I adopted King in September of 2000 and spent many days hiking Chester Park and other trails around Duluth. He would spend most hikes running 100 feet ahead and then running back, always hoping for a squirrel to chase. In the summer, we would walk the lakewalk to Canal Park to get an ice cream cone. He never quite understood my “just licks” instruction. His happiness was contagious.

We moved to North Carolina in 2003, when King was seven. He wasn’t pleased with the warmer weather but he loved going to the ocean. His favorite activity was chasing the elusive sand crab and trying to dig them up when they would disappear down their hole.

The family began changing when I got married in 2005. King enjoyed having an extra person around to give him attention but it took time for him to stop chasing his new feline roommates. My wife’s favorite story is the time King actually caught up to a ground hog. He had no idea what to do.

King was nine when my first daughter was born. My second daughter was born when he was 12. He continued to be the perfect dog. When my kids would do something inappropriate, like pull his tail, his only response was to lick their face. The family walks were slower and shorter. King was fine with that, too.

During these last couple of years, our five mile hikes turned into slow walks around the neighborhood. His happiness was still contagious and his presence was more comforting than we realized. When my first daughter was born, I wondered if she would remember King. I thought that if King lived to be 12 or 13, she probably would. My daughters are now eight and five. My youngest daughter would help him get up and go outside every morning for the past few months.

King died two months short of his 18th birthday. He was by my side for over 13 years and through many life changes. He was the best dog and we miss him dearly.