Malia is my first US import and came to us all the way from Utah when she was a small puppy.  She comes from one of the most well known and successful show lines in the breed. Her breeder, Shana Witbeck, has made an legendary contribution to the Miniature American Shepherd and I am very proud to have Malia, a part of her legacy, in my kennel.
 

Malia also lives up to her name, because she has an absolutely calm, lovable and gentle nature. She is incredibly athletic, always cheerful and friendly, and often makes you chuckle with her cuteness and sweet smile. You really can't be angry with her, because she has absolutely no bad intentions, she is always sweet and good.

She doesn't ask for attention or cuddles, she just waits until you give her attention. The breed-typical will-to-please is not very pronounced with her. But she shows a good posture in the herding test, goes to the flanks on her own and can be blocked well. She doesn't have a hunting instinct at all, but loves to fetch toys. Strange dogs don't bother her at all, in the first few years she liked to encourage them to run after her. Due to her unbelievable speed and agility, it was not possible for other dogs to catch up with Malia, chasing after othr dogs isn't fun for her tough.

Malia loves water and is incredibly attentive, she has an excellent sense of hearing and smell, she always finds her ball anywhere and never misses opening the feed cupboard – although she is not greedy and always enjoys her food. She is extremely obedient and usually reacts before you have finished speaking. She doesn't question orders and can always be counted on for both: obedience and straightforward behavior.

Malia has experienced a lot with me from an early age on and is always relaxed and balanced, no matter where we are or what is going on around her. Whether in the car, bus or train, on a boat tour, in a restaurant, at a big event with hotel accommodation or on other trips and excursions – she takes it easy and doesn't attract attention at all. You can take her anywhere with you without hesitation and you can also leave her alone without any trouble, she will lie down and sleep on her own without hesitation, even if it is a strange or noisy environment and there are many people around her. Malia doesn't get nervous and overexcited. Here's a little story: When Malia was sounded by the cardiologist before her first heart ultrasound, he said: „Her heartbeat is so slow, she may have an enlarged heart... or is just extremely deeply relaxed, which I think is unlikely“. The pulse rate of a resting dog is normally 80-120 beats per minute, but during the ultrasound scan it will be 100-130/min. Malia's pulse was consistently at 60/min! Eventually, the cardiologist concluded that Malia's heart was in ideal condition and she is just incredibly chilled – even during the first visit to a previously unknown veterinary clinic.

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She is just as relaxed and easy to get along with other dogs or animals. She is generally very thoughtful and patient. She also takes great care of her puppies and is an exemplary mother. Only that she lets her pups get along with everything without rebuking them. She also doesn't get bitchy when strange dogs push her, instead she waits for me to take care of the situation for her. She's also very careful with her toys and likes to clean them, but never destroys them. Malia always is just nice and despite her gentle nature not sensitive to noise, not even during a thunderstorm or on New Year's Eve.