John Mayer grieves over the passing of his 14-year-old dog Moose, who appeared on his album cover: 'My Heart Is So Heavy'

John Mayer is grieving the loss of his beloved dog, Moose, a black lab who passed away at the age of 14. The musician shared the sad news on Instagram, paying tribute to Moose with a collection of pictures that spanned from his early puppy days to his later years, showing his graying face.

"We said goodbye to Moose yesterday," Mayer, 48, wrote in a heartfelt post on December 5, alongside a carousel of photos showing his dog at various stages of life. "He came into my life when I needed pure love, and thats what he gave me for 14 years. We shared not only love, but something else I now realize was equally important: routine. For someone like me, who left home at 19 and never lived the same day twice, the consistency of our daily routines brought me comfort and stability. Simple things like dinner at 8 and afternoon walks at 4:30they healed my heart over and over again."

Mayer continued to express his grief, saying, "Today my heart feels so heavy and sore, but theres more love in my life now than theres ever been, and thats because Moose helped lead me to it. It won't be long before I dig up an old tennis ball from under the sticks and brush in the yardthere must be a hundred of them buried thereand when I do, I'll toss it and think about the dog who was there as I became a man. He was such a good dog, and I know now that there's never enough time, but there's always enough love. There's more than enough."

Moose was featured on the cover of Mayer's 2013 album, Paradise Valley, where he appeared alongside the musician. Mayer had adopted Moose during his recovery from granuloma surgeries, a period when he was on vocal rest. However, once Mayer returned to touring, he found that Moose didn't enjoy life on the road. "I thought Id bring my dog on tour, but he hated music," Mayer once shared in an interview with Bobby Bones. "He thought it was thunder. Hed tremble in the dressing room." Mayer recalled their first show together at Red Rocks, where Moose was clearly not enjoying the experience, "Cowering in the corner," Mayer said with a laugh.

Despite Moose's dislike for Mayer's guitar playing, the dog showed no hesitation in letting him know. "When I pick up my guitar at home, Moose does this hilarious thing," Mayer said with a smile. "He doesn't want to hurt my feelings, so he slowly moves his two front paws off the couch and waddles out of the room." However, Moose did seem to enjoy the sound of a keyboard, especially when he had room to curl up on Mayer's lap.