I killed the cat... (and Happy New Years!)

"I killed the cat"
No really I did!

As I mentioned in the last post about my trainer being "after Christmas busy", this is the story of WHY my trainer was Christmas busy...

"It was a dark and stormy ni..."
Wait that sounds to odd, what about "The day was coming to a end when Tob..." that is defiantly wrong.

Oh, I got it!

My trainer just finished her animal chores for the evening, and was coming back in to the nice warm house. She then remembered she had 1 more thing to put away and turned around to go back outside. Right after closing the door she heard screaming... Of course she quickly turned around and opened the door to find out the CHRISTMAS TREE was not up anymore. She then heard someone saying "Toby didn't realize his tail was caught..." She quickly went outside and put away the items, then rushed back in to find out what was the matter.

All for her to find out that I knocked down the Christmas tree:( She finally got the whole story, and found out that I was playing with my toy beside the Christmas tree when somehow my tail got tangled up with the lights, I freaked and ran. Which of course means I dragged the Christmas tree down to the ground.
(Sorry no pictures were gotten during the destruction of the tree, as my trainer was too busy with broken glass, and excited/terrorized puppies)
Ornaments were quickly picked up, a trash can was brought in and the couple broken ones were thrown away, along with the little pieces of glass.

I am betting right about know you are thinking "why in the world is this post labeled, "I killed the cat"?
Well my trainer's sister's favorite ornament on the tree was a cat. Not just any cat, it was a cute round painted glass ornament shaped as a cat's head, even having ears at the top!
Well that was one of the 3 ornaments I broke- with both ears popping right off. I tried my doggie apology with her, she understood it was just an accident and forgave me.
Our house is Christmas tree empty, and of course less one cat ornament:(

This is the last post I will be doing for 2009- signing 2009 on my blog posts and such. I'm really going to miss the single digit "9" and start getting used to "10".
Before you know it I'll be 10 months! (Jan. 27th...)
I am wishing all of you guys the best New Year, and hope you guys live 2010 to the best as a dog can:)

Though I don't do "resolutions" I do have a couple things I hope to succeed in 2010...
1. Get over 100 followers on my blog (!!)
2. Get over 20 comments on 1+ posts (20 comments from 20 different blogs)
3. Update my blog frequently
4. Obey my trainer and learn as much as possible
5. Become the BEST guide dog I can!

What do you hope to do in 2010?
I hope it's good, and have a PAWSOME NEW YEAR!




Toby
The dog with a blog









(Toby laying on MY pink "pillow" which is on the ground)

Christmas Goodies!!

(me laying down, giving the cutest face
with blanket around my neck, like superdog!)

Sorry it took so long to write this post, my trainer has been "After Christmas" busy!

I had an awesomely fun Christmas, and got many good goodies!

My trainer filled my stocking with lots of toys, and a little bit of treats (since I'm on a treat diet, she doesn't want me having to many).

I finally got to open the gifts I got from the guide dog Christmas party, they are soo cool! (ones already in the trash...).

I really enjoyed my first Christmas, and I'm so sorry to see it pass by so fast. I am sad to know that this will be my only Christmas with my trainer, as next year (2010) I will be IFT (in for training) at the guide dog school.

I would have to say the BEST thing I got for Christmas is a small stainless steel bowl. It it the one toy I CAN NOT tear up! Which makes my trainer really happy:)

My trainers favorite "toy" she got for Christmas was a Gorillapod, it really helps her take pictures of both me AND her!

Enjoy all the photos, and we hope you guys had a really pawsome Merry Christmas!!
Did you have a favorite Christmas toy/gift?? I'd love to hear about it!

Toby

The dog with a blog

Me trying to tear up my stocking...

A blue doll was inside my stocking! (the doll is now in the trash...)

Me tearing up an orange teddy bear (now called "bodyless bear")

Me enjoying my camo toy

Me with "some" of the toys I got for Christmas, (toys are laid out on my trainer's polka dot blanket)

Me chewing on a squeaker toy-with the package still on

My trainer's pink/black "gorillapod"

I am Christmas tired! (Me laying my head on my trainer's feet)

Can I play too? (me laying in the middle of a horse ranch playmobil game:)

Me & my stainless steel bowl...

Merry Christmas!!

(Picture-Toby kissing me/trainer, taken

Christmas morning)

This is my FIRST Christmas! My trainer got me many, many gifts...

I would like to wish all of you guys an awesome Merry Christmas!

I will be doing a "following" post later (tomorrow or so/when my trainer can help:) and be posting lots of pictures!

As for now, I will return back to tearing up my 7th toy!

Happy holidays!

Toby

The dog with a blog

The 1 thing I dread most...

(b/w picture-Toby on vet table)

The 1 thing I dread most in life...

THE VET

This time it wasn't because of eye issues, it was for a totally NEW problem.

Sunday afternoon my trainer noticed a sore on my chest, she kept a close eye on me and the following day she saw it was bleeding.

I was then taken to the vet.

Coming back home with pills I have to take twice a day!

My trainer was told it is an infection, but we don't have any idea where it came from, the vet does think it is somewhat suspicious that this just happened after all the other medical issues I have been having- but can't figure out how they could all link together.

