Saying goodbye to The Bear

Baron is my first dog... ever. We call him Bear. Bear is a Golden Retriever cross and he's nearing 14 years old. Based on the chart at the vet's office, that makes him... really old. He's off the scale but from what I can tell it looks like he's over 100 in dog years. Bear has arthritis and I think he had a minor stroke about a year ago.

I love my dog but I'm preparing myself for when he's gone. Over the past two or three years, he's been slowing down. This past winter we let him stay inside a lot because the cold aggravates his arthritis. He's gotten to the point where it's painful for him to sit. If he's not standing, he's lying down. If he's lying down, he's usually asleep.

The last couple of days Bear has refused to go out in the morning without a lot of prodding and convincing. He just wants to stay put.

I figure every day we have with him now is a bonus. I often watch him sleeping to be sure he's still breathing. I figure one day I'll wake up and... well, he won't. When that happens, I'll look forward to the day we meet in heaven. He's a very good dog. He's a very smart dog. I will miss him after he's gone.