When you love a dog.

Little Sam is old. He no longer runs to the door to greet visitors, or gets excited when it's time for a walk. When Jack or I sit down, he sees a lap to sit on and comes to be held. 

Today, I carried him when I took Buck the Pomeranian for a walk. Little Sam took a few 
steps then sat down to rest. He's tired. 

I brought him home and gave him a new pillow beside my desk where he promptly went to sleep. That was an hour ago and he's still sleeping. I didn't have to tell him to go away and let me work.  He didn't bring the toy bunny he stole from one of the babies in the family and try to make me play with him. 

Little Sam likes chicken, so he gets as much as he wants. Last night, he couldn't sleep, so we came down stairs and listened to music while he sat on my lap.We won't be going on trips for awhile because Little Sam isn't up to traveling and we wouldn't dream of leaving him alone at this stage of his life.   He's not as cute as he used to be, his hair isn't silky and he's no fun at all since he lost interest in everything. 

This old dog is a handful to take care of but we'll do our best to keep him happy and comfortable as long as we can, and miss him like crazy when he crosses the rainbow bridge. 

Sometimes, your heart breaks when you love a dog.

UPDATE:
We expected to loose Little Sam, but it still came as a shock. He went to sleep in Jack's arms while I was out of town last week. We take comfort in knowing we gave him all the love a dog could handle and all the fun he could stand. He loved going to the beach in the evening when he and Buck could run free without leashes. You would think a prissy little Maltese would be fastidious, but not Sammy. He had a gift for finding the smelliest thing the tide washed up and rolling in it. I think he liked getting showered off outside by the pool.
Later, I'll update my status on this site. Now it's just Jack, Buck, and me, but I don't want to take Little Sam's photo off yet. He's still with us in spirit.
Thanks for spending 13 good years with our family. You were a good dog, Sammy.