As of today, Leela has lived with us for four weeks. She has come a long way from the raggedy little dog that stole my heart at a souvenir shop in El Paso.

Leela has gained about four pounds and her coat is glossy and almost totally dandruff-free.

We actually had to teach her how to play with toys. Initially, she would ignore toys or get confused when presented with them. This probably means she didn’t interact with or have toys in the past. Now, Leela can fetch and catch a ball with her mouth in the air. She’s pretty rough on her toys – everything gets chewed to shreds. ST bought her a crocheted pig that she tore the stuffing out of. We don’t mind because she doesn’t chew anything else – only her stuff.

She’s terrified of the train and other loud sounds. When we’re out for a walk and she hears the train passing by, she shakes violently and stays close or tries to run away. The same goes for when we’re disciplining her – she immediately starts shaking and buries her head in your lap if you’re sitting or gives you kisses if you’re standing.

Her favorite activities are running, walking, playing with her toys, sleeping, and cuddling. She loves playing with other dogs in the park. We let her off the leash as much as we can and she always comes back when we call. That makes us beam with pride.

I never thought I could be so into a dog but she wiggled her little self into my heart.