LYLA

updated 12/06/03 Lyla is becoming quite a buddy girl. She likes to throw her water out of the water bowl before drinking it, take a drink of water and then pick up her water bowl (with the water in it, now on the floor) and bring her bowl to the living room. She makes Goliath cry almost daily because she is starting to play more aggressively. She jumps on Goliath and actually will butt chests from time to time. She runs around in circles like Goliath does, then forgets where she is and usually runs into something. She can jump up on the couch and loveseat all by herself and she jumps down too. She climbs up on my mother's bed too, just claims she cannot get down, so she cries until I help her down. She makes me laugh all day long. She is enjoying digging holes in the backyard from time to time. I guess you can say she has came all the way out of her shell.

I am so glad she is with us. Her and Pai (cat) are still establishing their relationship. Sometimes they play together. She is definitely keeping Goliath on his toes. Lyla and Pai got a bath on Saturday and Goliath got his bath on Sunday, so they all smell clean. Lyla, Goliath and I all sleep together at night. She is very spoiled.

I know this may sound weird, but I swear her extra eyelids are retracting more. I seem to be able to see more of her eyes than before. She is just starting to run down the stairs. She loves to be hyper and run in circles or run around like I said before. I wish I had a video camera because she would make you laugh so hard with her antics.

Anyway, I will talk to you soon and hopefully I will be able to attend the next support group meeting in January. Maybe if Santa gives me a camera for Christmas I can send pictures.

Cheryl, Lyla, Goliath and Pai.

PS. Tell Marco his sister is crazy!!

**Lyla will be getting her rabies shot on Monday, the same day Pai goes into to become a partial man!! I found the eye clinic you were talking about in the yellow pages, so I plan on calling them sometime this week to schedule an appointment. I wanted to wait until at least one of the holidays was over before taking her in. I also put drops in her eyes 2 to 3 times a day and I think that is really helping also. She is getting her supplements too. I also forgot to mention that Pai now has to eat on top of the washer and drier so Lyla doesn't eat all his food.

8/6/03 Lyla now weighs 13 pounds! She has learned her way around the house very well, and is now "exploring" in the bedroom where of course I don't want her to be. She has discovered toilet paper is lots of fun to pull off the roll and then shred! She knows where the door is to go inside and will run right over to it when she is through with her business outside. She has even gone to the door a few times to "ask" to go out. She does not like be out in the heat of the afternoon, but will play with her sisters in the grass in the morning and evening. She lets her big sister Hope grab her by the ear or face or whatever and drag her around. She then protests, but comes back for more. She will jump and grab at her sisters too....she can definitely hold her own! Guess she learned a lot from being the only girl in the pack of boys!

Her favorite place is in front of the fan. She will lie there sleeping for hours. She also enjoys splashing and sitting on the top step of the pool under direct supervision of course. She is starting to follow me around a bit and will lie at my feet once and a while. When she is sleepy, she is a great cuddler and gives wonderful neck kisses. She has calmed down a bit at feeding time and knows where she eats....she still gets excited about her biscuits tho'.

Ms. Purple a.k.a. little girl (all white - although in another life probably would've been a red merle) The only female in the litter, and the smallest at 6.4 lbs. She can ferret out food like no other. In fact, we had a 4th of July BBQ - and let me tell you, when she smelled the meat cooking - she went into a frenzy! In fact, I have to say, we relented and gave her a very small taste of chicken (with no BBQ sauce). Well...that wasn't a good idea - now, she hunts for us at every meal! She's very smart - although it's debatable whether she can see at all. She cannot hear. She's very easy going, but gets into trouble like no other puppy. She snorted a piece of grass on 7/3 (not a foxtail) - and we rushed her to the emergency, just the same. They flushed her nasal passage, but said she is ok. (That'll be something to watch, just incase anything crops up later - like an abscess.) Ms. Purple also wants to be held, and will walk up to your legs, and put her front paws on you - asking to be picked up. She's very easy to spoil - I can't imagine what it'll be like for her forever-owners to have to carry around a 50lb Aussie! :-)

Ms. Purple will be remaining at Lorraine and Dave's, along with Mr. Black until his new family picks him up. I'll bet Ms. Purple (to be renamed soon) will be learning to swim very before long :-)...thanks to "Toes" and Hope. Lyla has been spayed and is up-to-date on shots.