My name is Myah!

**Many thanks to Jenn Wilson Photography www.jennwilson.com for taking professional pictures of Myah!**

Myah is a beautiful dog. She is 3 years old and weighs 65 lbs. She was born of two neighbourhood mix breeds, a border collie\red heeler and a golden retriever/shepherd, and adopted by a family who loved her. There she stayed for her first year and a half where she played with the children and went with her mom to three levels of obedience classes where she did very well. Shy towards strangers from day one, this all too common trait got Myah in trouble when she started acting more fearful of unfamilliar people. Her owners decided she was not the best dog to have around client's children at their daycare. Although, to Myah's credit, she never showed anything but tolerance and love for kids.

Since then Myah has been living in foster care to help her gain better people skills and learn independence. Her foster home reports, that she was not nearly as reserved as previously expected, in fact she is very easy to live with and introduce to new people as long as some basic rules of positive reinforcement are followed. Myah can bond quickly and within a few days she will be completely devoted to a new owner.

As soon as her initial reservations wears off Myah is a well balanced, hearty and goofy retriever mix who loves to play play play. She adores playing with other dogs and has great dog-dog social skills. She seems equally capable of play wrestling with big rottweilers and little chihuahuas. Myah also likes to bounce around with her people, fetch toys and splash in the river. She is the type of dog who would thrive on going to dog parks and doggie daycare.

She can walk nicely, sit, lie down, fetch, shake hands and do a few other tricks. Myah is house trained and has never had one accident since being in foster care. She has not been destructive in the house (although she needs her own chew toys) and sleeps calmly on a dog bed beside her person. She is fine with confident cats and other pets. She can be crated but is also non-destructive if not crated. She struggles with being alone and will do best with an owner who is home during the day or one who works but has a stable schedule that Myah can adjust to. What Myah craves most is consistency, a gentle hand and clear boundaries so she does not need to feel anxious.

Myah loves to play fetch and run around with toys. She's pleasant to go hiking with and has a good recall. She has been biking with her foster home and loves it (and boy does it tire her out fast). She has also been rollerblading with her dog-sitter and she loved that too.

Myah will be a great companion. She is hearty and energetic without being high intensity or over the top. Myah should go to an adult only home. She is an easy keeper in the house and has her puppy issues long behind her. Because she is such a Velcro dog her greatest struggle is being alone, but in this respect she seems to thrive on routine and would probably have a ball if adopted by working owners who could send her to doggie daycare or out with a good group dog walker. Her foster home will provide a worksheet of what techniques have best helped her in foster care so her forever family can be consistent.

An update from Myah's foster mom (Dec. 19): Myah is doing very well and a couple of weekends ago when it was mild we found a new game she likes. She loves to jump and catch the water from the hose.

She plays very well with the other dogs in the house but she loves playing fetch the most. She has one toy that she loves to play with and will not fetch anything else while that one is about. She would play until she fell over so we have to say enough and put the toy away.Myah is a beautiful dog. She is 3 years old and weighs 65 lbs. She was born of two neighbourhood mix breeds, a border collie\red heeler and a golden retriever/shepherd, and adopted by a family who loved her. There she stayed for her first year and a half where she played with the children and went with her mom to three levels of obedience classes where she did very well. Shy towards strangers from day one, this all too common trait got Myah in trouble when she started acting more fearful of unfamilliar people. Her owners decided she was not the best dog to have around client's children at their daycare. Although, to Myah's credit, she never showed anything but tolerance and love for kids.

Myah has been with us a while now and she lovely girl, with a lovely sweet nature. She is shy of new people and may bark when she first meets them but after a short while she warms up. However she takes a couple of days of being with someone to thaw out completely and start to trust them. Once she does then she is just like any other retriever cross.

She loves to cuddle on your lap and she sleeps on the bed with her foster brothers and sisters. She has met a lot of dogs in our household and has not come across one she does not like. She does wonderful play bows and also will nudge the other dog with her nose when she wants to play.

Myah would enjoy the company of another dog or some people who are home. She can be left with the full run of the house while you are out and she does not touch anything she should not. When Myah first came into the rescue she did not like being left at all now she is fine with her Kong and does not worry when you leave, she will get very excited to see you when you get home and although she is good at being left she likes it much better when you are at home.

Myah loves to run with other dogs and she will play fetch, she would be great a doggy daycare or in a dog park

Myah also likes to play with the water from the hose and will jump to catch it.



Myah has a little quirk when you sneeze she will come over and jump up to check on you, she came with this behaviour. She has learnt that I say I am alright and she does not jump.

Myah will counter surf and she can open Tupperware containers, so she is a great dog for making you put food away and not leave things on the counter.

When you are in the house Myah settles well she is generally lying nearby wherever you are. She is a talker I have never heard her whine. She does a low grumble in her throat to ask to go out or if her toy is somewhere she cannot get to it she will look in that general direction and grumble.

Myah has done 3 levels of obedience and knows shake a paw and the drop. However she can be slow hoping that a treat is about and just checking before she does what is asked of her.

Unfortunately for Myah she got a labeled a “dangerous dog” by the City of Cambridge. She can be territorial and has herding breeds in her. She got out of the house she used to live in and bit a passing skateboarder. Every dog has the potential to bite if the right circumstances happen. However Myah has been with us over a year and has barked at people and is certainly nervous of new people. But she has never shown any sign that she is thinking of biting.

We would love to see Myah get a forever home, and not let one incident impact the rest of her life. She is a lovely girl very dedicated to her people once she gets to know them. She has a lot of love to give and would make a wonderful companion for the right person.

Myah is available for adoption through Grand River All Breed Rescue. Her adoption fee is $375. All of our dogs are spayed or neutered, microchipped, vaccinated, and heartworm tested as part of their adoption. Please fill out an application at our website www.grandriverallbreedrescue.ca You can also reach us by email at GrandRiverRescue@hotmail.com