Absolutely wonderful is the best way to describe Mia, who arrived at our home last Saturday, after a very long journey from Nebraska. She has settled in remarkably well, quickly attaching herself to our family and our routines. This sweet girl, who quite frankly looks more like a Sheepdog than a Doodle, is quiet, mellow, and gets along well with our resident dog and various cats—at this point, she is much more interested in people than other animals, and is very content to curl up quietly on the floor when we are nearby. She is starting to come out of her shell, and chased and retrieved a ball for the first time yesterday, and absolutely loves to go on walks. She is a very good walker when we use a harness, and responds well to directives, for example, to keep moving and ignore other dogs that we pass along the way. She is housebroken and allowed free roam in the house at all times, including when we go to work, and even when left for five or six hours, has not had a single incident (which is more than I can say for my own dog). She is a great sleeper, and spends the night at the side of my bed. She has already learned to identify the sound of our garage door opening, and we are always greeted enthusiastically upon walking in the door. She knows “sit” and “shake” and is very polite—does not jump up on people, and loves everyone she meets.

Physically, this cuddly girl is carrying a bit more weight than she should, I am guessing fifteen to twenty pounds, but will know more after our vet visit tomorrow. She also exhibits what appears to be a bit of stiffness in her legs, which we will investigate at our vet visit as well. She doesn’t appear to be in any pain, and it doesn’t dampen her enthusiasm for her daily walks. Every day we are seeing more of her personality emerge, and we are loving what we are seeing.