friends of the hound is a greyhound adoption group committed to the rehabilitation& rescue of Greyhounds in NSW

LAYLA, OUR SEDATIVE-ON-LEGS

What can I say about our lovely Layla? She is an absolute delight to have around. Our four-year-old brindle greyhound is calm, quiet, clean, loving and has felt at home here since her first day. Our Staffordshire bull terrier, Roger, has loved her from the beginning and they are the best of friends.

It has not all been smooth sailing. Layla had to learn how to be part of the family and got herself into trouble with Roger a couple of times for overstepping her place (she took his Kong). She was quite underweight when she arrived and so quickly found the pantry a good place to remedy that. We fed her well but she managed to abscond with a box of Weet-bix, a bag of desiccated coconut, cockroach baits, bread, packets of noodles, unguarded biscuits from the table and I once caught her with her front feet up on a kitchen chair and happily finishing off my hot chocolate! Layla is a good weight now and no longer raids the pantry but is still known to pinch a bickie or two.

Our cat was less than impressed with having such a tall dog in the house, especially having to already deal with our "cyclone-on-legs", Roger. But Layla has never chased her and is nothing but gentle. Our cat will now actually step over her head when Layla lies across her path and has Layla bluffed into thinking that she is tough and demands total respect.

The kids' beanbags were always going to be off-limits to the dogs but slowly, ever so slowly that lovely Layla has wheedled her way into using them whenever the opportunity arises. Wherever I am in the house or yard she is there with me. I take her out into the paddocks on lead and sometimes let her off for a run. She has learnt not to chase the romping horses. She does not chase our chickens or cows and enjoys nothing more than a few big circular sprints in the paddock.

Although she likes to play watchdog occasionally, Layla is very popular with visitors and our family and friends often comment on how relaxing she is. Her behaviour away from home is exemplary and can be trusted on lead with our children (unlike our cyclone-on-legs). She has spent the day at the Nimbin show, visited the beach for a late afternoon run and is nothing but calmness itself at the vets.

When Layla first arrived we noticed that every now and then an undamaged soft toy would end up on her bed. Once it was a crocheted clothes hanger.

We bought her a soft toy from an op shop and she kept it for some time until Roger thought it would make a great tug-o-war toy. She doesn't seem to need one now. Layla has learnt to play. It took her some weeks to work out what silly Roger wanted of her and now they romp together every day.
Layla has learnt to use steps and that food is plentiful, simple commands and good behaviour but most of all she has learnt that life is terrific in this family if you happen to be a dog. We see Layla celebrate her life everyday with her yoga like stretches and rolls on the grass.

- Sue-Ellen Shortiss