Toby and Brutis!

We all know those people that gush about how amazing their children are, all the while their kids are running around wreaking havoc on anything and everything they can get their hands on. I feel like I am THAT parent but not with a human child, but with our 2 furbabies- Toby and Brutis. To me, they are the cutest, loveable animals around. However, I get the sense that not everybody is as enamored with those two as we are. Toby kind of barks a lot and is pretty demanding when he thinks its “cookie” (treat) time. And Brutis, well Brutis is just lazy, but he also tends to want to sit right by you, or on you, whichever he prefers. That makes us, the humans, a bit uncomfortable considering he is every bit of 50lbs.

Jason begrudgingly let me get Toby several years ago when we lived in our apartment downtown. We got him in late fall/early winter so traipsing up and down the stairs of our apartment complex in the cold weather wasn’t very fun. He spent many months destroying everything in sight, including furniture, but I already loved him. For many months he was this little bundle of fur that tortured us with his antics. He hated to be caged up and we hadn’t had him a week when Jason started letting him sleep with us. He hasn’t slept anywhere else since. He didn’t even become fully potty-trained until after we got the doggie door a few years ago. Even now, he will still poop in the house if it rains. Heaven forbid the little prima donna get his feet wet but give him access to a mud puddle and he will be happily covered paw to ears in less than 10 seconds.

Brutis was adopted the year after we got Toby because Toby was so rambunctious we decided he really needed a playmate plus Jason decided he needed a “man” dog. He was tired of walking around with the little teacup yorkie. We were trying to choose between Brutis and his brother and the sales lady pointed out that Brutis was definitely the lazier of the two. We happily chose him and wow, that lady couldn’t have described him better. He is such a couch potato. In the morning he curls up in our sheets after we get out of bed, he jumps down to let me make the bed and then he is right back on top of the bed when it gets made. And Jason’s theory that he was getting a “man” dog quickly disintegrated when Brutis started peeing on himself every time someone new came in the front door, he got scared or anyone raised their voice at him.

I suppose I am that “parent”. I have the terrible dogs that everybody hates, but I still only see their loveable sides. They make our days more fun and they are ALWAYS happy to see us.