I can't really picture life without Thijs. Sure, I still sort of remember the times before we had him, but this dog has been with my family for almost 12 years now. That's about two-thirds of my whole life! And let me tell you, Thijs made quite an impression on my childhood.

After my family's first dog, an American Eskimo named Rigel, passed away, my parents decided that they wanted a Keeshond. It is the largest of the small Spitz breeds, with a stubborn but good-natured personality. I once read an article in a German magazine that called the breed "the laughing ex-Hollander," and these dogs certainly have an engaging smile!

When we got him, the big decision was what to name him. He kind of looked like a baby Ewok, so naming him after Wicket W. Warrick was a strong possibility. On the other hand, the Keeshond is a Dutch breed, so a Dutch name would be suitable. We ended up going with the latter option, calling him Thijs, which is short for the Dutch version of Matthias.

Thijs is an odd dog in many respects. First of all, he has always been bothered by sneezes. When he was younger, he would jump on anyone who sneezed. Later on, he changed dramatically—now, he flees from sneezes as if someone had beaten him.

Another reason why Thijs is strange is that he is scared of cats. One evening, when my dad was taking him out for a walk, the cats at the end of the street gave the poor dog a solid thumping. Oh, he's comfortable around our cats, because he's familiar with them, but any new cat? He cowers and runs away. When our outdoor cat, Ollie, first started hanging around, I think both Thijs and Ollie were equally frightened of each other!

Oh, and did I mention that he has symmetrical bald patches? Apparently, Keeshonden are prone to hair issues, and what Thijs has is called alopecia X, which results in darkly pigmented skin wherever the hair is gone. We don't really know why he has it; several years ago, he just lost hair on his neck, belly, and thighs. He's not bothered by it, so I consider it just another quirk.

Thijs is one of only two dogs I've ever met who have been downright excited to go to the vet. He gets very wound up (though not as much in recent years), bounces around the car, and barks like mad (with his tail wagging) when we get there. Why? Because the vet always has jerky treats, and food is Thijs' great love.

You can see how he reacted when he simply heard someone doing something in kitchen, from a room in which he didn't even have a view. Just the sound was enough to get him thinking about food!

If ever there were a food-filching championship, Thijs would win it, no problem. That dog will happily scarf down any unattended food or napkins. He even cooperated with Brockers, a cat we used to have: Brockers would jump on the kitchen counter, and while Dad was distracted chasing the cat off, Thijs would steal his omelette.

We dog-sat a couple times for some friends of ours who had the best-behaved Labrador in the world. It was our hope that Thijs would improve after being around this wonderful dog, but all he learned from her was her one bad habit: Smacking very hard, with those big paws, if someone stopped petting too soon.

He's even acquired a bit of a reputation among his breeder's friends. Thijs is the largest dog that she's ever had, but I'm sure his personality has contributed as well. Twice, she introduced us to some of her dog-loving friends by saying, "They have Thijs." Immediately, the other person's face would light up with recognition, accompanied by an exclamation of "OHHH!"

Sure, he's a lot at times, but Thijs more than makes up for it with his sweet disposition. Small children can hug him and yank on his fur with no fear of being bitten. He likes to imagine that he is a lapdog, which is cute but uncomfortable with a 45-pound dog.

Thijs is a pretty cool dog. (And I like to think that he grew up with some pretty cool kids...) He is just so easygoing and patient, with an adorably fluffy face, to boot.

He's only grown more mellow as he's aged. Poor thing, he's got cataracts and arthritis, and he's lost some of his hearing. Our younger dog really has to provoke Thijs to get him to play. I can't help feeling like I need to take special care of Thijs more than ever. And he even spends more time with me, often coming down and snoozing in my room.

With all his faults and quirks and redeeming characteristics, I love Thijs. He is the first dog I was ever able to spend quality time with, as Rigel didn't like kids. He is so good-natured, and just the right size to hug when I'm feeling down. I've had to accept that he probably won't be with us for many more years, and I'll miss this dear dog.