Toby is a gentle soul. He looks like a small Leonberger but we really aren't sure what is in his breeding. Toby is a wonderful family dog and would do well in a household with children who enjoyed his company. Toby is a mid sized dog weighing approximately 40 lbs. He is a young dog approximately 8 - 10 months old so there is still a little room to grow.
Here is what his foster family had to say:
I would love to see Toby go to a loving family with other pets or kids in the home. He simply lives to make everyone around him happy. He’s just a big lover who would enjoy a family to show him what a forever home feels like. The first night we brought Toby home he got the chance to meet my neighbour’s two little kids (ages 9 and 10). He not only made two best friends, but also took it upon himself to be their pillow on the couch while watching movies. He is the perfect family dog who gets along with everyone; loving to be around each person in the home, sleeping in your bed if allowed, and simply cuddling up on the couch at night to watch a show.
Toby hasn’t shown any aggression whatsoever, and he doesn't show any shyness toward anyone. He is however, uneasy in large crowds of people, and loud noises.
We have our Shih Tzu Teddy as well as three bunnies in our home, and Toby gets along famously with all of them. We often go and visit our family back home who have two large huskies; Toby loves to run around with them and share toys in the living room. He has never met a cat before, but I don’t see his behaviour changing much at all if he does. When we leave for school in the morning Toby goes over to his dog bed and lies down with a squeak toy (he’s crazy for the fluffy squeaky ones). There are no signs of any separation anxiety and definitely no barking, he has had a chewing incident though (a kleenex box has been his only victim thus far)
I would say Toby has a moderate activity level, and would love some kids or other pets to play with during the day. On walks though his activity becomes very high and he does need a strong hand to control him as he hasn’t had much leash experience before. He loves running in the backyard, and hasn't shown any willingness to run away/get out of the yard. Toby doesn't shed very much, except for some hair when you brush him out. (Which is a great thing for your carpets and furniture)
The only time I have heard Toby bark is when our little Shih Tzu managed to lock himself out on the balcony and needed our help to open then sliding screen door. Otherwise he doesn't make a sound, even when we leave the house. Recently we've noticed that he barks in response to barking from other dogs in our building, or dogs on tv, but it hasn’t been aggressive at all.
Toby responds to his name very well, and to his nick-names (Toblerone, and Tobe-ster strudel) and is eager to listen to your commands and learn new ones. So far he responds well to sit and come, though we are working on drop it and ‘shake paw’. Toby needed very little guidance when it came to house-training, and has already learned that if he goes to the door he’ll be let out. Toby came to us in a crate, and we were told he is very well mannered when he spends time there. We instead found Toby to be a very well-mannered little man, and decided he didn’t need the crate at all while in our care. He has his dog bed in the living room and spends a good part of the day just sleeping there or playing quietly with his chewy bones. We’ve taken Toby on car rides from Hamilton to Guelph and back several times now and each time he simply lies down on the back seat and falls asleep. When we arrive however he gets excited and begins to wiggle his
bum as if to hurry everyone up to get out of the car.
Toby, in my opinion, is one of the most well-mannered dogs I have ever met. Even my little guy Teddy still jumps up on our chairs/table, and is almost a year older. He shows no interest at all in chewing anything but his toys, and for a puppy of his age, that’s a rare thing. He is very soft spoken in the sense that he doesn't run around the house or storm through rooms; instead he walks behind you or relaxes on his dog bed. When being offered a treat he never bites or nips, and you can even place your hand in his mouth without fear of a bite. Typically he is well-mannered at meal-time, but he becomes
sneaky only around popcorn, we don’t really know why he is so interested in it, but he is.
I would say that Toby needs other pets or kids in the home because he thrives on those loving connections. He would appreciate having access to a backyard, but with a good long walk (or two) everyday I'm sure he would be okay also. Overall, Toby just needs people who have just as much love to give as he does. And popcorn, Toby would do very well in a loving home with people who are willing to share their popcorn :)
If you would like to make this lover-boy part of your family, please submit an application for consideration.
