He loved the house in Livermore its where he learned to play fetch. We played upstairs on the long hallway for hours, he just never got tired. We worked hard to get him to understand the basic commands: Sit, Stay, Down, Heel. But it was clear to us that he understood more than commands, he truly did understand ENGLISH! We took walks daily to "Duffyboys Park", so dub because he walked that park as if it was his! There was one night in Livermore we were having a thunder and lightning storm. Brian had let Duffy out to go potty when a loud crack of thunder erupted! Duffy got so scared, he ran back to the door peeing all the way! Brian laughed so hard and it's one of his best memories of his little boy.

We had built a play area for Duffy inside the house, so when both of us had to go to the office to work, we would put Duffy in the play area with a Kong full of peanut butter hoping he'd be busy until we got home. Well, one day he got out. He had a party in the house! He ate books from the upstairs to downstairs, he jumped in the plants and tried to hide his bones! Duffy was so proud of himself! He was sitting up proudly in the big plan when Brian came home. Brian was NOT happy! By the time I got home from work he had cleaned up most of the mess.
We trained Duffy to sleep in his crate but that was short lived. Brian and I had a trip to Cabo planned so we took Duffy to stay with Patrick and 'Uncle Mario'. I told Patrick, Duffy was to sleep in his crate and like the good uncle he was, immediately put Duffy on the bed and that was the end of his sleeping in his crate. Duffy slept in our bed until the night before he passed away and we wouldn't have it any other way. Uncle Mario also taught Duffy to "lift his leg"! He learned that during their walks around West Hollywood. Those that took care of Duffy know his favorite thing to do on a walk was to mark every 3 steps!

Duffy got to spend his first Christmas in Lake Tahoe. He was with his Uncle Mario and 2 other fur babies. He loved sitting by the fireplace but most of all he loved playing in the snow. He would go outside and dig tunnels in the show and be covered in snowballs! We would put him in the 'indoor pool' to melt the snowballs off him! I'm sure he thought every Christmas there would be snow, but that was the only time he got to encounter so much at one time.

A tradition we started in Livermore, Easter 2004 was the 'annual Easter egg hunt'. We would place dog treats into plastic Easter eggs and hide them around the backyard. Duffy would run out find the egg, and crack it open to get his treat! That tradition is still in place today. For his first birthday Duffy got a fresh baked (vanilla) cupcake with a candle in it. He couldn't blow out the candle but he did know how to enjoy his cake and eat it too! As a puppy, I would dress him up in just about anything! Brian has given me a 'gangster of love' bear. I took the clothes off the bear and put them on Duffy -- he stood for that long enough to take a picture. Too cute for words. He also let me dress him as a leprechaun for St Patrick's day, a rabbit for Easter. He tolerated my dressing him up because he loved me so much.

Duffy was a well-traveled fur baby: Traveling by airplane and car up and down the state of California. He got to stay in some fancy hotels (and some not so fancy ones too!) He gave unconditional love to everyone he met and most who met him felt the same way.

We moved to the San Fernando Valley in 2005 where he enjoyed 5 wonderful years chasing anyone who tried to swim in the pool! He didn't like to get wet, but he loved being in the pool, on his boggy board being dragged around by the board leash. Brian would have to sneak out at night to swim because Duffy would race around the pool and bark at him. He was just doing his job trying to protect Brian from the water. He didn't take too kindly to his sister Darby when she arrived July 12, 2005 but over time he learned to love her as he loved us. In March 2008 Duffy & Darby participated in the Mute for Life 3K walk, he was in training for months and completed the 3K in record time. He loved the great outdoors whether we were at the beach (moms favorite place) or the mountains (dads favorite place) if he was with us he was happy. Duffy was part of a large Westie Family in LA: His Uncle Mario was the first from the breeder. He was related to Duffy's Sire. Then came Duffy. Our friend Patrick, who introduced us to the Breeder, loved Duffy so much he got a second dog Tony who was Duffy's brother (same Dam & same Sire) when we moved to LA in 2005 we got the 4th sibling of the group Darby. She and Duffy share the same Dam. There was a family of 4 for many years. Duffy pulled me through my first open heart surgery. When I came home from the hospital he never left my side. He sat with me, ate with me, slept with me. Brian was my care taker but Duffy was my caregiver. I'm sure if they would have let him, he would have stayed in the hospital with me.

In 2011 Duffy moved out of LA, it was just too crowded, to Clovis CA. There he had a beautiful lake house and yet another pool to run around! He also had his Uncle Bob and Aunt Shirley with cousins Baghera and Scully. He loved playing with his black lab cousins standing up to them like a big dog. One thing Duffy introduced his cousins to was the annual Easter Egg hunt. This has now become a tradition for Bags and Scully and one they are truly grateful to endure. Duffy would walk with me around Quail lake. That was over 2 miles! We would take our time and sit down in the shade all the while talking to each other about anything we wanted. I had a second open heart procedure while in Clovis and again he never left my side. Taking care of me to make sure I had a full recovery. The air quality in Clovis wasn't the best and took its toll on all of us so we started looking for a new home.

2014 found Duffy moving yet again, this time to Loomis, CA. Where he had yet another pool to race around. While he said good bye to Uncle Bob & Aunt Shirley, Baghere and Scully, he was greeted with love from Uncle Bob and Aunt Sheila, Lou and Gus! He loved playing in the Tipton yard and loved being with Darby, Lou and Gus. He truly enjoyed his walks around Loomis-Basin park and the 'hood'. He liked his house in Loomis especially being upstairs with me while I would work. That was something Duffy did from the day we got him, he sat in my office with me while I worked. I've worked from home since 2001 and since 2003 I've always had an office roommate. Whether looking out the window in Livermore or sitting next to my chair in Winnetka, Clovis and Loomis he was content to be where I was. It's very empty in my office now but I still feel him under my desk warming my feet.

December 2015 Duffy was diagnosed with lymphoma. We decided to try Chemotherapy and rid him of that cancer. He was cancer free to 10 months. But in late September the cancer was back. We tried chemo again but his little body just couldn't take it anymore. He got very sick after a treatment so we took him to the ER and that is when we found out he had another mass this time in his bladder. He lived 2 more weeks after that. His pain was too much for us to continue and we made the decision to send him to the rainbow bridge on Wednesday November 16. We love you Duffy and you will live in our hearts always. We will see you when we cross over the bridge. Just come when you hear us call you.

Rest in peace son.