Sometimes Kuma will hop up on the bed at 5am and paw at me, but mostly she just curls up and goes back to sleep. She's totally spoiled me with how easy and accommodating she is.

Ha, I don't think it works that way! Though early rising kids + a doggo could mean the kids are entertained enough to let the adults keep sleeping a bit longer!

Yeah, I constantly marvel at how well adapted they are to live with us. It's all just genetics and centuries of deliberate selection and breeding, but still feels completely magical and amazing.

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.