I'm not sure that Teddy knows what happened exactly, but I do think he misses her. She was always the leader when it came to those two, and he was the follower. Since she's been gone, he doesn't have another dog to follow. He learned a lot about being a dog from Sophie. He had kind of a rough start as a pup (at 12 weeks old, we were his fourth or fifth home), and I think that made him a little insecure at first. He wouldn't even go out the front door on his leash unless Sophie went first. She taught him how to wake us for breakfast and how to perform at 7 PM each evening for a strip of rawhide. She also showed him that car rides were nothing to fear, even if it led to a vet visit, because a treat was sure to follow. As much as Teddy learned from Sophie, she was probably a little annoyed when he first showed up, all paws and playfulness, but she took much comfort in her big friend when the two of them had to stay home by themselves, as she always curled up right next to his crate to sleep until we came home again. Teddy is doing a good job of absorbing the affection usually handed out to two dogs, and we joke that he is "eating for two," as the treats have been generous during this time.
I am trying to focus and get some work done, but it is hard. There has been a lot of activity surrounding my dad's recuperation from knee surgery which has kept me busy, and that's been a good thing. I am hoping that, with time, the sadness and emptiness will gradually be displaced by the satisfaction of helping a great dog live a happy and fulfilling life, and I hope that the immediate memories of that post-surgery horror will be replaced with the happy memories of a spoiled (in a good way), happy dog. In an attempt to get to that point, here is a little video of Sophie doing something she loved, and something I loved watching her do, as well as some optimal Sophie moments. I believe that all dogs go to heaven, and if they get to choose how they get there, I think Sophie may have chosen a car ride...and as soon as she got there, I'm sure she found some pillows.