My dear PIGI followers, I apologize for the long delay but it’s taken me sometime to be able to write this blog post. This is where I would normally start in with the awful jokes about what I’m about to eat, but you won’t see much humor in this post and for that I’m sorry. I wanted to talk to you for a moment about my PIGI hiatus and my former PIGI tasting partner. That’s right, it is with much sadness and a very heavy heart that I use the word “former”.

I want to tell you a little tale of this man’s best friend. It started in the fall of 1996. My life was finally getting to a point of a little bit of stability. You know how it is for anyone starting in life…job uncertainty, roommates and bouncing from place to place. By the fall of ’96 I had been in a pretty good job for about a year, had some solid roommates…life was pretty good, but it was about to get better.  I had decided that I wanted to get myself a dog. Yeah, probably not the best idea for a guy renting a room from a friend, but after talking it over with my flat mates they agreed that it was cool. Everyone (including my parents) thought I was crazy. You know how it is when you’re 22…you’re still a bit fickle and irresponsible. I decided to go through with it anyway.

I remembered a couple of years previous, I had seen some Akita puppies in the window of a local pet store and I was taken with the breed. I went to the bookstore, picked up a few books on the breed and started reading. The more I read, the more I felt that it was the breed for me. Sure, I knew they had some tough traits to deal with, but it still seemed worth it. I’ve always been a low key and easy going guy who loved nothing more than to be camping up the woods, enjoying the solitude. An Akita seemed like a great companion.

I did some searching of the local newspapers and found a private party with some puppies less than 30 miles away. I paid the owner a visit and found out that the litter had been an accident. I walked into a house full of little fluff balls running around and playing. I spied a pup and asked about it, the owner said his girlfriend had already laid claim to that one. As I knelt down to take a look at the others, one ran up, leaped for my lap and proceeded to knock me on my butt. That was the one who was going to come home with me…Champion Timber’s Dakota Kino….or just Dakota (I didn’t give a crap about papers or anything, I just wanted a healthy and happy puppy). I let the owner know that I would come pick him up the following Wednesday evening. I had planned it so that I would pick him up the evening before Thanksgiving and could be home with him for a full 4 days before having to head off to work. I still remember walking out to my car with this little 10 week old fur ball tucked under one arm.

I was lucky that I lived less than a mile from a dog park so lots of socialization and training took place over the next couple of years. People who knew me got used to seeing Dakota go everywhere with me. As he grew, it was a common sight around town to see that big bear head hanging out the window of my Mustang. He quickly became my best buddy, partner and confidant.

He was 4 years old when I started dating my wife. She quickly came to love him just as much as I did. When we got married and moved in with each other it didn’t take long and he had her wrapped around his paw. The first couple years of our marriage I was traveling a lot for my job and my wife was telecommuting, spending her days at home with Dakota…they became partners. He was her guardian and protector while she was his gravy train with biscuit wheels (he always ate more food from her plate than he ever did from his bowl). When we moved across country, he weathered the trip very well. He loved the snow the past few years of his life and enjoyed the much cooler climate.

Sadly, this past August, just shy of the age of 15, Dakota left us. The breed has an average lifespan of 10-12 years, so I believe that making it to 15 is a testament to how much we loved him and the place we had for him in our life. We were both by his side as he took his last breath and my eyes well up with tears even now as I type this. That final day was one of the worst days of my life, but it’s a very small price to pay for the 15 amazing years that he gave us.

I could sit here and type volumes of Dakota stories. Like the time he completely shredded a dual leather recliner or when he stole fish sticks off the kitchen counter while my back was turned. How he broke out of every single house we ever lived in or the few times when I thought I might have to give him up because of my living situation….and dozens upon dozens more. He worked his way into the hearts of many people and many shed tears at the news of his passing.

Because of his place by my side as my PIGI partner, I have decided to temporarily retire my PIGI blog entries. I have no doubt that at some point in the future I will have a new furry tasting partner, but at this point I have hard time thinking about doing it without my buddy. I thank you for all the support, feedback and hope you understand. If you’ve really enjoyed our tasting adventures and can do so, I’d ask you to make a small donation to the Mid-West Akita Rescue Society (MARS). You can easily do so on their website via. Paypal. They will send you a letter acknowledging your donation for tax purposes.

It’s amazing how an animal can become your best friend. Unconditional love wrapped up in a sweet furry face.

Thank you all.