For those of us who play flyball, we will always have that one special dog who introduces us to the world of flyball. What a world it is! Anyone who plays flyball knows it's one crazy world to live in. When we play flyball with our dogs there comes a point when we all realize that it's more of a partnership than an owner and dog relationship. We spend endless hours training, travel all over and we share the love of the game with our dogs. Flyball dogs are not just pets, they are our partners in crime, companions, and above all else they are beloved family members. The dog that introduced Kathy to flyball was Coby, lovingly referred to as Cobydog.Cobydog was a beautiful blue Australian Cattle Dog. Everyone who saw him thought he was beautiful. His full name was Ch. Castle Butte's Cobalt Blue. In his early years he was shown and earned his Championship in the show ring. Coby was always super high drive and was very hard to show because he had such high toy drive. Other competitors knew this about Coby so they would bring squeaky toys into the ring and try to distract Coby on purpose. But no one could take away from his good looks so he earned his Championship anyway!
Flyball was the perfect sport for Coby: he was able to use his high drive and the game involved a ball and barking!! Kathy and Coby quickly became hooked on flyball and the rest is history! Coby loved the game of flyball and earned his FMX in NAFA. He had to retire at the age of 9 because he was losing his vision, but even with limited sight he ran his last race with the same gusto he started with. That was what Coby was all about. He put his whole heart into everything and always knew how to have a good time. Not only was he a great flyball dog, he was also Kathy's protector. Kathy always felt safe when going on hikes alone, walking alone or just being at home alone. Coby's bond with Kathy was so strong he would protect her against anything.
Today the X family is grieving and giving our dogs extra hugs today because Kathy and Alex had to make one of the hardest decisions that anyone ever has to make. Coby will forever be in our hearts. He was the coolest ACD I ever met. He had this huge heart and just this awesome spirit. Every time I saw him he had a huge smile on his face. He always had a toy in his mouth and was game to do anything. He lost all his vision but he didn't care. He lived life to the fullest and always had fun! We should all live our lives like Coby lived his.Somewhere out there Cobydog has his sight back and is running around with his Polly pig and of course barking up a storm and is just as happy as he ever was! We love you and will miss you Cobydog!
