Jennings Tobias was my best friend. There are those who would say "but he was just a dog" and I would say, they don't understand. They don't understand the unashamed and powerful love an animal can have for his human, and how much a human can love her animal. I went through some rough times with Tobie at my side, and he was always there for me. Always there to love me with all of his boxer heart. There to kidney bean, (boxers turn themselves in to the letter "C" when they are really happy, and this is called "kidney beaning"), and boxer hug me, (boxer hugs are where they stand on their back feet and put a paw on each shoulder, and their head on your shoulder, he would do this twice everytime I came home), there to miss me so much that he wouldn't eat when I was away. There to curl up on the foot of my bed every night to make me feel safe-and nibble on my toes if I wiggled them. There to lick the tears off my face when I cried. There to bounce around and jump in the air and prance, and look at me as if to say, "aren't I something mom?" There to listen to me talk. There to bounce up and make the wind chime play in the front yard just so he could tilt his head and listen to it. There to leap into the hammock and stretch out with me on lazy summer days. I miss you my friend. I'll miss you forever. You filled that hole in my heart where Hoss used to live, and now its empty again.
But my mind if full of memories of you.
Tobie was born on 10/15/2000, and came to live with me, after a 3 hour trip to go get him, on 12/17/2000. I watched him grow from a little knotty headed baby to a beautiful lean muscular young man boxer. Always so full of life and love. He loved to play with any kind of ball, and his favorite was a basketball and football with tethers on each end so he could shake them really hard with his head and bop himself in the head with them. He loved water, and would purposely get in the way of the hose so it would squirt right in his face, making those big boxer lips flop all around and show his teeth. That was too cute for words. He was my best friend, and now he is at the Rainbow Bridge, waiting for me. And playing with all those other dogs and cats there, including Hoss.
He died yesterday, 12/5/2002, he had a brain tumor and went downhill in a matter of several weeks, and died while at the emergency care center. They took really good care of my baby, and tried to save him, but there was no hope. My friends at Boxerworld kept me sane through Tobie's sickness and death, and I can't thank them enough. Tobie's urn of ashes sits on my mantle, with a candle I light in his memory. He is the first of my furbabies not to be buried in the back yard.
I love you Tobie.
I am posting some of his pictures to this page, and will add more as I scan them in.
Mommy, thank you for letting me have this loooooovely living room chair to sleep in!! Ilove it!
Tobie at 6 months
See his right ear, it always stayed flopped over on his head...
Here is Tobie playing, he loved to throw himself down on the ground and hook a paw around your leg!
Here is Tobie being silly, with a sheet over his head...