In Memory of...

Toby Wan Kanobe aka Toby  February 1993 - March 2007

You're right, Toby is not a Great Dane -but he should have been.  I previously had Danes and my husbands family had a Sheltie and after numerous attempts to convince my husband that we should get a Dane we came across this young Sheltie pup offered by a young couple that was moving.   You could tell from his pedigree that he had been bred in a puppy mill and we knew the prior owners had purchased him from a pet store in the mall.  His size was smaller than standard and he had a feminine appearance, but he was a great family companion and a working dog through and through.  He herded our son when he was young, entertained as he chased light beams late at night covering the couch as if he were a cat, barked at the garbage & recyclables trucks as they approached, dumped and then traveled down the street, and tolerated the puppies as they tested their legs and later their newly gained size.

 

As he aged it was obvious that he was losing his sight and hearing but his sense of smell and his appetite never ceased.  He was a vacuum amongst the big dogs, cleaning up dropped kibble.

 

He was not large but he was certainly an "in charge" character with everyone except 'Diva, the grand dam and matriarch of the home.  Toby, even until the end, was capable of keeping those rough housing, zoomy and thundering, pups in line.