New Tricks

It has been a shamefully long hiatus from the blog. In fact, since I last wrote a season changed, I moved to Northern California, and not surprisingly, my love for one very troublesome little dog grew just a bit (ok, a lot bit) stronger. I suppose I stopped writing when things got a bit too hairy (I know, silly but I never throw in dog jokes so I had to sneak one in just to gauge the reaction!). The move was challenging for a multitude of reasons, and Toby’s health and social anxiety have been a true test in endurance and perseverance…physically and mentally for both of us. We had our new dog walker quit (she wasn’t prepared for Toby’s overbearing Jewish mother), an increase in our time apart (read newly developed separation anxiety), a ripped screen door (can you call it “ripped” if Toby tried to eat his way outside?) and of course, an ever-growing list of medical mishaps including but not limited to; allergies, microscopic liver shunts, compressed disks (now Toby and I can get together and complain about our herniated disks) and a soon to be luxating patella that will someday require surgery. Sadly, the list goes on and on and on.

There have been some dark days, days that are behind us and days that we have decided to forget. In fact, ironically the only constant these past three months has been all this change! Toby is still painfully shy, but amazingly Toby has acquired some new friends, specifically his cousin Bennie (an adorable white bijon that lives with my parents), his other cousin Taylor (my mom’s Aussie), and perhaps most surprisingly, my dad, Steve/Grandpa (self appointed, no less). Toby plays in the yard, chases the other dogs, and looks to my dad of all people as “second best” when I am not around. Looking back on the days when it was “just us” seems a million miles away, and it is hard to believe that our life of solitude is in the past. I would normally say something like “thank goodness for small blessings”, but Toby’s attitude adjustment is nothing short of miraculous. Toby is a total contradiction- perfectly imperfect, sweetly socially awkward, “special” and truly special…he certainly keeps life interesting. So maybe you can’t teach on old dog new tricks, but you can hope and pray that like Toby, your dog knows when to throw you a bone.