Where to begin on my old gal? I acquired Mya and her littermate when they were 9 months old. The way they had been raised thus far was not what I would call optimum. Mya grabbed my heart from the get go and I promised her she would always be my special girl. Mya has been my Shiloh ambassador for years. She can make anyone feel like they are the most special person in the world. When people come to visit, Mya lays at, or on their feet and rests her head on their leg and just stares at them with the softest deep brown loving eyes ever. As sweet as she is, she has always been the alpha female, but no one would know it. She just has an aura that all the other dogs have always respected, she doesn't need to bully to prove anything to any of them. Mya is great with any dog I allow into my home, but she does have a presence about her that demands respect.

She gave me three litters of some of my best progeny ever with Taz. Some may remember names like Tatonka, Skye, Colonel, Mirage but there were many others some of which are therapy dogs and others that have just been awesome family members.

Mya is now 10 1/2 years old. Sometimes you can see her age, gray muzzle, eyes maybe a bit cloudy, other times she still acts like a puppy dancing for her dinner, and always carrying her stuffy around to give to who ever comes for a visit and still has such a fluid trot. I can honestly say I can't think of anyone thru the many years that haven't fallen in love with Mya after they have met her.

I didn't show Mya much, she didn't really like the ring. She has two 5 point majors, but I never pushed her to finish, as that is not what she wanted to do. Instead I let her progeny carry the torch in the show ring. Mya was and is the proverbial mother to all pups. Over the years when one of my girls was having pups it was hard to get Mya out of the whelping box, she wanted to have more pups so badly.

Last year was a bit rough. Mya had a benign tumor and half of her tail was amputated, and at the same time a tumor removed from her mammary glands. She is doing great, a bit slower these days, but still right there to greet everyone who visits, and she can still leap over a baby gate.

Some of Mya's favorite things are to play with her stuffy,car rides and to be with me at all times. She also loves and hangs with Gazer. To watch these two older dogs play in the yard brings such a smile to ones face.

To me, Mya embodies the Shiloh look and temperament, she has my heart and I am so grateful for each and every day I have to spend with her. She truly is an old grand dam and I pray for many more years with her in my life, as I can't imagine her not being with me.