Imagine taking a four year old, a five month old and a pup to the park (or really anywhere). Can you guess who follows direction the best or is the easiest to handle? Yep, it’s definitely Toby. That is my new life; I can’t say I am too used to it yet. We have spent all most of winter inside getting settled into our new house. If I am being totally honest, I can’t say I’m brave enough to venture out too far or too long without extra human help. Plus, we love including Toby in our fun, which we can easily do at home versus when we are out and about.
Life with Toby is a very charmed one. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Toby’s story, we rescued him after he was left at a local banking center. The one ear up, one ear down pup quickly became a part of our family. He stayed close to me while I was on bed rest during my pregnancy with Carter. As you all know, once Carter arrived, Toby became his sidekick, and he tends to be the one who leads the boys’ adventure.
At the playground Carter tends to be shy, and it typically takes him awhile to warm up to other kids. Toby is always ready to say “hi” to anyone he meets. This definitely pushes Carter out of his comfort zone and makes it easier for him to talk to the other kids. Every time we go, it’s always the same – Carter stands with his arm around Toby and tells the other children “This is Toby” “He thinks everyone is his friend”… he monitors closely to make sure they know how to safely pet him. In no time, they decide to run off a play together. Toby is certainly his wingman.
To me, Toby plays the hero more than the sidekick. He hasn’t saved anyone from a well (Lassie, anyone?), but he brings our family joy. Normally when people hear he is a rescue they think *we’ve* done something great. Truth be told, he rescued us. This sweet pup has an undeniable connection with Carter and one is certainly developing with new brother, Maxwell. He is the protector, the wingman, the “babysitter” and most importantly – the best friend. Carter and Maxwell will always know what life was like with a pup who loved them more than anything else in the world. With Toby by their sides, they will never know what it’s like to be lonely, they will always have a constant protector and they will certainly have a friend to help clean up a spilt snack.
Being a mom to these boys is the privilege of my life. I’m not sure there is anything better than watching them grow. I know our life can be a little crazy, messy and certainly tiring, but I can tell you that I insanely love watching Carter and Toby when they don’t know that I’m there. Carter’s imagination is adorable and Toby is the most patient, sweet pup. Toby is always happy to watch him dress up in 1,000,000 different costumes and know that they will play superheroes together. They chase each other through different rooms in the house before collapsing in giggles and exhaustion. I can tell that Max is dying to be a part of the action. Their love is inspiring and I know one that will last a lifetime. For our family, there is no greater story than “a boy and his dog,” It’s inspiring, it’s moving… it’s magical.
I can get lost in inspiring pet stories. Through documenting the tale of Carter and Toby’s friendship we have had the pleasure of meeting some truly inspiring pets like our friend, Turboroo, who lives life with wheels as front paws and is using his story to help other “handicapable” pets. It’s not only dogs who are the heroes in our lives. Just this morning, I read about how a sweet kitten, Thula, who helped a girl with autism navigate her anxious world. You can read about Thula and other inspiring pets here on the STAINMASTER PetProtect campaign page. These pets like Toby forever leave pawprints on our hearts.
We are counting down the days until warm weather arrives and our adventures can be unleashed; we are eager to start exploring our new area. For now, we will continue to laugh and play inside. Click here to learn more about how STAINMASTER® PetProtect® supports all the adventures you and your pet have in your home. On our agenda today: Rolling around with Baby Maxwell and teaching him all our favorite tricks.
This blog post is sponsored by STAINMASTER® PetProtect®.
Carter and Toby 