I am sad to share that a longtime member of the Box household, Snickers the black-and-tan dachshund, died today after providing love and joy to our family for 18 years.

Mom and Dad have big hearts for animals. When I was in seventh grade, Mom kept visiting the DFW Humane Society to love on the animals, secretly tempting herself to bring one home. She fell in love with Snick’s sweet personality and warm brown eyes and convinced Dad to let her adopt another dog to go with Cinnamon, our chihuahua. Ever since, Snick remained a loyal and loving companion, an excellent bedwarmer at night, a good reading and TV buddy, and a comforting ear to hear your troubles. Here are a few of my favorite memories:

• She always knew what she wanted, whether it was space in your lap or food in her bowl, and knew how to tell you. When she barked to ask for something, her front end often hopped off the ground like a wind-up dog.
• Until her back quit cooperating, she was a master of the official dachshund trick: sitting up straight on her hind legs to beg. If the two of you were on carpet and you had something she wanted, such as popcorn, she sat up straight as a soldier and held perfectly still, daring you not to toss her something. You generally gave in.
• When my sister Lisa went rollerblading, around age 10 or so, sometimes she leashed up Snick and let her run down the street like a sled dog. Snick loved to run and pulled as hard as her little 10-pound body could pull to keep Lisa rolling. They both had smiles on their faces.
• During a visit from my aunt, Snick got into her stash of bran muffins and went to town. I think she ate five of them, making her one seriously overstuffed wiener dog. Oh, boy, we’re in trouble now! we thought. Lisa, cousin Brandi and I set up some newspapers by the door for the, um, aftermath, clearly labeling it with “POOP GOES HERE” and similar instructions to remove any confusion. Somehow, nothing happened.
• When she was healthy, her walk was more of a noble trot, like a prize racehorse. She pranced along like she owned the place and was having a blast exploring the grounds. When we took her for a walk, she charged ahead with all her might, just like she did with Lisa on the rollerblades. She had places to be and wasn’t going to let us slow her down!

We love you and miss you, sweet girl.

Feel free to post your own memories of Snick if you’d like.