with the vacumm cleaner causing me to lose my balance so I don't hit him with it. There's no more slop to clean from the floor after he took a drink and dribbled it all over the house. No more dog food to clean up when he'd pick out the parts he liked and dropped the others on the floor. No more kisses, no more carrying my shoe around in his mouth whenever someone walked in the door. I knew he was getting old and that soon he wouldn't be with me anymore. But nothing could have prepared me for the way I feel now. I miss him more than I ever thought possible. He was a wonderful, loving and gentle dog. He never saved anyones life or did anything really heroic, but he was my friend, and I miss him.