Tillie was precious in every way.  She made everyone she met smile.  She was intelligent beyond belief and even had a sense of humor.  One of my favorite stories about Tillie was when we lived on the beach.  Our condo had a long boardwalk to the beach.  It was a remote beach and I could see in all directions from the balcony.  I would never in a million years dream of letting a doggie run on the beach without me and/or a leash - - until I met Miss Tillie.  I would go to the balcony and check for any one or any animals on the beach.  If the coast was clear (no pun intended), I would let Tillie go.  She would go to the beach and walk about 2-3K feet look up at me and get my approval on whether it was time to turn around.  She never failed to take the command of a yes/no shake of the head.  Then she would walk up to the water and put a paw in, look back at me and ask permission.  If I shook the head yes, she would hit that water as hard as she could.  Of course then I would walk on down to be with her.  But if I shook my head no, she would head home.  It was truly amazing and such a free-spirited special event.  Those days are gone but will never be forgotten.  I spent the last 2 years of Tillie's life trying to keep her well.  She was a severe diabetic, had eye surgery to regain some vision, and had horrible stomach problems.  Long story short, I have so much gratitude in my heart for the Veterinarians at Auburn Animal Hospital in Auburn, Alabama.  I have never seen such love and dedication in an attempt to save my little baby.  They went above and beyond.  Tillie only lived a week or so after being in the hospital for 6 weeks.  But I could never say thank you enough to those wonderful people at Auburn.  Tillie you are missed greatly and will never be forgotten.