Puppy Leia, Princess of our Universe

Her name is Leia, named after a princess who lived long ago in a universe far, far away. But during the first months of her life she didn't exactly live like a princess.

This photo shows how two friends found her at a greenhouse: malnourished and covered with ticks. She was probably kicked. On one side of her mouth there are a few teeth missing and her right hind was trailing and still is the weaker one.

We took Leia in in the second week of March. In the first week she received various medications and painkillers and we had to take her to the vet to pull another loose tooth. She was weak and low on energy, but she was not afraid of people. Many dogs would steer clear from people after such a bad start. Not Leia, she is very resilient.

Ever since she got off the medication, we see improvement every day. She behaves more and more like a healthy puppy. She has a lot of energy, no longer drags with her hind leg and it is almost as if we can see her grow. She will continue to do so, because she is half Spanish Mastin. These are dogs that protect herds of sheep and goats from wolves and other predators, and they do so mainly because of their impressive size. She likes to play with other dogs. Especially with Harry, the younger one of John and Juani's two dogs.

We are busy raising her and luckily she is smart. Also very stubborn, just like us. It must be karma. We want to teach her as much as possible before she is fully grown, because after that we can forget about it. Then she will walk over us with ease, literally.

Below you can see what Leia could look like when she is fully grown. She will eat a lot when she is fully grown. Fortunately, we chose to buy a panel truck last year...