A small mixed breed pup, and the runt of the litter, found himself being abandoned by his new family. An all too familiar story.

He was born in Snowflake, and the family that adopted him had surrendered him 24 hours later for doing things puppies do, and not having the knowledge or time to spend with him. Toby, the 7-month-old puppy, was relinquished by them to Pet Allies, a no-kill shelter in Show Low. A sad day in his very young life. 

Luckily, Jane Dyer was looking for a dog. She was contacted by Scarlett, a friend of hers who fosters dogs for the shelter, about this young dog who she thought was exceptional. Scarlett knew Jane and her commitment to her dogs and thought that they would be the perfect match. She knew Jane would be great for this scared little puppy and would give him the support he needed. 

After a rough start, Toby the smallest dog in his litter, finally had a home to call his own. 

Jane took her time with Toby, teaching him the skills to become the dog he is today. Sports like rally and freestyle dance helped build his confidence and manners. Rally, is a sport that is all about teamwork and is used to open rescues and purebreds alike through the American Kennel Club. It is a sport where the dog and handler navigate a course together, side-by-side, moving through a course with signs that tell you when to perform different exercises. The courses are designed by the Rally judge (10-20 signs per course, depending on the class level) that include various turns and commands such as sit, down, stay, etc. Unlimited communication from the handler to the dog is to be encouraged. While touching isn’t allowed, you can use verbal commands, clap your hands, pat your legs, and use hand signals to praise and encourage your dog. You begin with a perfect score of 100, with points deducted along with way. If you retain a score of at least 70 points, you will qualify toward earning a title. Musical canine freestyle, also known as musical freestyle, is a mixture of obedience training, tricks, and dance that allows for creative interaction between dogs and their owners. 

“He is eager to please and learns things faster than any dog I have ever known,” Jane says as she showed us a few of Toby’s dance steps. Between the two sports, Toby was becoming confident in himself and Jane, things that would help him achieve even greater things to come.

After competing in both sports and earning his titles, Jane decided to gain his therapy dog title. He passed the test and was allowed to visit patients and staff. After gaining three titles, Toby also was awarded an Achiever dog title.

Toby was a favorite of the staff in the laboratory, visited the ED patients in the waiting room and the patients in IV, before COVID hit. In his role as a therapy dog, he was loved among the staff because of his sincere attachment to seeing them. 

Every Tuesday Toby knew what was coming because it was his spa day according to Jane.

“Toby loved the hospital and knew what was happening when he had his bath, his nails done, and his teeth brushed. When we started the process, he would get excited because he just knew where we were going.”

“I never had a dog that would walk willingly into the shower, but he does,” Jane said as Toby sits at her feet staring up at her. 

  Toby displayed his uncanny sense of which patients need a boost, where he often singled-out patients who needed him the most. Jane tells the story while visiting a particular floor one day, walking past the various rooms and asking the occupants if they wanted a visit before Toby would enter. In one of the rooms, an elderly woman lay alone. She invited them in. Toby immediately went to her side and placed his feet on the edge of the bed, nuzzling in the crook of her arm allowing her to murmur to him while stroking his head. 

“I was so surprised I was actually stunned when he just laid his head there for ten minutes. It was as if the woman needed something from Toby and Toby picked up on it. He gave her his time and his companionship.” 

This diminutive gentleman who is half border collie, part sheltie, and part who knows, is polite and eager to please. Now seven years old, he spends his days with Jane practicing rally, or in the woods twice a week training with her search dog unit. 

When his visits to the hospital were halted during the pandemic, Jane and Toby decided to give search and rescue a try. They began training with the search and rescue K-9 Unit, and have been on many interesting cases, here and in surrounding counties.

Search and rescue dogs are required to work on their own with a handler. Weather can be a factor, as many people are lost when the mountains or deserts turn ugly. Both handler and dog must be in a remarkable state of fitness and many train 2- 3 times a week in rough terrain. The dogs in these units must be able to think on their own. They are nationally certified to find live people or human remains. As a team member, you are required to attend training seminars and be available for weekend training sessions, not to mention the cases you may be called to. Making search and rescue a tremendous training experience and commitment for both dog and handler. It's all about partnership. A hand signal, or even just a glance, is all that is needed in this high-stakes endeavor. The perfect job for a dog like Toby. 

I first met Toby at Pet Allies in 2021, the place where his journey began, where this distinguished alum comes every year to pick the winning ducks for the shelter’s biggest fundraiser, standing as a story of inspiration for rescued mixed breed dogs everywhere.After meeting him and Jane, I couldn’t help but share the story of this remarkable rescue dog that rescues people!

As Jane admitted, her Toby is a once-in-a-lifetime dog!

If you would like to meet Toby and Jane, Toby will be ‘plucking’ the winning duck at Pet Allies during their annual White Mountain Rubber Duck Pluck on June 18, at the new shelter located @ 1321 N 16^th St. Show Low Arizona.

 You can purchase ducks for the pluck and support rescued shelter dogs like Toby here. https://www.duckrace.com/show

If you would like more information about some of the sports open for mixed-breed dogs, please go to www.akc.org/mixedbreeds. Or visit our local Arizona White Mountain Kennel Club page @ www.awmkc.com

We have a wonderful and very helpful community here, to help you get more involved with your dog today! Everyone is Welcome to General Meetings. Meetings are held on the Second Wednesday of Every Month.
Dinner is at 6:PM - The meeting Starts at 6:30PM