almost a year!

Well--I'm almost a year old And what a great year it has been! I've made lots of new friends and really enjoy my family! I've grown up to almost 60 lbs! Mom says I'm petite, and maybe I am, but I have a very big dog bark for when the mail carrier comes! I let me family know when the mail arrives...and when the garbage is being picked up...and when there is another dog walking by....and when there are children outside playing...and when I know I hear squirrels in the yard...But usually I am very quiet. Really! I am very good at watching over my family's house and yard and when I can, I follow mom and sister everywhere. Afterall, we are a pack.

growing up

In another two months, I will be full grown! I haven't been to the vet in a long time, but mom thinks I am about 75 pounds. Some days she says I'm so big and other days, she says I'm so little. I don't know if I am big or little, I just know that I am Leila and I love to run & play! We have had some changes in our house since the weather got cooler--my playmate/sister is back in school and mom is back at work. That means I am by myself ALL DAY! I don't mess in the house and don't chew on stuff I'm not supposed to...except the wood from the bin by the fireplace. Shredding that wood occupies the time that I would normally be hanging around my people. It is also more fun to chew than my bones sometimes. Mom says not to chew the wood--that I have a job to do. My job is to watch the house and I am very good at it! I let my people know when the mailman comes and when ever a dog walks past our house. I found that if I sit on the 4th step, I can see PERFECTLY out the window and down the block--Then I can give a LOT of warning that another dog is approaching! When I am lonely, I sit by our newest pet--the rescued parakeet. We talk a lot to each other. On weekends, my family takes me to a dog park now so I can run and play. I love to play chase with the other dogs and run through the fields! this growing up comes with a lot of responsibility but it is also a lot of fun!

my little buddy goes home

For the past two and a half weeks, I have had the most adorable and yet annoying little brother following me around. He's cute and akward and loves to play...but sometimes I am not in the mood to play. My mom says that that is when I play too rough with the little guy and then she separates us. Mom says I do a good job training him,though. I groom him and keep him in the yard. I am TRYING to teach him house manners but I think he might be slow. Mom says he's doing fine...but I still think he's slow. And he is, too, because he can't catch me when I take my toys from him and run around the yard! Mom says it is because he's just a baby...but I know he's just slow. And he eats my food. And he steals my toys. And he gets the attention that I used to get. But I love him. I do. When he cries at night, I lay down next to his crate. And when he gets upset, I give him kisses. When he's happy I give him kisses too. He really is cute. The other day, one of our neighbors wanted to walk with him and I became very upset. My tail went down and I lowered my body and my ears, keeping every second of my eyes on him. When he came back, I wagged my tail so hard and kissed my little buddy! I tucked him under me with my paws. I was so glad he was alright!!!!
But now he's gone. I knew he was leaving but I didn't know it would be so hard to see him go. I tried to scare off the family that wanted him...but I could tell that he belonged with them. After he left, I paced the house all night looking for him....expecting him to jump out like when we play hide and seek around the big tree. But I know he's not here anymore. I miss my little buddy. He was like a little brother, my own puppy, and my best friend. I love him and hope that he is happy happy happy in his new home.

I'm a big sister

it's official. I'm the big dog of the house now. My mom and sister have started fostering puppies from the rescue that I came from. They work to train them just like they did with me...but they don't get to stay. The fosters will be found a new home with a nice family just like mine. I love it! I get to be a big sister--I do a good job, too, mom says. I keep out puppy in the yard and sleep next to his crate at night so he doesn't feel too lonely. I share my toys and bones with him and play with him a lot. Mom says I get too rough sometimes and she makes us both lay down then. When she does that, I wait until she's not looking and I sneak a nibble on his paw or ear. I love being a big sister! I have a lot of work to do all the time with the little one. He's exhausting!

