Welcome to Toby's Tribute page! This page honors the memory of my very first dog. Toby lived with me from October of 1991 until his death early in March of 2006. Toby was a wonderful combination of Labrador Retriever and German Shepard. He was a great companion and a source of tremendous joy in that special way that only a dog can be. Toby was acquired by my first wife, Tammy, and I from the humane society in Golden Valley, Minnesota. I vividly remember the way he tried to jump out of the little cage that he was in, putting his front paws on the edge of wall and peeking out at us, essentially telling us that he was supposed to come home with us. He grew to be a very large dog, weighing over 100 pounds at his peak and being able to jump nearly five feet into the air to catch a frisbee or ball. He was a natural retreiver and loved to play catch. Like most labs, it took many years for him to outgrow the puppy stage and during that time he chewed on everything and tried to find a way to swallow most everything including a dish rag at one point which resulted in a trip to the pet urgent care center.   If you would like to learn more about this remarkable canine friend of mine, here are a few links that you can explore: Photo Pages - digital images of Toby from puppyhood to shortly before his death. Toby Video - a short video highlighting some of the precious moments of Toby's life.