Dancing Badger

We snagged this cute little video of Toby just completely occupied by a little dancing badger toy.

 

Notice the permanent SMILE on his face.  LOL  We may already have Toby's stocking stuffer picked out in August.

Someday....A Lake House

This past weekend we all drove down to Lake Okoboji (Iowa) where Lori's mom has a beautiful house on the lake.  Toby LOVES it there.  It was a little chilly for swimming, but he got to walk out on the dock, watch the ducks swim by, and stay up a little past his bed time.  My parents also joined us for the weekend and we all got to go out for dinner and drinks and talk a little wedding plans.

The title of the post..."Someday...A Lake House" reminds me of the bank commercial, "Someday....A Backyard".  The picture makes it all too funny.

 

Now, with the little man exhausted from the weekend, laying out on the floor in front of me...we can finally relax a bit. 

Have a great week and enjoy the last bits of summer.

"Good things happen when I sit"

Lori and I joke about this all the time.  Toby definitely knows how to work the magic to get treats and pats on the head.  When it's training time...bam, we are right on.

 

"When in doubt, I sit...Good things

happen when I sit"

 

Toby is doing wonderful with all of his commands, especially heel.  We go up and down the street alternating between fast and slow and he is locked by our side.  Even quick stops and 180 degree turns are no trouble.  The little guy is definitely learning that eye contact gets rewarded and the little "marching" trot he does when he locks in is so adorable.

We are very excited to start class next week.  It is beginner class, but we are ready to learn more.  I am excited for Toby to show off his sit stay.  He is good staying for 5-10 minutes and does great with distractions (ball rolling by, ice cube on the floor, or me running by). 

Just want to share one picture of the little man, on our way back from Duluth.  This right here proves how rough it is to live with us.  One word - SPOILED!

 
Yes, the A/C is on full blast... and Yes, he's laying on a pillow.

Starting to Grow Up

Toby is definitely growing up fast.  It is interesting that people say, "One day you'll just notice that he's grown up and not mis-behaving."  I will say that I have noticed a significant decrease in his "every-day craziness."  Toby is definitely growing up to be a great family member. 

I recently purchased a new lens for my camera specifically designed to produce the best picture quality possible.  I will say I am anything by disappointed.  These photos capture Toby's true personality. 

He is a huge lover...after he is tired...of course.  Explore, Dig, Chew, and Chase all come before "Sleep" in the dictionary.  With Toby, there's no difference!

 

Toby has really started to fill out his adult features.  Most of all, we love that his long fur is starting to grow in.  His tail hair is funny as it is starting to drop.  It looks like perm on a humid day.

A couple things that separate Toby from most other Goldens that we see are his coat, posture, and head shape.  I probably don't need to say much more, other than this picture:



This is one of my favorite pictures of him.  It shows his curiosity, intelligence, and patience.  I wanted a picture that showed him focused on an object.  For this setup, I put a sprinkler behind me (did I mention he LOVES water?) and told him to sit and stay.  His eyes never blinked, head never moved, and he never lifted a paw.

With Toby, it isn't all work though.  As he is growing older, we are noticing more when he "smiles" or is having a good time.



And as I mentioned, after a good time....there is nap time.  This picture still makes me laugh.  Toby was so incredibly tired after a long run in the park, bath, and walk, that he fell asleep sideways trying to get his ball.  He barely opened his eyes while I took several pictures.



The last picture I'll post was taken this afternoon in the yard.  We haven't seen him just "sit" in the yard without running around or trying to explore/get into trouble.  I guess that means "he's growing up"  (minus the grass hanging out of his mouth)