Janus

He came into Jeff's life in 2001.  He'd come a long way...all the way from Holland...and the broker claimed he was "2" years old- although the vet disagreed and said he was at least 3 and probably closer to 4.  Jeff tested 72 dogs before choosing Janus because of his strong drives and personality, and believe it or not, he used to be mean, evil, and nasty.

I met the boys in 2005 and the dog and I became fast friends...mostly based on bribery - I always came over with a squeaky toy or a tennis ball in my pocket.

The dog took to the sailboat and the laid-back lifestyle immediately although it did take him some time to get over all the "holes" he perceived to be all over the vessel.  He eventually got used to the hatches being open.


They retired together in 2007.

He got caught in a couple of bad storms while sailing and was never quite as relaxed about it as he was in the beginning...one of the reasons we made it to Marathon and have yet to leave.

He led a full and happy life...and was certainly loved.







Sometimes he was moochie...
You certainly didn't want to leave a loaf of bread unattended!

Sometimes he was skootchie...
He could definitely take up his half of the bed, bench, or couch.


And he was definitely smoochie!

He had licks for everyone!
[But especially Jeff.]

A little over a month ago he developed a limp and had a lump on his front leg.  Jeff took him to the vet and the x-ray confirmed it was bone cancer...fully metastasized with his whole body likely riddled with it and the bone practically eaten through.

So, we moved to the floating dock to make getting on and off the boat easier and for the last month, we've just been taking it easy, doing things the dog likes to do, and spending all the time possible.






The dog has gotten a little worse every day.  Those same drives that made him a good police dog kept him going...kept him wanting to keep going.

The good news is that he never lost his appetite although he could barely stand and was just as much of a chow hound yesterday as he ever was.

Yesterday he took his last dinghy ride to a favorite bar/restaurant.  He had his own burger(s) and fries and lots of attention.

He slept comfortably in the bed most of the night.





Today he's gone, but no longer in pain.
It's a very sad day on the S/V Thin Line.