Saying Goodbye to Our Best Friend

It has been a long time since my last post. Our amazingly wonderful--and strict Paleo--CaveDog, Tiger, passed away just before Halloween.  She was a key member of our little family, my Sunday-cookday companion, and primary taste-tester.  Since she passed, I haven't felt much motivation to post. I've made every effort to drown out the quiet in our house on Sundays and instead catch up on reality TV. Probably not the healthiest choice (for my brain cells) but it was the best I could do.

A few days ago, one of my very best friends sent me this photo:

Tiger convinced the girls she was allowed on the futon/guest bed
and then took all the pillows and blankets

It is the background on my cell phone and a reminder of all the funny things our Tiger-dog would do. Receiving this picture made me want to come out of hiding, and re-start this blog by preserving the memory of our "best friend with fur."

Not only was Tiger a blanket hog, she was a couch hog, too. She could make her 58 pounds expand to take up any amount of space. FYI: my initial rule was "no dogs on the couch." See how long that lasted?

Tiger at our first apartment shortly after we got her.
She first came to live with us when my brother moved to a new city.

Tiger pretty much did whatever she wanted.  CaveBoy was her pack leader and, like most dogs I know, she thought she was second in command. When CaveBoy was away, Tiger took full responsibility for my safety. She listened to my commands, but I could tell she was only humoring me.

She spent most of her time on the couch, on her dog bed, or in a sunbeam on the carpet.  Tiger loved to sunbathe and we partially selected our new townhouse location because it had an East-facing balcony that she could lounge on without worrying about nosey neighbors.

Outside our last apartment. She loved to lay
in the mulch, especially after a bath.

Despite being independent, and strong, and fierce, she was also the cuddliest dog I've ever met. Tiger loved to curl up at my side with her head in my lap, or in the crook of my knee. She always wanted to be the big spoon when we watched TV, waiting for CaveBoy to get home from work. It didn't matter where in the house we were, she was always right there with us: curled up on the bath mat, asleep in the closet, squeezed under the bedside table...

Curled up on the floor with CaveBoy after a long day and night of work.

Tiger was especially attached to CaveBoy. He was her person. She would get jealous and sigh and mope until we made room for her between us on the couch. 

Tiger had a real personality. She threw a mini-celebration every day when we came home from work, bounding 5 feet in the air and sprinting around the living room.  

...I could go on for pages. I have five years of funny, silly, wonderful stories. She was a great dog, and truly one-of-a-kind. We miss her every single day.