A Tribute to Miniature Schnauzer Jake

by Cheryl
(Desoto, TX)

Jake was my beloved companion for 15 of his 17 years. I adopted him as a rescue who was picked up running the streets.

At first Jake was stand-offish and would hardly interact with the family. Not knowing his background it was hard to know why he disliked small children, men or anything that looked like a stick. But eventually he came around or we learned how to deal with his unique "characteristics" and he became part of the family. He never however learned to love getting a bath!

Jake always wanted to be with his "mommy". If I was working in the yard he would bark until I brought him outside with me. When I came home from work a little gray head would pop up from the back of the couch just about the time I pulled up in front of the house. Had he been there all day?

Over the last couple of years Jake was completely deaf so we learned to communicate a little differently. Jake would bark for me to come find him since he couldn't hear where I was and I had to use hand gestures to get him to come in the house or anything else.

About 18 months before he died, Jake got a terrible inner ear infection. He was very sick and unable to eat off and on for about a month. He was weak and I had to carry him up and down the stairs. However, after he recovered he decided he LIKED being carried up and down the stairs and would bark at the top or bottom for me to carry him! (I didn't indulge him that far!) He would also sit at the bottom of the stairs and bark when it was time to go to bed (he needed me to put him up on the bed too!)

One night about 10 days before Jake died he woke up coughing. I got up to take him outside but a couple of steps out of the door he let out a sort of scream and fell down with a seizure. I had known from the beginning he had a heart murmur. He now had congestive heart failure but with meds was expected to do okay for his age of 17. However, it was not to be. The meds made him so sick. He wouldn't eat and would barely drink water. He grew weaker every day until finally he couldn't even walk or stand. I knew then what would have to be done....

Jake crossed the Rainbow Bridge on Feb 3,2010. The day I took him to the vet's I made the decision to have him cremated which I had never considered before then. I am so glad I did. Jake was the first dog that was really MY dog...I miss him so much. He was my little punkin' guy and I know he is waiting for me.....