Lens And Leash: Who is this adoption story about?
Carrie Schrauder: Maia, my 3 year old female Aussie, Border Collie and Husky mix.
Carrie Patterson And Maia
Lens And Leash: What made you decide to adopt?
Carrie Schrauder: It had been over 4 years since our boy Bailey (Border Collie/Aussie mix) passed away, and I was ready to consider a new dog. I didn’t want a puppy.
Lens And Leash: When and where did you adopt Maia?
Carrie Schrauder: October 2015 at the Animal Adoption Center in Jackson Hole.
Lens And Leash: How old was Maia when you adopted her and do you know anything about her life before you adopted her?
Carrie Schrauder: Maia was just over a year old. She was a stray dog living on a reservation in northern Montana. When the rescuers found her, she had a litter of 4 tiny puppies. They took Maia and her pups in, and after spaying her and getting her up to date on vaccinations, she and her pups were moved to a rescue in Anaconda, MT. Once her pups were adopted, they moved Maia to Jackson.
Lens And Leash: What made you decide to adopt Maia specifically?
Carrie Schrauder: I saw a picture of Maia posted on FB. It stated she was a border collie/Aussie mix – same mix as our old boy Bailey. She looked sweet and her description stated she was house broken and great with kids (we had a 5 year old at the time). I stopped by the AAC and got to know a bit more about her. She was really friendly – I decided to take her home and foster her for one week. We put her in the back of our SUV, but she insisted on being next to me in the front passenger seat. She fit right in and was really patient with our son. She was really relaxed and communicated well, like when she needed to go outside or when she was hungry. She loved to go for hikes with Henry up Josie’s Ridge. She also didn’t bark… At all. After one week, we decided to adopt her!
Lens And Leash: What is your favorite quirk about Maia?
Carrie Schrauder: Maia is really social and loves people. She loves to give hugs. Although we’ve trained her not to jump up, she still finds a way to put her front paws on your knees while keeping her bottom on the ground. She also gets so excited to see us in the morning, so much so that she wiggles around so tight that her tail smacks her in the face. Same happens when we walk our son to the school bus in the morning. She just so sweet and lovable. She also LOVES to howl like a wolf. Maia loves to backcountry ski and mountain bike. She is fast and has tons of energy.
Lens And Leash: Did you have to do any training with her after you adopted her?
Carrie Schrauder: Maia was house broken, but still needed to learn to listen. We got her a training collar and she took to it well. She also needed to socialize better with small dogs. The training collar helped with that too. She is very smart and easy to train. We also had to train her to stay in our yard. She loves to wander and hunt for mice, but at first she would be gone for hours. We got her a PetSafe collar and radar signal homing device that keeps her within the perimeter of our yard while giving her freedom to roam our 1/5 acre property.
Lens And Leash: What tips or pieces of advice would you offer to people that are looking to adopt for the first time?
Carrie Schrauder: If you have kids, getting a dog that is already house broken is pretty wonderful. Also, find a dog who is exponentially patient with your kids. Choose a breed or mix you’re familiar with or comfortable training. Make sure you train your dog to behave socially, keep them under control out of respect for others, especially your neighbors, and train them to stay in your yard. Responsible and respectful dog owners have happy dogs!
Lens And Leash: Would you adopt again and would you adopt from the same shelter/rescue?
Carrie Schrauder: Yes and yes!
