Introducing Maggie, Our New Dog

We recently adopted a local shelter dog who has made herself at home with us and fits right into the family. Her name is Maggie, which is short for Magnolia. This is the name that she came with, and because she responded so well to it and we couldn’t think of anything we really preferred, it has stuck.

She is a black Labrador Retriever mix with a few small white patches. The mix part is open to debate. Originally my sister mentioned she thought Maggie was mixed with boxer, and we tend to agree, especially considering how she plays and “boxes” the air and her toys. I read that boxers are also known as “peter pan” dogs meaning they tend to be rather puppyish for quite some time. She definitely still has that going for her, but she is only somewhere between one and one and a half years old at this point. However, the dog trainer we’ve been working with thinks she may also have some sighthound (such as a whippet or greyhound) mixed in because of the funny way that she sits and the shape of her back legs, the way her back actually slopes up, and how fast she is. I guess she’s just a real mutt! 🙂

Here she is on the day we brought her home from the shelter. She is amazingly well behaved in the car. She is also very quiet and rarely barks, which we love.

Here are various other pictures we’ve taken of her.

Looking like a working dog!

“It’s hard to have to wait for my food.”

Cuddle bug.

She is a very sweet dog, loves to cuddle and get attention, and is doing very well in the house and yard, learning how to follow new commands. We are working with a trainer though, because she has some things to learn about good leash behavior, not pulling, and in general just dealing with distractions and focusing on us, especially when we are out and about. We are seeing improvements though and the trainer is teaching us other great things as well. Considering she was found as a stray, she has already come a long way. We are excited to have a dog and to be her forever home!