As you can probably tell from my books, I just LOVE old dogs…but I’m not the only one who feels that way. The following story came from Linda Parker, a special animal lover who lives in Florida:
“I, too, love old dogs. When I was a little girl, I adored the old dog who lived next to my grandmother’s little farm house in Ashtabula, Ohio. That old Newfoundland dog was a black, tumbled mass of fur, burrs, and snarls but my three sisters and I thought he was beautiful. He would slowly amble over to my grandmother’s backyard and we would spend hours fussing with his hair. Four little girls finger-combing thru that dog’s wooly coat!
He only knew one command: if anyone said, “Go home Toby“, he would SLOWLY get to his feet and SLOWLY walk home. No amount of pleading, (“I was only kidding Toby… pleeeease stay”), would get him to turn around and come back to us. No amount of holding his giant head would get him to stay! If the words were said, he would amble home.
Instantly we would then turn our wrath on the foolish sister who had ruined our fun. I realize, as a grownup, that to a child it was such a temptation to say the magic words, Go Home Toby. It amazed a child to see the massive dog follow the command — but we had each pledged we would NOT utter the words! Oh my - pity the soul who broke the pledge!
Today, as four grown up sisters, we all treasure our memories of Toby — and we still burst out in giggles when one of us whispers the magic words, Go Home Toby.”
Pretty sweet, huh?
Chris
