Ewww.......

Our life w/ Lila is never boring......especially when it comes to anything in the outside world!!   This past weekend Bru noticed she was REALLY  interested in the bushes & he went to check it out.  She was coming out  w/ a dead baby sparrow!!!  Apparently a hawk had already done it's damage & left the body for our hunter canine to locate.  We were very thankful it wasn't the Pug who found the deceased - b/c - it would have been an appetizer!!!  Lila  dropped it & I was able to give it a proper burial ( aka garbage can BUT in one piece ).

                                                      Our great huntress.....



We usually take her for a walk first - since we can go a lot farther than w/ the 14y/o Pug & on this particular morning we did just that.  Once it was Fests' turn - he & I were 1/2 way down the block & next thing I heard was Bru calling her name rather loudly.......she ran rite past us in the street BUT when I called her name..... she turned around & came rite to me.  It was a moment of pride for me  - altho Bru was none too happy.


Later that nite we had a severe thunder storm & Trev heard her shaking in her crate from his room & remembered when I used to lay down in front of Bella when she was a pup.  He said she immediately settled down as soon as she could smell his hand in her cage.  I want to cry when I think of all the nites she huddled in her dog house during storms w/ no one to console her.........now she sleeps thru them :)

                       Here she is enjoying a bone her God Mom Joan got for her :))

Getting the Routine Down.....

We are well into owning Lila for several weeks now & I really think she is catching on to the flow of her day.  She has, hopefully, decided the Bang Estate is not too shabby !   We did have to work on our outdoor behavior a tad....but...she is doing much better.

      This was our first out door activity - she didn't mind the mower too much.

                               And actually felt she had to escort Trev back & forth.....

                  She did NOT like when he " abandoned " her  to mow the easement.....

         And went to roll the Pug in protest!!!  Fest told her off & all was well :)

She Did What?????

I volunteer @ a stable on Mondays in a hippo therapy program  - usually from 1p to 8ish.  - & when I returned this particular nite.......I was stopped by son # 1 in the kitchen.   He gave me the Reader Digest version of what took place when I was gone. When I went into the bedroom Bru was sitting up waiting for me & explained all that had happened.  Apparently, Lila was VERY active & besides wanting to chase EVERYTHING  in site when we had gone on walk earlier in the day....she decided to chase birds out of our yard.  I'm sure they were VERY  dismayed as there has been a feeder in the back yard for over 20 years & nary a canine has ever had an issue!  Then she decided to raid my rather large flower pot & consume a portion of last year's dirt, not to mention roll poor Festus on the ground - when all he was doing was his nightly grazing of anything to eat from the earth!

                                                     Thee Offender !!!



Her last act was some of her best work - our next door neighbor came out w/ his dog Marcos - a lil guy resembling Buster - & - Lila was SO excited to see not just another canine BUT also our neighbor......she walked right up to our chain link fence & proceeded to climb it!.  Bru had put Fest inside & was walking around the patio when he noticed the entire thing!  Luckily our animal loving neighbor halted her unorthodox exit & convinced her to stay on the Bang Estate. Need less to say, we now escort our lil lady to the back yard when ever nature calls :)

                                                  The not so happy couple :)

Another Great Escape !!!

Day 2 of owning our  " wild child  " -  Lila proceeded to run right thru my legs when I was leading her back in the house after her morning constitution - sound familiar??   I remember when Duds pulled the same escape route on his 2nd day here......which actually helped me in my retrieval plan :)

I knew she would head to our next door neighbor's backyard - thank you again Marco - & she did.  Knowing it was fenced all around - I ran across their front yard & was waiting for her to exit by another neighbor's  driveway.  She took one look @ me & weaved  the opposite direction :(    I " flew " thru the air to grab her collar & landed on the ground ......in my PJ's & slippers no less !!  Luckily, I didn't see any body looking 2 me & the bus had just picked up the kids for school @ the corner.....whew.

                                             I think Fest was sorry I caught her !!

I had been told she was micro-chipped BUT registered to no one & I had not had time to get an ID tag made......so had she gotten away from me - who knows how we would have found her.
Needless to say, she is now registered & tagged so IF she feels the urge to mosey @ the block - hopefully she would greet somebody dog friendly & be returned safely  :)

Later that morning - I took her down to the tennis courts & secured the gate w/ her leash & figured if she would not come back to me - I could call home & have lunch delivered!!  Luckily , she stayed @ my side while we did laps around our lil gated play area & was happy to have her leash put back on :)

