lila comes home from the hospital

lila recovers from surgery

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When we opted for a female dog, I dreaded the inevitable spaying. As tempting as the occasional litter of puppies may have been, knowing we’d have every male dog within cooey sniffing around our property at regular intervals held somewhat less appeal. And Lila would have to be locked up. So at six months, laden with guilt and worry, I delivered her to the veterinary hospital where she would undergo this cruel transformation. I would have liked to have had Lila’s consent. Or at least be able to explain our reasons.

When the vet nurse called a few hours later to say our pup was recovering nicely, I nearly cried with relief. And I couldn’t wait to pick her up. I wanted her out of there! I imagined a sweet reunion where Lila would rush into my arms and lick my face with joy. Instead, she approached tentatively. Dopey, disoriented and disfigured. My guilt soared another notch. Before heading home, we were advised to keep Lila “quiet” for two weeks. No problem I thought. The next morning, however, I found myself rereading the post-op instructions to make sure I hadn’t misunderstood. I hadn’t.

With each day of restricted activity, Lila’s spring coiled more tightly. She was going crazy with boredom and I was going crazy trying to keep her entertained. How many toys can a dog squeak in a day? How many rawhide bones can one chew? By the end of the first week, Lila’s mischievous streak had taken on new dimensions. It had become downright destructive. She’d only been on her own for half an hour when Phil and I returned to a house strewn with objects not just shredded, but masticated almost beyond recognition. And for a horrible few minutes we could only locate one of four AA batteries. Tooth-marked. We couldn’t go on like this. We broke the rules. We let Lila off lead with the hope that she wouldn’t do anything silly. And end up back at the vet’s for another round of surgery.

I wouldn’t say she was perfect, but she was reasonably sensible until Christmas Eve. When we had houseguests. And far too much excitement. After dinner (but before dessert) we’d all wandered briefly outside when Lila spontaneously started doing laps. Not leisurely ones, but crazy little circles with sudden spurts and leaps. I shouted out for someone to please open the front door to get her back inside the house. Big mistake. She vaulted the threshold and headed straight towards the dinner table, where she took a flying leap onto it (scattering cutlery and toppling water glasses but miraculously not breaking a thing) and, in response to our chorus of shouts and shrieks, just as suddenly flew off again. Until we had the presence of mind to tackle her. My nerves were shattered, but thankfully Lila’s stitches remained intact.

[If you have received this post by email, please click “dog downunder” or “lila comes home from the hospital” in order to view accompanying video in a web page.]

lila’s first holiday

the world according to lila

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When Phil and I planned our summer holiday, we planned it around our Labrador Lila. What would Lila like to do??? After much deliberation, we decided that her preference would be a combination of bush and beach. And the three of us headed down Victoria’s terrifyingly beautiful Great Ocean Road to a cabin in the Otway Ranges where the sound of the sea lapped our doorstep.

The most exciting aspect of this adventure was seeing the world through Lila’s eyes. Glimpsing for the first time the surf and learning its rhythms. Poking her chocolate nose into mysterious rock pools and prancing along the beach with seaweed streamers held aloft. Alert to the snores and belches of koalas perched in the treetops. Digging holes deep in the sand just for the hell of it. Tantalised by flashy king parrots and sulphur-crested cockatoos, staring back at her with heads cocked. And at long last sleeping in the same room with us (jumping onto our bed at the crack of dawn!). If ever a pup knew how to have fun, it was Lila. Her enthusiasm bubbled over.

Of course, holidays can never be perfect. One afternoon, while walking on a bush track, the sun came out. And so did the flies. Not nice ones, either. The biting kind. When she’d snap at one, there’d be two others. And on the beach, there came an unexpected wave big enough to require body surfing. With knitted brow, Lila let it carry her safely back to shore. Occasionally, while exploring she’d encounter ugly signs with a red slash across a black dog. Unwelcoming. And we mustn’t forget the winding roads that made her tummy ache. She coped pretty well though. And felt it was all worth the trip.

[If you have received this post by email, please click “dog downunder” or “lila's first holiday” in order to view accompanying video in a web page.]

like a duck to water

lila taking the plunge

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Yes, I know Labradors have webbed toes, but I still wondered how things would go with Lila’s first swim. Although she’s now six months old, she has had very little experience with water. (It doesn’t rain much here.)

The other morning the sun was shining brightly, Lila’s best friend Ochie (and owner Kiersten) had come to visit and there wasn’t a kangaroo in sight (please see the “lila the labrador encounters a kangaroo” post to grasp the full meaning of this). The timing seemed perfect to take the two dogs for a swim in our dam.

Ochie, although somewhat older than Lila, hadn’t had much opportunity to swim. And Lila none at all. Nevertheless, once in the paddock, they both headed straight into the water. Although Lila immediately put her webbed toes to good use and went for a confident paddle, she was puzzled by the water not being solid and slapped at it with her paws. In the video, Kiersten speaks on behalf of Lila: “I should be able to walk on it!”

A moment later, after a ball was pitched into the dam, something unexpected occurred. Lila launched herself at it from the embankment, hit the water with a whopping belly flop and sank like a stone. Ochie couldn’t believe his eyes and rushed to her rescue. Lila soon resurfaced, however, unfazed. Well, almost. She’d forgotten the ball.

[If you have received this post by email, please click “dog downunder” or “like a duck to water” in order to view accompanying video in a web page.]