Kuma is going to turn five this year and every birthday I think about her DNA test results that estimate her lifespan at about 12yrs. She's my first dog and thinking about losing her some day just wrecks me.

Sorry to hear about yours. It's so painful to think about, but I think a dog's last gift to us is to help us learn how to deal with loss. Especially for someone like me; I've had a really easy life with no major traumas. It's prep for the bigger blows that life will eventually deal us.