It's official. FC AFC CFC MH RE VCD1 (TD CD NJP NAP) OJP OAP WDX Toby will join the ranks of the highest honored and is an ESSFTA Versatile Springer. So proud of him. I started out with this goal, but in the end it didn't mean nearly as much as the wonderful journey it took to get there. Honestly, when I submitted his application this year, I really didn't care if they approved it or not.
The Tobster is truly a special dog. His greatest strengths would be an amazing work ethic and a genuine love of learning. He never said no to any of the crazy things things I asked him to do, had amazing saint like patience as I bumbled through some of the newer training techniques and he always did it with a happy waggy tail. When he met his first full height teeter totter my plan was just to let him walk around it and sniff it, but instead he jumped on, went directly to the end and rode it down like a pro before I could even run to the end to spot him! That's just how Toby rolls.
Whether it was at a trial or hunting wild Montana roosters, in the field Toby was a magnificent bird finding warrior with relentless tenacity. I finished his WDX last fall, at age 12+ years old, in pounding rains during the historic (and scary!) Colorado floods... and he was unphased by it all. Truly an indomitable spirit.
PS: Toby had a stroke earlier this year, but he is still strong and doing great!