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Champ
One of my former friends had two wonderful loving dogs she rescued:
Dumbledore, a yellow Shepherd mix, and
chocolate lab Champ, a former search-and-rescue dog.
We do not know Champ's full backstory, other than his having been adopted out a few times and always returned, as he was always a handful, and his already being ten years old when he was welcomed into her life.
Generally he pretended to be as dumb as a bag o'hammers, but would demonstrate Mensa-level problem-solving abilities, particularly when there was food he could steal
(to the point we jokingly refered to him in retirement as now a search-and-destroy dog).
When awake, Champ also nearly always demanded attention, often at the most inconvenient times.
Frequently if he was awake during the night, he would bark, insisting someone be with him in the living room; many a night she had to sleep on the couch either for the night or until Champ fell deeply enough asleep.
His frequent willfulness and general mischievousness notwithstanding, Champ was deeply loved by her as well as myself.
Champ and Dumbledore were aware that her apartment had
one to three entities,
and the two dogs would react quite strongly at a specific part of the apartment; I witnessed this agitation myself during a few of my house and dog-sitting stints.
After turning fifteen, Champ's age really began to catch up to him.
Despite severely hurting himself in the spring of 2009, Champ was able to recover from his injury, but not really regain his former strenth.
As autumn progressed, his health began to deteriote more rapidly until, on Veteran's Day 2009
(November 11th),
Champ finally surrendered to his health issues.
Understanding Champ could no longer fight, his heart-broken human had to let him go, and she and I brought him to his vet where, in our arms, he quickly went to sleep.
The next morning, a couple of hours after I had gotten to work, she was awakened by Champ's bark
(the two boys have very distinctively different barks, so there was no way it was Dumbledore).
While she could not be sure if she dreamt it or if it was real, and I had previously suspected he'd return with us, to be with from whom he'd been provided the most love in his life,
at the time of the bark, Dumbledore was as agitated as he would were
Emma
making a visit.
Was it a final farewell?
Reassurance he is at peace and no longer in pain?
Assuring her of ongoing continued guard duty?
Despite having free access to the entire apartment, and often sleeping in her bedroom along with Champ, there now are times Dumbledore very strongly declines even to enter her bedroom; Champ's territory.
As Champ's habit was constantly follow her around, could he be present during the vulnerable time of her slumber?
Does Dumble sense Champ in there and thereby could Dumble be majorly creeped out?
So far no other activity regarding Champ other than that one heard bark, and Dumble's occasional atypical behaviours;
if any further activity is experienced I will add it here.
May 2010
It should be noted of late, since the decline of pretty much all paranormal activity in the place, it is suspected Champ may be guarding the portal by the front door; Dumbledore occasional stares at it but without agitation.
Dumble has also taken not only to entering her room, but sleeping in there on his own, occasionally when her is in there, but usually when we're in the front room.
May 13th she felt Champ's presence in her room, but nothing beyond a Feeling.
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