Any dog owner will tell you that dogs sleep in strange positions.
But Toby did not just sleep strangely.
Toby turned sleeping into an Olympic performance.
He had a repertoire.
A full catalog of poses.
A menu of shapes no living creature should be able to achieve.
There was the Couch Potato, where he sprawled across every cushion like he paid rent for the entire sofa.
There was the Sirloin Steak, where he would lie completely flat with his limbs tucked in so tightly he looked like something ready to be grilled.
There was the Triangle, an impressive feat where he managed to fold himself into three sharp angles and still fall asleep instantly.
And then there were the unnamed poses.
The ones that defied science.
The ones that made Stephanie and I look at each other and say,
“How is this even physically possible?”
Toby somehow believed he was the only one living in the house.
He would fling himself into new positions without warning, as if gravity was optional for him. Sometimes the shift was so violent that cushions flew, blankets exploded into the air, and the entire couch shook like it had experienced a minor earthquake.
He snored.
He grumbled.
He groaned like an old man getting out of a chair.
He sighed dramatically.
He sneezed mid-roll.
He even coughed himself awake because his stretching routine was apparently too intense for his own lungs.
Watching him sleep was like watching a theatre production called “One Poodle. Infinite Shapes. Zero Awareness.”
My personal favorite was when he would lie completely upside down, paws straight up in the air, mouth slightly open, tongue hanging out, looking like a creature who had accepted defeat in life. And then, moments later, he would spring into a different position as if a director had yelled “Pose change!”
Every shift was accompanied by sound effects.
Every pose came with personality.
Every nap turned into a performance.
Some dogs rest quietly.
Some dogs snuggle politely.
Toby?
He auditioned for Cirque du Soleil in his sleep.
Classic Toby.
Turning simple naps into unforgettable comedy.