My Imperfect Loves - Toby - Part IV of VIII

Things that upset a terrier go virtually unnoticed by a Great Dane."

~Unknown~

July 3, 2013

Dear Readers,

It's another beautiful summer day in Central Texas.  I couldn't believe it when the dogren woke me up for their morning potty call ... it actually felt cool outside.  Perfect weather for sipping coffee on the patio and watching the Sensational Six chase each other through the gardens.

Toby was a busy one this morning.  He got his summer haircut and I think the groomer must have given him a shot of adrenaline 'cause he's been a hand full.  He loves all his brothers and sisters BUT when it comes to what he considers "his" he gets bazerko.  I'd gotten a 4th of July toy for the little girls but he found it and was shoving it in Sadie's face itching for a tussle.  Wasn't long and the toy was obliterated and he had been scooped up and was sitting in Michael's lap for a time out.  Harmony and Ruffles were left looking at a toy with the stuffing come out of it from every seam.

"It sometimes takes days, even weeks, before a dog's nerves tire.

In the case of terriers it can run into months.”

~~EB White

EB White had the right idea.  Toby never gives up when he wants to do something.  He is smart when he wants to be and dumb as a rock when he has no interest.  Michael and I were talking one evening about our six dogren and how different they are.  Like the others, Toby is imperfectly perfect.  There are times when we look at each other and say, "We will NEVER have another terrier."  Then, we realize that our furry kids have come to us in ways that we don't understand and to say never is to be very short sided.

"Hardships make us strong.  Problems give birth to wisdom.  Sorrows cultivate compassion.  Those who have suffered the most will become the happiest." 

~~Nishan Panwar

Toby came to us out of our sorrow at losing our Yorkshire Terrier, Pete, to a defect he was born with.  We were so broken by little Pete's illness that couldn't be fixed and only contacted the breeder because we were sure she would want to know.  As it turned out, Pete wasn't the only puppy affected and they had neutered and sold Pete's dad.  They allowed us to select another puppy but we weren't prepared to handle another 3 pound Yorkie.  Instead, Toby ... the fattest and biggest of the breeders Yorki-Poo litter caught our eye.  The breeder called him a designer dog ... in reality, Toby was a mutt ~~ not a perfect Yorkie, not a perfect Poodle.

When I look at Toby, I see determination, fire, and a curiosity about life.  He seems to take on life at full speed stopping only when he is exhausted and needing a few hours of shut eye.  His tenacity and temper get him into trouble with a capital "T" with his sister, Sadie.  Funny though, when Sadie is hurt, Toby is the first of the dogren to be at her side.  His flaws seem so minimal in view of his largeness of life and his loving heart.

Toby loves to dress up.  He likes to have his fur cut short so that his t-shirts aren't lumpy.  He's our Tobster, our little guy with the spirit of a warrior!  There are times though as pawrents that we need to protect him from himself.  When the little ones are playing with their toys in the cottage, Toby is in the casa chewing on a bone.  We now have a spray water bottle to interrupt his shenanigans with Sadie ~~ so far, so good.

"Discipline isn't about showing a dog who's boss; it's about taking responsibility for a living creature you have brought into your world."

~~Cesar Millan, Be the Pack Leader: 

Use Cesar's Way to Transform Your Dog ... and Your Life

Our little 14 pound Yorki-Poo is such a goofy love.  He's the meeter and greeter everywhere he goes.  He never meets a stranger ~~ one lick and he's found a friend for life whether furry or human.  Oh yes, we get the "What kind of a dog is that?" question quite often because he is one of a kind.  There's no breed standard for the Yorki-Poo except that one of the parents needs to be 100% Poodle and the other 100% Yorkshire Terrier.

Has there ever been anything perfect except the Lord Jesus?  We build the perfect house only to find that there are cracks in the walls.  We marry the perfect person only to find they have those flaws that make them human.  We look for the perfect pet yet in their imperfectness they become dear.  Nothing is ever certain.

Dear, dear Readers, please know that in our imperfectness we are made perfect by the one who died for us.  My Toby with all his imperfections is perfect in my eyes as his loving pawrent which helps me understand how God can love me, warts, bumps, and all.  In all my flops and fumbles at trying to live life, he sees me as his child growing and becoming.

I am praying for all of you each day.  The Lord hears your cries and will minister to your needs.

Miss Dottie

PS  "A person can learn a lot from a dog, even a loopy one like ours.  Marley taught me about living each day with the unbridled exuberance and joy, about seizing the moment and following your heart.  He taught me to appreciate the simple things ~ a walk in the woods, a fresh snowfall, a nap in a shaft of winter sunlight.  And, as he grew old and achy, he taught me about optimism in the face of adversity.  Mostly, he taught me about friendship and selflessness and, above all else, unwavering loyalty." ~~John Grogan, Marley and Me: Life and Love With the World's Worst Dog