Smallest of the litter,

I didn’t want him at first,

my eyes on his bigger sister,

but he won us over with his determined fight

as he pushed to get to the food bowl,

trying to make his way through

the mass of other wiggling puppies.

His color was unusual,

a soft gray, or a “blue”,

and his fur a little softer and longer,

so in the end,

we happily went home with him.

As a puppy,

his tiny little body was small enough

to fit in the pocket of a shirt,

and he did handstands at the food bowl

because he was to short to otherwise reach inside.

What he lacked in stature

he certainly made up for in doggy charm and charisma.

He saw a few of our other dogs come and go,

but always in his mind,

he was the king of the house.

He reached a maximum weight of seven or so pounds,

but it was the loudest seven pounds you’d ever seen,

all heart and personality.

Our little blue boy was always there to greet us when we came home,

and he wanted to be wherever we were in the house.

He loved car rides,

and the drive thru windows were his favorite,

he loved to show off and get attention,

but I’m pretty sure the treats he got were what he enjoyed the most.

But, no matter how big his heart,

and how strong his soul,

even he couldn’t escape the inevitable.

My heart still breaks

thinking about how much I miss his furry face.

There’s an empty hole in our lives

and in our bed

where he used to be,

but he
will never be forgotten.

His little pawprints

have left their tracks across our hearts

and will never be erased.