This is me!

Jim,

Sorry to hear about your loss. 

Great photo.

Sorry for your loss but the Avatar IMO is just fine. 

Sorry about the loss of your best friend. Anyone who loves dogs know what you are going through.

The photo will be a lasting reminder of the wonderful times you have spent together.

Very sorry to hear about your loss. 

Losing pets is very difficult, they are after-all, family. 

So sorry for the loss of your best friend.  I do believe we will meet them again some day.  Here is a poem that was sent to me after I lost one of my best buddies.

http://www.petloss.com/rainbowbridge.htm

Your mug could certainly be much worse, in fact I think Rich "Miserable Curr" Melvin here would be better suited for the generic grey avatar. 

Sorry to hear of the loss of your pet, never easy to go through.  I'm still not completely over my first dog and she passed away 27 years ago.  Just spoiled me for all other dogs, that's how great she was.

Looking good Jim

sorry for your loss

Thanks for the posts.

Its amazing how empty the house seems without the dog following you around!

Jim

R.I.P. Bear.  How Jim is going to do without your careful daily training is most certainly an sad unknown.

  I can relate I've had them around much of my life.  I even keep a darkened door, dog house with "Vlad" printed above the archway, sitting on my layout as a memorial to one pal. He wasn't even mine.

R.I.P. Vlad.

Jim, many of us have lost loved pets.  You did a nice thing by taking that picture.  Sorry for your loss.

You both look good Jim...........  sorry for the loss of a pet,  especially a dog.  Last one we lost we had for 17 years,  it is really tough to move on for awhile...........  one day at a time.

Mark

Sorry for your loss.  I had to put my Frances down 2 years ago.  She was 16 and an excellant hiker.  

Although she will always be special to me, a few months went by before I had to get another dog.

 Here's our new guys:  (Travis and Bumblez)

Your avatar looks fine, and you'll treasure the memories forever.

I was a Seeing Eye puppy-raiser several years back.  And when we gave our black Lab back to the program for training, those were some very empty days without him around.  Six weeks later we got the call from the Seeing Eye that they were releasing him from the program and asked if we'd want to adopt him.  Needless to say, I drove up to Morristown, NJ the next day to get him.  He just turned 8 years old in June, and I can't imagine what life would be like without him.  So I can only imagine what you're feeling.  Sorry for your loss.  Pets work their way into our heart, and we love them forever.  I'm glad you took the time to take a photograph with your special buddy.

David

I can tell you that a new dog will heal your heart in an instant

Sorry for your loss, pets are incredible. Get another dog, you will not regret it.

Jim: Its amazing how empty the house seems without the dog following you around!

Yup ... that is so true.

I hope circumstances allow you to get another dog. Either a pup, or some great dog sitting in a shelter waiting for you.

.

Gentlemen,

Thank you for the additional posts.

We likely will get another puppy, sometime in near future when we are ready.  As much as I loved the dog, I feel sorry for my wife, as Alastar was her companion while I was at work.

I don't know how your dogs interact with your trains, but when I use to set up the trains around the Christmas tree, it brought out the hunter in Alastar.  LOL, he would get as wound up and excited as when he saw a squirrel in the yard!

Jim