Layla

From Layla’s foster Mom:

Layla is a gentle, kind, goofy, and affectionate 7 year old giant who’s happiest when she’s curled up beside you (or preferably ON you). She’s the definition of a “velcro dog”, always close, always loving, and always ready to rest her big head on your lap or nuzzle into your neck for the sweetest cuddles. She’s laid-back, but easily excitable and gets bursts of the zoomies and will proudly parade her toys around like a puppy. She’s a quick learner, knows lots of commands (especially indoors), and thrives on routine and praise. We have discovered that Layla responds to her name, “sit,” “stay,” “okay” (release from “stay”), “paw,” “lay down,” come,” “go,” and “go to bed.” This is particularly helpful for her rest times before and after meals! Layla is housebroken and not destructive, no chewing, no accidents. A consistent predictable daily routine with regular meals and bathroom breaks will likely be important for her, as she seems too polite to let you know when she’s feeling hungry or needs to go out. She doesn’t love being left alone, but she’s getting better at this. She can now be left for a couple hours at a time with only a bit of barking/howling and restlessness, and has never damaged furniture or belongings. She loves to sleep on our couches, as well as in our bed with us at night. Layla’s leash manners are still a work in progress. She pulls, especially when distracted by other dogs or people. Outdoors, she’s selectively responsive to commands and has a hard time focusing when excited. She sometimes growls softly at passersby but stops with a gentle redirection. Other dogs can spook her, and she shows interest in meeting them, often with barking that’s more playful than aggressive. Layla is blind in one eye from a cataract and may have the early signs of a cataract in the other. Even so, it doesn’t slow her down one bit.  She’s incredibly tolerant of routine grooming as she lets you clean her face, ears, and eyes with no issue, and even enjoys a full-body wipe-down with a microfibre cloth. Layla adores her toys and will politely wait for your signal before diving into playtime (you literally will need to hand the toy to her for her to start playing). She enjoys car rides and even loves baths, happily jumping back into the shower hoping for another spa day. She shows zero aggression and, when excited, might gently put your hand in her mouth in a soft, playful way. Affection is definitely her love language, both giving and receiving.