Lilah

Lilah

Lilah is a small border collie mix, with glossy, obsidian-black fur, a sweeping silky tail and eyes the color of caramels. She walks on paws so silent, you’d think she’s part cat. She’s a stealth dog, her dark coat enabling her to disappear into the dark; Lilah means “night” in Hebrew. Lilah came to us, along with Jasper, from a kill shelter in Louisiana, through Husky House, and a local foster parent. As best we figure, Lilah was born in April of 2009.

“Littermates:” Jasper and Lilah

A smart dog, Lilah notices everything, much like Rosie. Once we removed a huge entertainment center from our family room, and when Lilah walked in, she instantly realized Something was Different and it needed to be investigated.  Over the next half hour she walked over to where the unit had stood and stretched her thin frame out to sniff where it was, several times. It took her about an hour or so of inspection and Deep Thought before it met with her approval. Nothing gets by Lilah.

Lilah is playful, and loves new toys, once they’ve been thoroughly reviewed, of course.  Outside, she’ll chase a ball, a frisbee, and nearly any other tossable dog toy, including sticks. Sometimes she brings them back so I can throw them again, but usually the best game is to run by the Jasper and Tucker with a I-have-something-that-you-don’t glint in her eye. The idea is to entice the boys to try to take it away; if they engage, they rarely win.

Lilah would love for Tucker to just try and take that stick.

Inside the house, Lilah will pick up a rubber ball or a Kong and throw it, just to watch it bounce. Stuffed toys are no match for her as she excels in disemboweling because if there’s a squeaker, it Must Be Removed. She also loves a good game of Tug with any of her family members–human or canine.

This is Lilah’s toy. You cannot have it.

With a sweet and gentle personality, Lilah is quite friendly when she meets new dogs or people.  Unless they’re too tall or look different than she expects.  Like if you’re wearing a hat, or are carrying Something Suspicious.  Then she’ll discuss the situation briefly, and with a treat for encouragement, she’ll offer sniffs, wags and kisses.

Sweet Lilah

When she first joined our family, Lilah was scared of everything from my mom’s purse to a bouquet of flowers. Lots of love, treats and training went into helping her gain her confidence; she’s done agility training as well, which helped her tremendously. (Read the post Lilah Becoming Brave to get the whole story.) Now we play “Touch it with Your Nose” any time there’s something new and possibly Scary, and she’s become very very Brave and much more sure of herself. She’s a happy, friendly curious dog now, and very little bothers her–not even the vacuum cleaner!

Lilah, smiling

A visitor to our home might find Lilah laying next to his or her feet. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it’s a good indicator that the person is a calm, centered and warm. She’s a great judge of character.

Lilah as Tucker’s pillow

When Jasper and Lilah were young, it was easy to see their  mutual love. As puppies and even teens, their favorite toys was each other, and someone always seemed to be reaching out to grab a foot or gently nip an ear or mouth a muzzle.  As he matured Jasper got a little lazier, and we would joke that Lilah needed a puppy to play with when her brother seemed a little less keen to run. When Tucker joined the family, he filled that role–and some–and he and Lilah love to play Chase.

The chase is on!

There is often much discussion over toys and bones, as another dog always has The Best One. As puppies, Jasper and Lilah would sometimes chew on the same bone simultaneously, even if there is another bone that is exactly the same only inches away.

That’s Lilah’s lion, Tucker.

Probably the smartest of the dogs, Lilah is combination Mom, doctor and mischievous instigator, egging her brothers on to roughhouse, and then cleaning their ears afterwards. Lilah is beauty–and brains.

Look into those soulful eyes