Nutter by day, princess by night, and a once-in-a-lifetime kind of dog.
Layla is named after the PBR bucking bull, Western Wishes, and the Clapton song, Layla. In Arabic, Layla means "dark-haired beauty."
Layla's nicknames: Pie, Pie-Oh-My
Layla's song: Eric Clapton / Derek & the Dominos - "Layla"
The benevolent matriarch of Flyway Farm and diva extraordinaire, Layla keeps the peace in my pack 
of five relying only on her wiley ways and without ever having to raise a lip or issue a growl. Armed with a bubbly personality and lust for life, Layla seeks to make friends with anyone and everyone she meets, especially kids. Her perpetually wagging tail and “look at me” attitude never fail. Despite her independent love of everyone, Layla is always in-tune with me, seeming to know what I'm thinking or feeling often before I do - an endearing trait that has created an unbreakable bond. Confident in any situation, she takes everything in stride and is always looking at the bright side of life. Layla is easy to have around the house - she settles nicely and is the only dog in my pack who is completely trustworthy when left alone, even with food on the counter.
At home, Layla is always at my feet and never passes an opportunity to lounge on the couch, but once set to a task, she is full-tilt. Motivated by a love of the game, Layla is a highly trainable dog who loves to learn new things. Her explosive 
drive, determination, and independence are balanced by an eagerness to please, and attentive nature. She is a fast and athletic retriever; a speed demon on land and in the water. An excellent marker with endless perseverance, she easily earned her Junior Hunter and has shown great promise to continue her hunt test career as we transition to Senior, reliably retrieving multiples and progressing quickly on her handling. Steadiness, however, remains a bit of an issue as she seems to know the exact moment when I drop my guard. Layla recently started competing in agility and has earned her Novice agility titles. As she continues to settle into the trial-mode, her speed on course is beginning to approach what it is in training.
Layla’s passion for work and birds shines 
especially bright in the upland field. I'm fortunate that she points live game because she works fields with the speed, independent confidence, and stamina of a pointer. She is a soft-mouthed and self-reliant retriever, and will work any obstacle – ditches, tule thickets, and thick cover. Layla is bold in the water and will push through very long swims and all manner of cover to get her birds. She settles nicely in a blind but prefers to be running free in a field.
Layla easily earned her championship with four majors. In her solitary appearance as a special, she won Best of Breed at the Golden Gate Kennel Club’s benched show at the Cow 
Palace in January, 2007. Layla is a feminine bitch but is well-muscled and has adequate bone. Layla is nicely angulated in the front and rear, has a rock solid topline, a proper croup and tailset, and tight feet. Her movement is clean, graceful and efficient. Layla’s headpiece is especially gorgeous – a well-proportioned, one-piece head with a correct ear-set, intelligent expression, and dark almond-shaped eyes. She tends not to carry a dense coat, but has adequate feathering.
Layla is co-owned with Shari Hughes and Mark Strathaus of Rockyhill Kennels.
