Jessie "J-Dog" has passed away

Comprehensivist

Comprehensivist

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It is with deep sorrow and a broken heart that I share the news that my beloved black labrador Jessie “J-Dog” has passed away. She was my best friend and constant companion for almost fourteen years.

I hope that you will forgive me for posting a photo-heavy tribute to J-Dog rather than a brief statement in the “Four Legged Friends” thread. She has been as much a regular on this forum for the last two-and-a-half years as most people. I can say with certainty that without her companionship, I would not have been motivated to post about Fiddleback knives as much as I have in that period.

Before I reflect on her presence in this forum, I would like to share a little bit of personal history on her:


As a puppy, she was very playful and always finding her way into trouble. That meant chewing things that weren’t meant to be chewed or getting herself all muddy before trying to come into the house.




As she grew older, playing Frisbie became her favorite activity.




She loved to go on long hikes and picnics with us.




Her absolute favorite thing to do was spending a day chasing her Frisbie in the waves at Arroyo Burro beach in Santa Barbara and socializing with other dogs.




In her later years, swimming gave way to walks on the beach when she developed osteoarthritis in her lower spine.






After beach days there, we always stopped at The Brewhouse for an early dinner. They have a a dog-friendly patio with big bowls of cool water and a special menu just for dogs. She loved being spoiled at that place.




Her choice that day was some steak bites and a frozen marrow bone to work on later at home.




Fiddleback Days:

I started my Fiddleback journey back in 2013. Prior to that, I never had much desire to contribute much of anything to a forum. With J-Dog at my side and some Fiddleback knives in hand, I suddenly found the desire to start taking pictures and posting some comments to the forum. That led to more in depth posts over time.

J-Dog was with me for all of my Fiddleback reviews and many of my other posts on this forum. Sometimes she was prominently featured in the photos. Other times she was content to be close by to supervise and give her approval. Whether she was shown or not in the photos, you need to know that she was always by my side. Besides daily walks and regular field trips, "Fiddleback time" became an important part of our regular time together.

She loved to sniff and study all the knives with their colorful handles. She would watch with curiosity when I was splitting wood or carving notches. Of course her favorite part of any post we worked on together was when I would use the knife to “baton” through some meat or cheese that she could eat.

Here are a sampling of her Fiddleback photos:

This is “our” avatar photo with a Big Sneaky.




From The Patch Review.






Coming out of her house to check out a new Woodsman.




Weighing in on the Woodsman vs. Duke debate.




From a “Fiddlebacks & Firearms” post:






From Nathan’s Arete pass around review.








She loved the smell of Bud’s JouFuu sheaths.




The Gaucho review was one of her favorites because of all the food involved.






From the “Models, Tang Types, Steel Thicknesses &Weights” thread.








From the Sneaky Pete review.










I have a couple more projects in the works that J-Dog participated in that I still need to finish and post. Beyond that, I feel that I will need to step away for the forum for a while grieve her passing and find my bearings anew.
 
Final Days:


For the last two plus years, Jessie has been battling a number of physical issues. First she was diagnosed with a thyroid condition, then osteoarthritis in her lower spine, and finally Cushing’s disease. She has been on a number of prescription meds for most of that time to keep these conditions under control. Through it all, she always maintained a happy loving spirit around us while knowing that we were doing our best to love and care for her. Despite our best efforts, her body started to weaken in the last couple of months. In the last week, it became acute and she struggled to use her hind legs to get up and go potty. She lost her appetite and really struggled physically. When she lost interest in her favorite dog treats, we knew things had reached a critical stage. She might have suffered through a couple more weeks, but that is not how we wanted her to go out. We decided to preserve her dignity and schedule an appointment to have her put to sleep. That was a tremendously difficult decision for us, but it was the right thing to do for her.

For her final day, we pulled out all stops to make her feel as loved as possible. I grilled a couple of grass fed beef steaks that way she likes them. She became excited when she smelled the meat.




She suddenly regained her appetite when I gave her the first bite. We repeated this one piece at a time process more for my benefit than hers. I cut up the rest of the two steaks and set aside 1/3rd for breakfast the next morning.






I set the rest down and let her gorge to her hearts content. She was a happy dog.




The next morning I literally woke up crying because I had been dreaming about what this day meant. We took a couple of selfies to start the day before she had the rest of her steak for breakfast.




With a full belly, she settled onto her dog bed with her favorite toys to relax a bit.




She gave me a big time tongue lashing to say she loves me and thanks for all the special treats.




Before we left for the animal hospital, we went on one final walk together. We did a tiny loop that spanned only ten houses total. By the time we got back, she was exhausted and had to lay down to rest and fight for breath on our front lawn. I knew for sure then that we were doing the right thing at that moment.

At the vets office, she was completely relaxed knowing that we were doing our best for her right to the end. She sat up one more time to say goodbye. Despite her failing body, her loving spirit never faded.




