Calvin

Calvin was our little white shadow, following us everywhere and getting underfoot whenever possible.  He loved chasing rabbits, but downgraded to squirrels as he got older.  Near the end he lost his eyesight and hearing, but he could still smell his buddy Paco from over a block away.  Smart as a whip, Calvin would take advantage of his natural camouflage whenever we let him roam by himself in the snow.  We sometimes spotted him by his coal-black eyes and nose, but on snowy winter nights he simply became invisible, and he knew it.
For a small Bichon, he was fearless.  He would run right up and challenge big dogs, and more than once stood nose-to-nose with a fox.  Despite all this feigned ferocity, he was a cuddly, cute companion with a terrific personality and the most pleasant disposition.  Everyone in the neighborhood, especially the kids, knew Calvin.  He loved to play and rough-house, and he could do any trick that had no practical value.  (“Fetch” was not in his vocabulary).  Calvin liked to live up to his name (the mischievous one from Calvin and Hobbs); he was responsible for big tears in the carpet, long scratches in the door and a massive hole in our heart.  We’ll miss him deeply.