In June '10, my wife and I got Ollie, a min-pin/mini-doxie puppy and by December we realized our baby dog needed a friend and found "University" at a shelter. They played and had so much fun that we knew he was perfect. We named him Toby and took him home to Bloomington, IL on 12/16/10 when he was 2 years old. The poor little guy weighed 14lbs and had terrible skin.  He was a brown and tan min-pin who, being big for his breed, eventually reached a healthy 20lbs. He had bright, hazel eyes that never went unnoticed. A few months later we added Jack, a small, older, black and tan min pin to our family. 

  This past fall, we identified Toby's skin problem to be due to food allergies, after months of diet restrictions. This allowed him to eat his favorite thing: BEEF bones and rawhide. He spent a good portion of each day for the last month of his life blissfully chewing on them.   

 He had obviously not been walked much on a leash before coming to us as he did not understand how to walk with all paws on the ground. But somehow he went through the beginner (twice) and intermediate obedience course before passing his Canine Good Citizen test last month. 

  For fun, he could spend hours running around our yard watching squirrels up in the trees, playing "chase me" with his brothers or our roommate Nick and I. More than anything though, he just wanted to curl up on a reclined lawn chair with a bone and bask in the warm sun.  

  When inside he would sit by the window in the sun or lie on the furnace vent or in front of the bathroom space heater enjoying the heat. Most of all though, I'll remember him tossing a blanket up over his head and walking around the house wearing it.  

What most people that met him will remember is his funny trait: if he thought you had a treat or looked like a nice person or if he was tired and wanted his mommy or daddy to pick him up then he would stand up on his back paws and beg with both paws in unison for your attention. If you did pick him up, he would lie his head on your shoulder in a relaxing posture that it took months for him to learn to trust me enough to do. 

  Although from the moment my wife met him, he trusted her and doted on her his every waking moment. She trained him and loved him in a way that only a mother can and because of this his fear dissipated and his confidence grew to make him the beautiful, smart, creature that he was. 

  My father also loved and connected with Toby and when my dad had to take sick leave, it seemed only right that Toby would keep him company. They napped and played all day and slept side by side at night for a couple days.  Then on Saturday night my dad went out the front door to run out to the car and Toby ran out under his feet.  My dad ran after him but Toby ran out into the road. 

  Once in the middle, he paused for a second to look back in his grandpa's eyes to see if he was playing "chase me". Right then, a car hit him and killed him instantly. Grandpa carried his small body home, gently washed him, wrapped him in a black velvety cloth and placed him in a box that he had painted black, and tied it closed with green twine. Because of his kindness in preparing Toby and my mother for driving him home to us, my wife and I were able to see him as we knew him, curled up under a blanket, and we were able to touch his smooth fur and hold his sweet paw once more before taking him to be cremated.  He died on 12-17-11, exactly one year and one day after he came to live with us.

  In that year, he became a Canine Good Citizen, a trusted and trusting friend, a healthy dog who loved and was loved more than he could have imagined.  My wife shared a bond with Toby that she'll carry with her forever.  Now, we focus on this new chapter of our lives and on helping Jack and Ollie to adapt to life without their "big" brother and to be the best dogs they can be.  

  I'm able to do this by  thinking of the wonderful place he is now where it's always warm, and full of squirrels, and home cooked food, and other dogs to chase around and a warm bed to curl up in and keep warm next to all those family members who have already gone.  And in what will seem like the blink of an eye to him and an eternity without him to us, we'll all be curled up again: Toby, Jack, Ollie, Mommy and me under the warmest blanket in the biggest bed ever.