Meet Toby

I am far from a writer, and even further from a computer savvy "blogger", but there are people, moments, places, and in my case, dogs, that simply beg to be memorialized. My dog, Tobias Patton, has inspired me to share his story and attempt to articulate my deep fondness and affection for my new companion. I will apologize now, and I am sure many more times, for the endless typos, grammatical errors, run-on sentences and overall incoherent thoughts that are likely, no highly likely, to ensue. I hope that the writing will be acceptable, but more importantly, I hope that Toby’s story will touch you.

Before I go on, I must preface this entry (and all my entries) with a serious warning. I have made the mistake of speaking about Toby with such pride and affection that the people on the receiving end begin to envision Toby as somewhat of an untouchable super-dog. This seemed like the correct sentiment to me, but to be fair, I should tell you that if Toby decided to grace you with his presence you ought to be prepared for a chilly reception. Toby is a Chihuahua through and through, and true to his breed he is a one person dog. Try not to be offended and I will try not to gloat that the greatest dog on earth loves me best. One of many Toby adventures is about our futile attempts at socialization, so don’t feel bad because it isn’t you...I promise, this isn’t me blowing smoke, maybe it’s normally you but this time it really is “me” (or him). This is a hard one for my friends and family, but I keep reminding them that there is a special dog who wants to be their one and only who is just waiting to meet them!

My little Toby was handed to me like a bag of fruit at a Farmer’s Market in Los Angeles. The market often hosts different rescue groups, but this particular group was especially chaotic and disorganized. I was scared for the dogs who seemed visibly stressed amidst the shoppers and pedestrians who were practically tripping over the pens. The dogs were tense and heartbreakingly pitiful, so my attempts to keep moving were futile. I tried to be strong, but the pull on my heart was simply too strong to resist.

Toby was huddled in the back, shaking like a leaf in a tornado. I wasn’t sure he would approach me, but our eyes met and I put my hand near his noise so he could give it a little sniff. With less apprehension then I expected, Toby placed his entire head on my hand and let out a big sigh. So to put it simply, Toby “had me at hello”. If Toby were a man, I might say that it was love at first sight. Since Toby is a dog, I affectionately say that it was absolutely positively love at first sight. Love comes in all different shapes and sizes, and no matter how prepared you think you are, love has a sneaky little way of creeping up on you when you least expect it. I went to the market for olives and came back with a dog...shocking and unexpected, sure, but wonderfully worth all that followed? Absolutely.