I have the ability to make Toby’s life a good one.
In comparison to ours, his life is way too short. It breaks my heart when — even for a moment — I think about the fact that he won’t be with me as I reach milestones in the future. I want him by my side forever. Toby brings me so much joy, so much happiness, and so much contentment by just being him. I want to repay him for that and the only way I can repay him is by making sure he has a quality life. I do this by trying to provide him a good day, every day. He deserves it. This is what you can find Toby doing on a typical week.
Monday
We start every Monday off with an early morning visit to the park before work. Toby runs around for a good 45 minutes sniffing trees and having a rough and tumble with the other early morning pooches.
Each morning after our trip to the park we make our way to Market Lane for some delicious coffee. Toby and I are always the first ones there and it is my favourite part of the day. We sit outside quietly, enjoying the peace while my coffee is made, the aroma filling the air. This is usually the last moment of calm for the day before it is off to work and go, go, go.
When I’m at work, at the back of my mind is always the fact that Toby is at home all on his own. I wish I could switch this thought off and not think about it but I’ve tried for 2 years and I just can’t. I rush home from work and we have lots of ‘I missed you’ cuddles on the couch before we are back off to the park. The evenings at the park are always full of action with lots of pooches and their owners gathering there. We usually spend about an hour to an hour and a half there, it’s such a nice way to unwind and offload the day with the other dog owners. Through doing this, by the time I am back home, I have a second wind.
Tuesday
Tuesday mornings start off like Monday mornings, only we spend even longer at the park because I have to stay back at work fairly late on a Tuesday. I set my alarm for 5.30am and quickly get dressed and out the door. Even though we spend longer at the park we still manage to make it to Market Lane for our sit down coffee.
We like to mix it up a little in the evenings and not go to the park each night. Most Tuesday nights we take a walk to St. Kilda beach and let Toby run off some steam. Like most dogs, Toby adores the beach and gets so worked up when we are there, running up and down the beach like crazy, in and out of the water. The sea breeze in the evening against my face is another great way to unwind from a long day at work.
Wednesday
Wednesday is my favourite day because it is Doggy Daycare day. This means I get an hour sleep in as we don’t need to get up early for a trip to the park. On a Wednesday I press snooze a few too many times before I’m properly awake and we snuggle for a good 5 minutes before having breakfast. This never happens on a morning we go to the park as it is pretty much up and go. I drop Toby off at Daycare at 7.30am, but not before getting our coffee.
Here Toby is waiting for his favourite lady to come to the door and let him in to where all the fun is at! I feel so lucky to have found Jane, who runs a Daycare for dogs service from her house. I met her in the park two years ago. I decided to put Toby into Daycare last year when I was feeling very guilty about leaving him at home five days a week. Daycare on a Wednesday breaks the week up for him and for me too (no early morning or after work park trips). The pure joy he has for Jane and the other dogs there is something else. We call Jane’s place, Disneyland for Dogs! You can only imagine how exhausted Toby is when I pick him up at 6pm.
Every Wednesday after Daycare, Toby has a shower. He knows this is coming the second he walks into the apartment. Because Toby sleeps in bed with us, we like him to be clean, to keep our bedroom as clean as possible. His wooly coat is really good at absorbing the smells and dirt of his life and we don’t want that to be in our bed. Although Toby doesn’t love the shower, he definitely puts up with it and helps me out as much as possible by staying still.
Thursday
On Thursday mornings, Toby is still tired from Daycare, we spend 40 minutes in the park and then off to Market Lane for some coffee.
After work on a Thursday, we go back to the park for a shorter amount of time as we like to catch up with friends in the late afternoon for a coffee at our local coffee shop.
Each night before bed, Toby has a play session for mental stimulation. It is important that dogs are physically and mentally stimulated. We do this by playing games such as tug of war, find the piggy (that is where I hide his pig, the one he has in his mouth, and he has to find it), to dangling a toy above his head and he has to try and grab it.
Friday
Friday mornings starts off at the park, of course! Toby and I love Friday mornings in the park because we can smell the weekend coming on, we always have an extra spring in our step on these mornings.
We usually celebrate it being the weekend by going over to a friend’s house. One of our favourite places to go is my friend Lucy’s house. Toby loves helping her make cakes while I get the cocktails ready!
Toby gets his own cocktail too!
Saturday
Saturday mornings mean extra sleep ins, extra cuddles, more time spent in the park and brunch with friends!
We never leave Toby out of our brunch dates.
We like our weekends full of activities and usually spend the day at places we can take Toby to as well. A favourite place of ours is the dog beach. We get such joy out of seeing Toby swim, he definitely isn’t the most graceful swimmer.
Swimming isn’t Toby’s strong point.
Late afternoon on a Saturday, Toby can be found sleeping, exhausted from not getting a minute’s rest since he woke up in the morning.
Sunday
We are a family of brunchers! It is one of our favourite things to do; it just starts the day off in the right way. On a Sunday we order extra bacon, which we pass under the table to Toby.
After brunch Toby hits the sack, while we run around doing errands.
Picking up our Sunday lunch time coffee and taking it to the park for a Sunday run around with all the other pooches.
Seeing Toby in the park with his friends and his beloved sticks makes me think, dogs really do have such simple, wonderful lives.
We usually end Sundays evenings with snuggles on the couch. I am so grateful to have this fur ball in my life.
Helena Khosh
Helena is a school teacher by day and a blogger & neckerchief creator by night. Helena loves dogs, and knows only a dog owner can really understand the impact a dog can have on your life — they are good for the soul. Toby came into her life almost two years ago and he has enhanced it in ways she couldn’t imagine.
