I am writing this post 24 hours after the passing of "Mr. Sprinkles." For 17.25 years, Sprinkles was our family dog, a Bichon. He came home with us when he was 8 weeks old in 1999. Here's some background on how I felt about getting a small fluffy house dog. In 1998, we rescued a dog from the local animal shelter and named him "Teddy Bear." He lived outside in a very nice dog pen. The problem was that Teddy Bear was a runner.