TobyMonster

Meet the Toby Monster!

Toby is now ten months old. About four months ago he entered a stage that can only be compared to the "Terrible Twos" that has been described to me by friends with non-furry kids.

Toby is a bundle of energy and into everything! He likes to chew and is particularly fond of tearing up cardboard boxes.

Toby also likes to pull on our shoelaces. He's full of mischief and makes a happy little growling sound as he tugs on the laces. Usually this is going on while we try to walk so we run the risk of falling down and/or stepping on the little guy. After all we've gone through to fix his leg, we don't want to step on him now. We carry a substitute chew toy with us wherever we go so we can distract him from our shoes.

We call Toby our 3 1/2 legged dog. He has made great progress learning to walk since his surgery. He runs like the wind now (or at least fast enough to outrun his middle-aged puppy parents). He will keep his disabled left front leg, and he uses it for just a bit of balance when he walks. For a dog that had never walked normally, he's doing extremely well.

Toby has become quite the social butterfly, too. He loves people and dogs and behaves very well in public. He's been to a baseball game and an outdoor café where his manners were impeccable.

It's no wonder he's so well-behaved. He's a graduate of puppy kindergarten! He marched to the front of the room to strains of Pomp and Circumstance to receive his diploma. Now he's moved on to Canine Good Citizen classes. By the end of classes, he will have us trained pretty well.

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Toby's Adventures

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The "Terrible Twos"
Toby visited Animal Camp at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria (Virginia). His mom was there to talk to the kids about pet first aid. The kids also learned about disabled dogs thanks to Toby.
	Toby has a special harness that lets us provide him with more support when he's out for a long walk. It has padding on the shoulder straps and belly and even has a handle. It's actually made for dogs that go boating but it works great for a disabled dog, too.
Toby attended a Frederick Keys minor league baseball game at the Keys' annual Bark in the Park. Keyote, the Keys' mascot, stopped by to say hello. Toby enjoyed the evening--lots of treats, lots of people, and lots of other dogs!

	Toby Monster has definitely entered The Terrible Twos. Wood products--chair legs, cardboard boxes, and any slip of paper within reach--are his chew toys of choice.
Toby still loves Mr. Lynx, his favorite stuffed toy.
	Toby loves to go places. He recently spent the afternoon at Glen Echo, a restored amusement park now part of the National Park Service.
He may look adorable and innocent, but looks can be deceiving. He's really thinking about what he'll get into next.
	Romping and playing and racing wildly through the house is hard work. A short nap with Mr. Lynx and Mr. Hedgehog can be quite refreshing. During his nap he dreams of new ways to wreak havoc and annoy his brothers.