You know how cold it was last month? It was so cold I almost put on a dog sweater. Even with temperatures at or below zero, most of my friends still refuse the sweater. I rate dog sweaters as slightly better than freezing to death. I was talking to my friend Tink the Chihuahua the other morning and he agreed. “I hate those things,” he said as he stood in the snow shivering. “My person doesn’t even try to put one on me anymore. I think I have him convinced I would bite him.” There may be some well-meaning people out there who think their dogs like wearing a sweater. But trust me — they don’t.
I left my sweater in the closet on a cold January day and headed over to the Human Society of Truckee-Tahoe. Something was missing. It was my friend Ralphie. He got adopted! Ralphie is a big, loveable goofball that took more than a year to find his forever home. It looks like they traded him for a bunch of Chihuahuas. Walnut is a favorite in our family but we also like Chip, Tippy, and Fawn.
Despite the Chihuahua-palooza going on at the shelter, we chose to spotlight an Aussie-shepherd mix named Toby.
While I find a dog sweater emasculating, I am secure enough to call another dog handsome. Toby is a great looking and, dare I say, handsome pup. He’s just under a year old and is full of energy and affection. He’s so energetic that it can be tough to take his picture. You really need a high-speed camera to catch him in action. We took Toby for a nice walk and got to spend some quality time with him.
Toby is a special dog with some special needs. Born with some neurological issues, Toby tends to wobble a little bit. While this makes him a little unsteady on his feet, he gets around well and loves to run and play, but will need the right person to adopt him.
Toby will also need some refinement. That means training classes and a person who can give him some good direction. With a little work, Toby will be such a gentleman he could join the cast of Downton Abbey. He’s not recommended for homes with small children or cats. We haven’t really tested him with cats but we just have a feeling. None of the cats at the shelter wanted to volunteer. Toby’s going to be a great friend. He just needs the right person. He also wanted me to mention that he hates dog sweaters.
For more info on Toby and the Chihuahuas, visit hstt.org.