In the end, the process was very quick and seemingly painless for her. It gave us a feeling of peace to know that she is not suffering anymore. We laid her to rest in a spot where we spent a lot of memorable times together.

I know that animals don’t go to heaven, but wherever she went she took a big chunk of my spirit with her. I feel like a ship that lost its rudder right now. Yesterday was one of the hardest days of my life and writing this thread was the hardest ever too.

We miss you so much Jessie. Rest in peace girl. You were the best friend we could ever ask for.

Phil
 
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Ah, Phil, I'm so sorry to read this. I know the joy that J-Dog brought to you and the companion that she's been. I will be missing her curious, contemplative and approving looks as she helped you review your Fiddlebacks.

I as well know there's no doggie heaven, but I'm thinking she's probably running in the waves chasing a frisbee and thinking about which Fiddleback she should pick out right about now.

You have my deepest condolences.
 
Phil,

Wishing you all the best. It is so clear how great of a companion J dog was. May she rest in peace, and I know that your life is better because of the relationship the two of you shared. Thanks for sharing this here. It was truly beautiful, and I always enjoyed seeing her on the forums.
 
Awww I'm sorry Phil. I too have been there at the passing of 2 lovely dogs. It never gets easier losing a best friend. Take heart in all the happy moments you shared through the years and the support she gave you. She has and will continue to make your lives better for having been there.

Anthony
 
Phil,

So sorry for your loss, may she rest in peace & enjoy what she liked to do without any pain where she is.

She was a part of the Fiddleback community as well and I too enjoyed seeing her in your posts.

My deepest condolences.
 
My deepest condolences Phil. Jessie will be missed here in the Fiddleback community. I always enjoyed seeing her in your post. You did the right thing to ease her suffering, and you made her feel happy and loved in her final days. I know how hard it is.

Take care my friend.

Gus
 
Phil:

I'm sitting here with tears in my eyes after reading your tribute to J-Dog. While saddened by your loss, I also feel relieved to know that she is now at peace. She was blessed in having you as her best bud, and companion for all those years. We too were blessed with her presence here in the forum. J-Dog's lick of approval has graced many a review. Thank you for sharing her with us. Her spirit will always be a part of my personal Fiddleback experience. I've saved many photos of Jessie over the past couple of years and will continue to do so in her honor.

Take good care my friend, and please know that Susan and I will keep you & Melissa in our thoughts & prayers.....J-Dog too.

Peter
 
Phil,
It breaks my heart to read this, but I hope that you and your family can find peace in knowing that j-dog is in a better place now. As a dog lover myself, it has been a pleasure to see your pup grace the threads of this forum and add a little light to each of the impeccably written threads that you post. My sincerest condolences to you and the Ms. on your loss, and know that your family and J-Dog will be in our prayers.

-will
 
Phil

I took a quick glance at the forum as I'm heading out the door for work. I got no further than your announcement about Jessie. I got lost in the pictures and I can remember a lot of them as you posted them. What a wonderful companion and friend. I've experienced the hurt of making that heartbreaking yet compassionate decision. I share the same feelings everyone here. I, like Peter also sit here with tears in my eyes over your loss.

You are in our prayers Phil. I am so sorry my friend. I hope the wonderful memories will slowly calm your hurt and allow you to rejoice in her life.

Dave
 
Sorry for your loss. Losing a loved pet is devastating.

It almost seems unfair that their lives are shorter than ours and we wind up enduring through the sad passing of many pets in our lives. It never gets any easier. A couple years ago our pet suffered an untimely passing that I was having difficulty dealing with. I did not even want another pet because I could not deal with the potential loss of another in the future. My wife brought home an adorable surprise one day. It did not take away the pain, but it helped.

Best of luck to you friend.
 
Man, Phil, I'm very sorry for your loss my friend. I know exactly how hard it is to loose a dog, and my heart goes out to your family. I'm very glad you posted the pics here. Jessie had great taste in knives. How can you not like a dog that wanted their picture taken with all those knives. I'm saying a prayer for you, and thinking of you bro.
 
Our pets give us love unconditionally.

Jessie was very lucky to have such a loving home. Thank you for sharing your tribute to a fine pup. She was a beautiful dog.

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mqqn
 
My condolances brother. It is so very difficult. There is no better friend rhan a good dog. Ours is full member of our family and when we make life decisions Buddy is a prime concern.
 
Very sad to hear. I feel for you buddy.
 
Sorry to hear of your loss. It's such a shame that we only have our canine companions for such a short time because they weave themselves so tightly into our lives. From your posts and pictures she definitely lived a wonderful and full life.
 
You have my deepest condolences. There exists no bond like the one we share between man and dog.
 
So sorry for your loss!! Your tribute brought tears to my eyes. A dog is absolutely one of the best friends a man can have!!!

RIP J-Dog



Martin
 
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