Maureen & Shyla's Page

We started out with high hopes.  Just as Serena and Venus Williams were born to play tennis, we were certain that our girl would rank World No. 1 in the therapy dog world.  After all, she was bred with superior traits in mind:  the loyal and gentle Labrador retriever mixed with the higher intelligence of a poodle.  How could she help but become a rising star?

Hah! Almost as soon as we took her home, those hopes were ground in the dust, quickly shoveled under a hail of loose topsoil…

I admire the way our girl wakes up, from sound asleep to ecstatic to be alive, eyes sparkling.  She’s always happy to see me but lately she seems distracted, a tad rushed with her morning greeting. After a few deep stretches she’s off, leading the way to the kitchen.  She used to be eager for breakfast, but now her attention is on the back door.  She slips through, makes her way through the damp grass and disappears around the hedge behind our pool, out of sight.  I’ve followed her before,…

Shyla's To Do List

 1.  Poop in front of three (!) houses on morning walk

 2.  Dig up plant from garden

 3.  Strew plant all over kitchen rug

 4.  Spot coyote

 5.  Run!

 6.  Get too close to skunk.

 7.  Run!

 8.  Get a bath

 9.  Shake/spray bathroom with water

10.  Zzz..take a noontime nap.

I could kiss the inventor of this amazing gizmo.  I pray he becomes a gazillionaire.  After six months of feeling like a terrible pack leader, suddenly I was the dog whisperer.  No pulling, lunging, or stops.  From our first step out the front door, it felt like Shyla was floating alongside me.  Twice I looked to make sure she was still there!  Yahoo.  Please don't tell me it was all a dream.