MIA HAS BEEN ADOPTED
~* SWeet, MeLLoW ShepHerd JuSt WaNts to StAy by YoUr SiDe (PICS) *~
Mia comes from the spanish word Miel, which means Honey. And that not only describes her coloring but it exactly describes her nature.
Mia is an approximately 4-year old Belgian Malinois (not a german shepherd mix as we had previously thought). She is about 55 lbs. Mia is crate-trained, very calm, quiet, friendly with dogs and children, and really only wants to be around her people. We took Mia in as a foster when a potential adopter fell through and she had no other place to go. We hope in writing this ad that we provide you with at least a glimpse into the beauty that makes this dog so wonderful.
Mia hungers for human companionship, and once she's got you in her sight, she won't let you go. She loves resting her muzzle on your lap and gives very gentle licks.
When we brought Mia into the house, it was like giving her a huge treat. While never rambunctious or hyper, it was very clear that she reveled being inside with us. Sometimes when we take her out to the backyard again, she doesn't want to go, as if she just never wants to leave the comfort and security of being where her people live. Mia is starting to get more comfortable with the idea of going out the more she realizes she will be welcome back inside.
Mia is very calm, very quiet and laid-back. We kept her separated from our 2 dogs the first night we brought her home because she had had an incredibly long journey that day and since she was in a new environment, we didn't want to overwhelm her all at once. Our dogs knew something was afoot though because they barked and whined. Never was there a peep from Mia throughout all the ruckus our dogs were making. She has a very soft bark, which she will use occassionally like when she hears strange noises in the middle of the night. During the rare times she does bark, I thank her for letting me know that something's going on, tell her to be quiet, and she does.
When we first introduced Mia to our 2 dogs, there wasn't much interaction between them at first. But by that same afternoon, as you can see, they were all 3 playing a bit. Day by day, Mia is learning to play more and more with our dogs. We can tell she never really played with dogs before because she mostly just mimics how our dogs play.
However, Mia would still much rather be with her human, and at the slightest call, she would come over to me, to put her head on my lap or give me a soft sniff or lick.
Mia is excellent on leash. She can sometimes get just a bit ahead and then pull slightly, but a gentle tug on the leash and she will slow down for you. I take her with me when I walk to the bank about 5 blocks away to drop off my deposits because she's really no extra trouble at all. We also walk her up a small trail with our dogs. While our dogs go off and play, Mia remains on the trail close to us. Exercise is definitely recommended to keep Mia in shape and help her lose some of her extra pounds, but she's content with a leisurely stroll where she can stop to sniff the flowers.
Mia is very tolerant and submissive. I am usually wary of giving a new foster a bath just because I don't know how they will react to being lifted into the tub. But after spending just 1 night and a few hours in the morning with Mia, I knew I had nothing to be worried about with her. She allowed me to lift her into the tub without any problem, and while she didn't enjoy the bath and was probably unsure and a little frightened by it, she patiently let me bathe her. Mia submitted to being examed at the vet's office even though I could tell she was quite nervous. Mia recently crawled under our backyard fence and got into our neighbor's yard. Our neighbor has 3 outdoor cats and she said that Mia couldn't care less about them, walked right past them. I know nothing about cats or their interaction with dogs, but I think this might mean that Mia is ok with cats. It would probably be a good idea to test her with yours. Mia takes food from our hands with gentleness and lets the neighborhood children pet her. She also patiently puts up with our younger dogs' rowdiness and my attempts to accessorize her.
We're giving Mia a refresher course on housetraining. She hasn't yet found a way to let us know that she needs to go outside to pee, so the few accidents we've had have been a result of us forgetting to let her out, which we try to do every few hours. A doggie door would be a convenient tool because she would learn to use it in no time. When we are about to go outside, I show her that I have a treat in my hand. Once she does her business, she gets the treat, and this has really encouraged her to pee outside whenever we take her out for that purpose. Aside from this, the one bad habit Mia has is that she occassionally puts her 2 front paws up on the kitchen counter if there's food up there. But all you have to do is tell her to get off, and she will. Mia is not headstrong at all so she is very trainable. She has also learned to "sit." When we're not home, she and our other dogs are crated. Mia doesn't make a peep in her crate and is just content to sleep there. She sometimes even sleeps in the crate when we are home and the crate door is open.
Mia will make a very loving and loyal companion. Her temperament is sweet and gentle, and we'd like her to stay that way. She's a mellow dog that doesn't require a big yard or a ton of exercise. Nothing would make her happier than to just lay beside you as you pet her while sitting on the couch watching TV. What we do request for her is that she be an indoor dog and treated like an integral member of your family. She is just too loving and too social to be relegated to a garage or backyard. She has known a lot of love here with us and we hope she finds just as much love in her forever home. Mia asks for so little yet will give you her heart in return.
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Here is what the coordinator at GEPDA had to say about Mia:
It was sooo wonderful seeing Mia again and she recognized me!!!! She is like a cuddle bear and I just kissed her all over and wanted to cry when I saw her again....I can understand why she didn't want to go outside...that is where she has been all of her life and she wanted to stick like glue to you and being inside is like a dream come true for her...and she felt so alone with no company out there maybe without your dogs...I knew she would be fine with your doggies....she doesn't have a mean bone in her body.....
Your letter made us sooo happy and we felt so secure when we heard all the wonderful things you had said about Mia....Yes, she is a lady for sure and is sooo starved for human affections....that is why I want to find the best people that can give her this love that she sooo deserves..
MIA HAS BEEN ADOPTED