Tobi The Tummie

 

The children's book I'm writing to honor this enormous & stubborn Presa Canario breed Service Dog is entitled, Tobi The Tummie.  With her, I felt like I was living the female version of the Clifford the Big Red Dog cartoon! Definitely not the most intelligent Service Dog I trained, it took Tobi 7 years to grasp basic Service Dog training fundamentals. Until I recently began training another shelter dog, Seren the Newbie, Tobi was the most challenging canine student I ever encountered! I almost gave up many times, but I kept forcing myself to become more patient with every issue.

It seemed like Tobi's elongated arms, legs, tail, and head grew way faster than her brain, lol! I fought the temptation to count her out for the “spare” assignment in case Panther could not fulfill her duties as my Service Dog.

It was on my birthday that my daughter took me to an animal shelter in Atlanta to find my next adoptee and canine assistant backup. While spying 3-month-old chubby puppy, I suddenly heard a whimper. It was very faint but my Mama B Spidey senses heard & felt a baby canine crying in need. Spinning around quickly to the source of pain, I met the amazing eyes of an upper crate with the tiniest brown creature in it. My daughter retrieved the skinny furbaby, placing it 5 feet away on the tile floor. She struggled clumsily to walk the distance, but couldn't. The teeny weeny canine crawled with all its might. With true grit alone, she made it and collapsed on my shoe! My heart melted instantly as I scooped her up with one shaky hand. My daughter's smile confirmed what the determined puppy knew.  WE WERE MEANT TO ME TOGETHER. I adopted & trained this Shelter Dog. 

 

Big Tobi was taught to be gentle around small children

Tobi was way too large for XXXL-sized dog beds. So, I bought her a crib mattress!

 

Big Tobi was taught to be gentle with young children, not to jump up on anyone, & how to stop pulling her handler while walking, especially a child!

 

 Big Tobi eventually earned her CGC TAG [CITIZEN GOOD CANINE AWARD TAG]. Together, she & I went on to help many foster children during my short tenure as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate For Children)

She went from stubborn to a star! 

 

Tobi's book is unfinished. These are rough drafts of the cover & an internal page.

My pen name will be Mama B MczCarter