1) Layla was the epitome of grace and agility!.. not really actually! She was the queen of running side ways, of trying to get on the bed and getting stuck with her ass hanging off, of stepping on sleeping people as she walked, she was a golden goofball for as long as I can remember.
2) Layla had an undying passion for all things edible, especially carrots. Everyone who knew her, knew her love for carrots and had at some point brought her some. Idlis were another of Laylas weaknesses, she would totally do anything for idli! But really Layla loved food, all food and one of my favourite memories of her is her coming tumbling down the stairs when we opened the cupboard in which her Pedigree used to be kept!
3) Layla had her army of minions she had trained very well...as in us. She has never in her life had to bark more than once, someone would go running into the room she was in and give her whatever her highness wanted but was out of reach and moving that two feet was just too much work for her!
4) I cannot count the number of people who have gotten past their fear of dogs because of this angel. She had a gentle way of putting you at ease immediately and enveloping you in her love. I once left a friend of mine who was petrified of dogs with Layla for a few minutes and came back to find her sleeping on my friends lap being stroked by her.
5) Layla wanted to be everyone's friend. She would wag her tail, perk up her ears and eagerly approach all dogs that came her way. She has been growled at, ignored and even bitten during these escapades but nothing dimmed her enthusiasm. And let me tell you all the dogs she has ever approached have finally succumbed to her charms!
6) There is this water bowl we have placed outside our house for stray animals to drink water from. It sits under a neem tree so it often has twigs and leaves and the bowl is generally not the cleanest, but our queen cannot be kept away from it. She slurps ravenously like she has been deprived of water and getting her away from it is a tug of war I have never won.
7) Who says OCDs are for people alone. This dog would only get into the car from the left, get off only from the right, has to be the first one in and out of the lift, has to pee and poop on the same exact spot everyday, climb the bed from a certain side only. She made sure we knew all this and that she got her way always.
8) If I have learnt something from Layla it is to live life to the fullest, to never let anything stop you from having fun. She coped with some serious pain and discomfort for a large part of her life, and even her vets have been surprised by her zest for life and the surety with which she bounced back. Even when she lost mobility in her hind legs, my sister and I would be holding her rear up and she would run behind trees, into crevices that the two of us wouldnt fit in, but fit we had to our highness could smell that delicious smell under that little rock.
9) Layla had this uncanny way of knowing when you needed her, she would come close to you, lay her head on your leg and within minutes be snoring gently and that was her assurance that everything will be alright. Her way of saying, you are not alone in this.
I could possibly write forever about our darling Layla, and how she brought our family closer together and changed our lives indelibly and forever. I know she is watching over me and I know we will meet again. Until then, I hope you will be running amuck in fields of daisies my darling, gorging on carrots and making all the friends you want!
☹️ to the queen, who taught us everything about love, loving her and being loved by her is the purest experience of love I've had! You brought out the best in us Lay! So much love for you!
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