5 months

oooeeee--I'm gorgeous! I love having my photo taken and can usually stay in my pose until after the flash...Yep. Mom says I'm smart, too. I do a lot of tricks and have recently mastered spitting out my baby teeth into mom's hands and the "I'm sorry" walk. I learned how to do the walk when my new teeth were coming in...they hurt so much! I would cry and my sister would give me old frozen socks to chew--but then mom and sis would go to bed or away and I would have nothing left but the kitchen chairs and cabinets to chew on. Oh, sure, I had those bone-type things, but they don't quite feel as good as chewing on wood...Mom wouldn't yell at me...she would just stand with her hands on her hips and ask me what I did...I would crawl to her like lassie going under a fence. Mom says we are trying to find a name for that walk so I can practice it. She also keeps asking me if Jimmy fell in the well. I don't know who jimmy is or what a well is, but saying this makes her laugh so I jump around in a circle, which makes her laugh more. I love my family. they are entertaining.

wake up and play!

The other day I discovered a new trick...I can take one of my sisters stuffed animals and toss it down the steps. I chase it down and bring it back up to the top. Then I toss it back down the steps, chase it down, catch it and bring it back up. I love to do this! It is so much fun!

Also fun is the discovery of stuffed animal friends in my sister's room. I go in there every morning and wake her up with kisses...then I take her toys. Mom says I do a good job of getting my sis out of bed. She has the best toys! She tells me that they are hers, but I take them anyway. It's a game we like to play together. I love my big sis! She's the best!

I had my second vet visit and in three weeks, I have doubled my size. My vet and my mom are very impressed with that! I have also been working on some new tricks like "shake". Mom is trying to teach me to roll over, but whenever she says that, I bark and run away. I don't like the roll over trick at all.

When it finally snowed here in Wisconsin, I was SOOOO happy! I love to pounce and dig in the snow! And when mom shovels, I help and she tells me "Good puppy". I scratch and scratch and scratch at the walk-way, clearing snow just like mom. I'm a good helper.

I've been meeting lots of dogs in my neighborhood when we go out for our long walks. Mom says I need to learn better manners because I jump up and really work to let those other dogs know that I am top dog in this neighborhood. Mom is looking to sign me up for classes. I think that sounds fun! Then we will ALL be in school!

It is time for another nap. I was on a play date today with my friend Niko, a chocolate lab. Yesterday I had a play date with Koda the beagle. We call him crazy Koda cuz....well...he is. Tomorrow I have a play date with my best buddy, Madie. I will need to rest up! until then--zzzzzzzz.

a new trick

I learned a new trick yesterday at Grandma's house! I climbed the steps! it was very difficult because I am only as tall as the step, but i discovered that if I lept up, I could boost myself up enough to get on a step and climb to the next one! Getting down was harder. I bit the steps and barked at them because I didn't want them to go down...only up. My mom took a lot of time and taught me to go down, one step at at a time. I was really scared! once I did it, though, I practiced going up and down the steps for over 1/2 an hour! I just love my new trick! My family was so pleased they were laughing until tears came in their eyes! I was just so excited to see how happy they were that it encouraged me to keep going--which made them laugh harder! So I kept going up and down and they laughed harder still...which made me go up and down and they laughed harder...you get how the evening went!

this morning at home, I couldn't remember how to go up or down the steps so I barked at them. Mom showed me again what to do and I did it very slowly both ways. The steps make me very very tired...I'm going to take a nap now. When I wake up, I think I will want to attempt those things again. I really like them!

school lets out at 3pm

My mom is very proud of me. I am continuing to learn and practice the rules of the house: no pooping or piddling inside, no jumping up on people, no biting people--only toys, sit, laydown, and come. Mom says I am a genius because I get this stuff! I'm just so happy to please my new family! Each day we practice walking on a leash. I don't mind it one bit because I get to see and sniff so many new and exciting things! Mom has been taking me up to school to greet my 'sister' when she gets out. I LOVE this! There isn't a kid that can resist saying hello to me and I eat up all the attention! Sometimes, there are other dogs there, too...so I get to socialize a LOT! When I see my sister, I run up to her and give her a kiss hello and then we all come home. At home, I get to play with my big sis and then I take a nap. Being social is very exhausting work!

my new home

I came home on December 30th, 2006. It was my first night away from my siblings and I cried a lot. My new mom could comfort me and eventually, left me one of her sweaters to curl up with. The next day was very very busy...I explored my house and my new yard--which is nice and big and I can run around it a lot! I met my new human sibling and we played. The second night, I was up again all night but felt less lonely...my whole family was up until after midnight bringing in the new year. I guess we were all starting anew. I'm very happy to be here!