04/10/2026
This is Toby.
Toby was taken on by a lovely couple who wanted to give him the good life he deserved after his previous owner gave him up. However, after having him for a couple of weeks, it became clear that Toby had arrived with a few issues that needed addressing.
Toby is, despite what some may think, a really lovely dog. He’s affectionate, extremely intelligent and, ultimately, it’s not his fault that his previous owner failed to give him the guidance and structure he needed.
Toby has no doubt learned that aggressive behaviour works. It scares people, creates distance and achieves exactly what he wants — people backing away from him.
As you can see from the video, his persistence to come at me is very clear. My job in this situation is to keep emotion out of my response. I’m not shouting at him, I’m not hitting him and I’m not trying to intimidate him. I’m simply showing him that, no matter how long he chooses to continue this fight, it isn’t going to achieve anything. I’m not backing off.
It’s also clear that Toby has had very little structure in his life and has been left to make decisions that he simply isn’t equipped to make.
Hats off to his new owners for stepping up, recognising that they needed help and doing the right thing by getting the support necessary to give Toby the life he deserves.
We have a plan of action moving forward, but for now, follow Toby’s story and watch how cases like this can and will be turned around.
It doesn’t automatically require drugs, and it doesn’t automatically require euthanasia. There are, of course, exceptions to every rule.
Dogs like Toby need our help.
nobaddogs
