Guess what? We have a new family member. It’s been about four months since we lost Sweet Pea. Chase has been a little down all that time. Now he has a playmate and she is a great girl.

Here we are! This is the best photo I could get with both dogs. The pretty girl in front is Layla. Chase is peeking over her head. Sue found Layla through the Big Mutt Network. Layla is a Cane Corso/Boerboel Mix. Both are Mastiffs. Cane Corso are Italian Mastiffs and the Boerboel is from South Africa. Both are working dogs for farms and hunters. They are highly intelligent, super strong, and incredibly stubborn. We’ve seen all of that in the 24+ hours that she’s been here.

This photo was taken after we finished with chores this morning. It took quite a while to get things done. She is such a power house of energy! We had to get to know how to work with each other. The only reason we were able to get things done is because I dug out Belle’s Hilti, which is a type of gentle leader. It goes across the nose, like a halter. It is not in any way a muzzle. It just keeps her from pulling. When she pulls on the lead, the Hilti makes here head turn to the right or left which stops her from pulling forward. Works really well. Especially with strong, stubborn young Mastiff Mixes.

In addition to the stubborn streak and the strength- she is beautiful. Her coat is like velvet and her eyes are that same fawn color. She has very faint brindle markings which are common with both breeds. She is doing pretty well getting acclimated to the family. We’ll continue to work things out and she’ll be a great addition to the family.

We’ve had another addition on the farm, but I’m waiting to tell you about it next time. Until then,
as always~
Thanks for reading!