Whose the white dog?
The white dog was Kimi, a lovely little Jack Russell who was quite elderly when we got Toby.
How'd he get the name Toby?
Being a Chocolate Labrador we wanted something chocolate related (very original). One of my favourite chocolate bars is a Toblerone hence the name Toby was cleverly crafted from this.
Would I be right to guess he has a lot of Chocolate Lab in him?
Believe it or not Scott, Toby was a pedigree Chocolate Labrador. He was of the working kind that remain quite lean compared with the domesticated 'chunky' labs that you see plodding around. His ears and tail was damaged due to frost bite when he was neglected by a kennel we left him at when he was 1 year old. Another terrible time but it made Toby unique in every way.
People still say to us that you cannot train a Choc Lab which is why you never see them as guide dogs. Toby was the exception to the rule and he learned new things constantly, a real talking point and he loved to show off especially if there was a treat involved. His final trick in the last few months was giving me a 'High 5'. When we told people they would say 'Nooo he can't do that' but utter the words High 5 and Toby would lift his paw as high as possible and slap it into your hand!
Mrs Wiz and I miss him dearly, as do the family especially the Grandchildren who have grown up with him. Our house seems larger and empty without him.
Wiz