These are photos of Melia in action chasing Toby around the yard. She's not the most graceful creature on the run, but she's darn cute. We were curious when our friends came over last weekend for a little outdoor cookout. Our friends have three daughters: 9 years, 6 years and almost 2 years. The girls have grown up with Toby in their lives. Before they came over, we warned them that we didn't know what Melia's history with children was, but she's a little skittish with new people. We made sure they understood that she maybe be very playful with Toby, but she may not want to play with them. I was very curious to see how Melia would react to the kids...
She started off the day by hanging close to us. It took her a few minutes to warm up to the new group of people. It wasn't long before she was submissively throwing herself at the kids' feet and happily being petted. True to herself, she wasn't very playful with the kids. She wandered amongst us and found found a spot on the ground not to far from the fire pit to be near enough to us to know she wasn't missing out on any fun. After awhile she trotted back in the house and took her spot on a snuggle bed. I think the activity (we're a pretty mellow group-- including the kids) was a bit much for her and she just needed to excuse herself to find a quiet spot. The kids would go in and check on her on occasion and she would follow them out to the yard-- as if her curiosity (or the smell of hot dogs) would overwhelm her insecurity and she just HAD to see what was going on.
All in all, it was a great day. Melia got along well with everyone and happily received pets from everyone in spite of their age or size. She showed no sign of aggression with the kids, and her tail thumped wildly when, at the end of the day, I found the two older daughters and their mom snuggled up with Melia in her dog bed. They were scheming on how to convince Dad to let them bring her home!
Although Melia passed the kid test with flying colors and no aggression, she may be best suited in a smaller household that is settled into a routine. I think she would be happiest with a small number of people (and dogs) who show consistent and predictable behavior towards her. She loves having Toby to keep her company and to play with, and she's fascinated by the miniature schnauzer that lives next door. They meet at the fence, nose to nose, and I can tell Melia is just dying to play with her. However, there's another dog on the other side of the house that barks wildly and aggressively at her and she'll cower at my side even with the safety of the fence to divide them.
If you're interested in adopting Melia, please contact Almost Heaven Golden Retriever Rescue and Sanctuary at http://www.almostheaven-golden-retriever-rescue.org/adopt.html
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