Welcome to A B C

  On our drive home, she was very content to sit in the back seat w/ me & hang her head outside the window.  She turned to look @ me often as if to say - wow - this is all right!! Several times she laid down next to me & put her head on my lap - gad I love this dog :)   At a stop light in Buffalo Grove we were parked next to a big truck & there was an older gentleman smoking looking @ her......well......good thing I had her leash b/c she wanted to join him VERY badly!  It was the first time I saw her tail go a zillion miles per hour.  Sooo,  I deduced - her former owner was an elderly gent who smoked & drove a truck. ( To this day if a pick up truck passes us on our walks - she gets excited.)  Once we arrived @ 1128...I immediately took her for a walk around the block - this also gave time for Ky to let Fest out & get ready for work. She was EVERYWHERE in the beginning - kinda looked like I was walking a drunken canine!!  I lovingly (?) gave corrections & encouragement & she heeled nicely the last half of our trek :)

After Ky went to work - I kept her outside til Bru got home...SURPRISE.....& he was!!!   She was very UP, but being married to me & watching ALOT of Dog Whisperer, he knew to walk right past her & let her regain her composure....which she did :)

We brought her inside & she immediately pursued Payton ( Gracie's cousin ) & he took one look, blew up like a blow fish & flew over the gate...she of course flew after him!!  Quite the prey drive for a dog that I was told was good w/ cats - perhaps she didn't her own post :(   Then she turned her energy to Festus - who was still not a happy camper after the car ride.  BUT, he was raised w/ a Shepherd & then a Mastiff - he knew the drill & told her off loudly & repeatedly!  I only had to flip her on her back 2x for getting too " spirited " in a game Fest did NOT know he was playing.  Now he is more interested in her & then gets mad when she wants to pursue HIS game.........

                        Here is our new girl by the end of her first day in the house :)


When Trevor came home from work that night - she greeted him @ the door by plastering him to the wall while she gave him kisses.  The look on his face was one of absolute horror & I wished I had had a video camera b/c it would have been a smash on you tube!!!  Once she & he calmed down - they met for the first time - the right way :)


 Our first night together reminded me of when I brought Kyle home for the first time  - sleeping was NOT an option.  I decided to spend quality time w/ our lil lady & observe her closely.   Turns out I didn't get to do that b/c she took a census of me on the couch, Festus who was in his crate & Cheddars who was in her cage in the kitchen every half hour!!!   Rounds were made & she circled around the kitchen &  would return to the living room.  Luckily for us - she would lay down to " clean " herself once in a while or chew Bella's old bone LOUDLY.  I don't think she had many toys b/c she emptied the basket in no time & didn't care if it was a cat or dog toy - it was in her mouth!!  I  finally was about to get some shut eye......when......my husband turned on the kitchen light to start the coffee maker @ 5:15am.............seriously?????

Our new & improved sleeping arrangements - she actually went in by herself before lights out.
I kinda think it reminds her of her ole abode - aka dog house - but MUCH nicer :))


                          BTW, the definition of ABC is  Annie's Boot Camp :))

Meet Lila

I'd like to introduce you all to - Lila - our newest family member.  She is a 3y/o dark sable German Shepherd .  I found her on line Wed. morning, fell in love w/ her face & began the task of adopting  /rescuing  her.

              Here she is after our hour ride home - she LOVED the tennis ball :)



I sent the rescue place an e-mail, filled out their application, set up my references & hoped to hear back in a weeks time.  Imagine my surprise when I rec'd an email asking me to come meet her the same day???   I was thrilled !!!   I responded w/ an over whelming YES & plotted my trip on MapQuest.

Kyle had just enough time to play w/ her before he had to get to work Thursday :)



Thursday morning rolled around & I rec'd a phone call saying I had been approved - whew, that was a fast week!!!   Ky, Festus & I made the hour long trek to a northern suburb & finally  reached our destination.  She had been in their office awaiting our arrival & was looking out the window @ us.   The kennel lady asked that Fest stay outside the fenced off area until we saw her reaction.  Well, she was VERY interested & pulled the gal to the gate.  Fest was not impressed in the least & tried to ignore her the best he could ( his double tail was between his lil legs ).    I had brought Bella's old choke chain & leather leash & pronounced her a Bang as soon as I slipped it over her head :)

                                                Taking in her new back yard....



Her back history will pull @ her heart strings - she was purchased by an older couple in Indiana & was tied & placed in a dog house in their back yard .  That is where she spent most of  her childhood (?) & was later surrendered  to an animal shelter this past February.  A representative of my local rescue spotted her & decided she was just to sweet to possibly be put to death & brought her to Illinois.    While in Indiana.....she was spayed, vaccinated & micro chipped before they made the trip to Illinois.  I also read that she had been adopted out once BUT was returned - still trying to get the whole story there.