My trainer has talked to her Area Coordinator after the vet visit, and they are now thinking I might need to get a second opinion/or visit the school if I keep having medical issues...

I think I would rather stay right here, NO MORE VETS!!

...but of course I do what my trainer tells me to.

Please pray that I start feeling better soon, and all my medical issues GO AWAY!!

Toby

The dog with a blog

(Toby sitting)

(Close up of Toby's sore)

SNOW!?! (and Christmas party)

(Toby's head with snow/ice in background)

SNOW?

Well that's what I thought. All these dog blogs my trainer follows are posting about snow.

Having pictures attached of dogs jumping, fighting, playing, eating, and running in snow.

So I was pretty excited to hear we would be having snow Saturday.

But I was wrong, all we got was sleet & ICE. It did start snowing for a little while, with SLEET mixed in, but by Saturday morning the only thing I could do was slip and slide:(

My trainer couldn't even get me to play outside! My feet wouldn't sink into the white magic like I was told it would.

I am really not to fond of ice skating rinks, so I couldn't wait for the ice to go away!

Of course today it is all melted, and I am thankful for that:) My trainer said maybe next time it might be snow!

Sorry about the snow pictures - my trainer forgot to take me out early Saturday morning, so by the time she took me out late afternoon more than half of the white magic was gone!

Yesterday night I went to a Christmas party. My trainer "made" me wear this jingle bell collar, and everyone kept saying I was CUTE!

My trainer also had me do a down stay, leave it. She wanted to eat with her friends on the ground, so I had to lay beside her without moving, and knocking over cups/or eating food.

She was very proud of me, since I didn't mess with any one's food!

My trainer is trying to contact our area coordinator for the guide dog group, to find out if I can have my Nyla bones back! I'm told to keep my paws crossed. I found out it's not near as easy as it sounds?? Think about it... paws crossed, it's hard!

Enjoy all the pictures!! (Remember, I asked my trainer to label the photos for me.)

Toby
The dog with a blog

Toby standing in "snow"

Toby's face, with snow on the ground

Toby with me & my friends at the Christmas party

Toby's adorable face, with his cute jingle bell collar!

Toby doing "Leave it" with 3 plates of food in front of him!

Dear Santa...

(Toby wearing Santa hat- close up
face shot)





"Dear Santa,
I have been a really good dog this year! Notice that I have learned to cross my i's and dot my t's!! My trainer says I am doing really well with training, and she doesn't mind me writing to you! I don't need much, but would love at least one thing on my wishlist!
#1. I would like all my Nyla bones back
#2. Cool & interesting toys
#3. Tasty dog treats
#4. My eye issues too go away and NOT come back
#5. Me not to have to wear those hats & reindeer antlers anymore!!"

So did you like the letter I sent to Santa?? I sure did:) My trainer helped with my handwriting, but other than that I did it all by my little big self!

Please enjoy the pictures of me wearing those "Horrible" reindeer antlers, Santa hat, and some odd cowboy Santa hat. All in front of our lovely Christmas tree- notice their aren't too many ornaments head/tail height! (Liberty pretty much took care of that!).
(Note that the words written over/beside/under(sorry!) the photos have been written by my trainer- not by me!)

Merry Christmas!!

Toby
The dog with a blog






(Toby wearing Santa- cowboy hat)

(Toby wearing Santa hat)

(Toby wearing reindeer antlers)

(Toby in front of tree)

(Close up of Toby's cute face!)

Did you say PUPPY?!?

(Toby sitting in coat looking at camera)

We just had our annual guide dog Christmas party yesterday (Saturday), and I got to meet the 5 new members to our group!!

Our newest members are...

"Angel" A cute yellow female lab (the only yellow lab in the litter!!).

"Bingo" A adorable little female black lab

"Cindy Jae" A pretty little female black lab (being raised with a first time puppy raiser)

"Elsa" A wonderfully cute female black lab (being raised with a first time puppy raiser). And

"Sparkie" A handsome little male black lab.

With these 5 new puppies, we have 2 new raisers in our group!!

When we arrived at the party, the older dogs all got the meet the new "additions". After some greeting and talking, we started some basic obedience.

With 5 new little puppies our class was quite crowded, but the puppies were great distractions for us older dogs! I did great with all my commands, and pretty soon we sat down to eat.

We had door prizes to hand out, and my trainer gave our area coordinator a gift (see picture below), it is a bar of goat milk soap my trainer made, with a cute lab puppy laying down.

I was given some gifts, but my trainer tells me the toys will be put in my stocking for Christmas.

We "tried" to get a group picture, but I am in the far left corner- and you can barely see my head!

They even had a dog cake there- which my trainer took a chance and let me have piece! (becuase of my eye issues she doesn't let me have much new stuff!).

I had a lot of fun, and even got an award for having the most "adventurous outings"!

Enjoy all the photos, and I hope you like the post, (sorry the pictures aren't in order- and I bet the words will not be placed perfectly over them either!!).

Toby

The dog with a blog

A bar of goat milk soap my trainer made!

Group photo

Angel

Me sitting in coat

Me sitting in front of a big snowman (not real)

Me eating my cake!

Dog cake

Me kissing "Tillie"

Me & Tillie

My award & gift

Obedience





Enjoying myself!
(sprawled out on the floor)

Me & Sparkie

Bingo (I think!)