Thank you so much for your heartfelt and eloquent responses.   They made me feel better even if they also made me cry harder.  You all are truly the best people.  I'm glad that for the short...way too short...time that he was a part of this forum his experiences and story were able to touch some of you and perhaps help others.  Some of your comments made me laugh, like the part about how dogs are non-judgmental and all-forgiving---for most dogs that is absolutely true but oh my god did Mac hold grudges! lol  I wasn't kidding when I said he was a sensitive stinker.  If you left the house and didn't say goodbye to him, when you came back he would ignore you and give you the silent treatment for at least a day or two.  You had to emphatically apologize and give him treats and rubs and only then would he speak to you again.  And if you said anything negative about him in front of him and he heard....he would understand, whip his head around to look at you and start angry barking at you until you apologized.  He was a character.  He would kinda go on little scouts around the house to search for tissues or paper towels he could later eat.  He would see where you placed them (where he would turn his head to the side but keep his eye on you all sly like), and then wait until you took a shower and go for them.  lol  stinker  I was also imagining Horacia trying to befriend Mac.  He liked female dogs better than males and he didn't mind my sister's female St. Bernard so I think he would be thinking "whoa you're a big girl....I like bbw though" and flash her his smile    

I hoped he would make it to Halloween....I don't normally buy any accessories or dress Mac up but there was this inexpensive little Halloween bandana I got at the end of last year for him to wear for a couple days (or until his hatred of me making him wear it became too much) this year....oh well.  I am leaving tomorrow to be with my sister so I've been gathering up Mac's things to take to her dogs.  We don't have another dog and it is just way too hard to look at his toys....and if someone can get some joy out of them that is what I want.  I don't think I'll have another dog while I'm still living here...my parents have said no (I had to fight to adopt Mac in the first place), so I'm just going to donate his lifetime of things.  Whatever my sister's dogs can't use I will be glad to donate on here for any of your pooches...I hope somebody can use them. 

I got a call today that Mac's ashes are ready to be picked up.  We are going to spread them in the wind in our backyard where his aerial run is. 

The house is so empty without him.  I still think he is going to be around the corner lying down.  Mom has been crying a lot which is hard to see.  She said she awoke the other day thinking that she heard him whining to go outside and then she remembered.  I read to her your thoughts and comments and they made her feel better as well.   I don't feel his presence here at the house but I don't think he would really stick around here.  Mac liked new things and would rather be around strangers than us if he had the choice so I like to think he is exploring in his spirit form....he's kinda invisible now so maybe he's sitting beside some unsuspecting victim eating a snack and waiting for them to turn their head so he can steal it.  Keep an eye on your potato chips people!