Nia is a gorgeous year and a half old Shepherd mix. She was a shy puppy, and was adopted to a lovely family in the Bay area. As she matured, she showed a high prey drive, and became more fearful of strangers and children, beginning to display some aggression, and was having difficulty in their urban environment. She was just too stressed with the noise and hustle and bustle, and too difficult for her family to manage.

We brought Nia back to Guatemala in September so we could evaluate her and see if living in a more rural environment with other dogs might lower her stress level.

Nia has blossomed in the more outdoor, open air setting of the rescue. We have polished up her basic obedience skills and she now has a stellar recall. She LOVES the other dogs and pups, and plays well with them. We have had zero issues with her on or off-leash with new people in the open space of the rescue, and she has been absolutely fine with older children, too. She does exhibit some wariness with new men entering, but warms up quickly with treats. Like many dogs, she is not comfortable being pet by strangers when she is on leash, and she shows her discomfort very clearly by stiffening and will growl if the stranger perseveres. We ask people not to pet her until she is comfortable with them and approaches on her own accord.

Nia has a high prey drive, and gets very excited to chase squirrels and birds. She utters a high-pitched excitement yip-yip-yip when she chases them. Nia loves cuddles and loves being around people. She is very ready to be adopted now, although we are looking for a local adoption only for this gorgeous dog. We would love to find a home where she will have a good-sized outdoor space to run and play in.  She would do best with no smaller animals in the home (such as rabbits or fowl, possibly cats). Please contact us if you’d like more information about Nia, or would like to meet her.