*hug*

My parents had a lovely black standard poodle, the best dog ever. He was so calm that the groomers would give them a discount if they could borrow him before or after his appointment so that he could be a therapy animal for dogs that were afraid of the clippers.

He came from a small breeder who was explicitly refusing to breed show dogs. Their motto was that they were not breeding pet quality but quality pets. So he was bred for temperament and it showed.

Jake was five years old when he developed a sore paw.

It turned out to be toe cancer, and he was so stoic that by the time that little limp developed, it had metastasized and there was nothing we could do.

Five years old.

Sometimes it's the very best ones that you lose because they won't tell you what's wrong until it's too late.