That's right! The bond you create with a dog is something difficult to put in words. When I was a teenager, I had a dog, Pyro, and he was not only the protector of our house, but also a member of our family. When he died, my mom cried like she have had lost a child. She told me once that after his death, she used to feel lonely in the mornings because Pyro always accompanied her when it was dark yet. His death was very sad because he died alone and we weren't there to say goodbye
Thank you for sharing, sorry for your loss, but really appreciate your story!