This is a Courtesy Posting for Copper's Dream Rescue. See the contact info at the bottom.
Maz was rescued off the streets in Iran. He is an 18 month old, approximately 45 lb., neutered male. Our best guess is that he is a herding dog mix, likely cattle dog or border collie mix.
He is very loving and affectionate with people he knows. He is a happy, silly, sweet, and bouncy guy, who loves attention from his humans. If you are sitting outside on a chair, he will climb into the chair and lie next to you, hoping for some some pats and cuddles. He loves human attention and to lie down on his back for a tummy rub. Maz is a good balance of a loving, yet independent dog. He does not need to constantly be with his human, and is happy to wander around outside while his human is in the house.
Our boy does well when meeting people, and is sometimes slower to warm up to men, depending on the person. He loves and seeks attention from the man in his foster family.
His foster family that has two girls -- a 10 year old and 8 year old. He LOVES them and they love him. They play with Maz all the time. Maz does sometimes get excited and in an effort to get their attention to play, he nips at their pant legs. These particular girls are very dog savvy and know to get away fast when he starts to get excited and mouthy. For this reason, he is NOT recommended for a home with children. When excited his mouthiness can be incessant and difficult to stop. His mouthiness is out of excitement and does not intend to hurt anyone, but it can be too much for small people. He will need an experienced owner who is willing to put in the work, to help him stop this habit.
Maz is currently housed with two dog-aggressive dogs, and he has befriended both of them. He has been great with other dogs, after a proper introduction. He can bark or growl when he meets a new dog, especially when on leash. When getting acquainted with a new dog, after about 30 minutes of sniffing each other/meeting one another, he usually begins play bows to invite the other dog to play.
Being the equivalent of a teenager, Maz is a high-energy dog. He needs a VERY active home and/or people. Having another energetic dog to run around and play with would be beneficial. He is exuberant in his play with other dogs, and can unintentionally play a bit rough, but all in good fun. At his foster home, he plays a LOT outside with the other dogs.
Maz must have ample outdoor space and would likely not do well in a condo or apartment. He would need a home with a large enclosed yard or, ideally, a farm/ranch. He currently does not spend much time indoors (except for at night) as he gets bored, and starts to look for things to get into or to chew.
As is fitting with a herding breed, Maz is a very smart and curious pup. He needs daily mental stimulation, and would love to have a "job" to keep him busy. if he does not have enough exercise and mental stimulation, he will start to chew on things, like furniture, in his need to be busy. As we have seen with smart, energetic, young, working dogs, if you don’t give them a way to channel their need for mental and physical exercise, they will make up their own things to do, which are often destructive activities, such as chewing and taking things apart. 
Maz can get destructive if left alone, loose in the house without enough toys to keep him entertained. He is good in the crate and does NOT have severe separation anxiety. On rare occasions, he barks for a few minutes when left alone, but calms down quickly. His fosters put a light sheet over his crate or play classical music, which relaxes him. He can be left alone in the crate for several hours, and he currently sleeps overnight indoors in a crate. He can also be left alone outside in a securely fenced area for many hours - he loves to sniff everything, and explore.
He is generally easy to walk on a leash. He doesn't pull and he stays with you. He is often walked on a paved, public trail, and sidewalks in a suburban neighborhood. His fosters always walk him on a short leash when passing another person and/or dog. When on leash, sometimes when passing an unknown man or certain dogs, he barks/lunges until they pass. Certain people and dogs trigger Maz, and it is certainly due to his past history in Iran, but unclear why.
When Maz first came into rescue, he barked quite a bit. It was too much in a suburban neighborhood where the houses are very close together. He now wears a bark collar that beeps but does not hurt him when he barks, which has resolved his frequent barking issue.
Another reason that Maz would not be appropriate for a home with small children, is that he does guard his food and other prized resources (toys), against other dogs and people. About 3-months ago, when Maz first came to the U.S., a man who Maz did not know, gave him a bone, and then moved his hand toward the bone as if to take it away. Maz growled and then nipped the man. He did not break skin, but caused a red mark on his thumb. At his foster home, Maz is fed separately from other dogs, and once he starts eating, no one reaches for his bowl. If he picks up something that he shouldn’t have, his fosters never try to pull the item from his mouth. Rather, they offer him an “exchange” by showing him a new item/toy, and he will drop the one he is holding in his mouth. Maz will need a person or people who are very aware of his resource guarding with food and toys, and willing to help him work through this.
In summary, Maz is a wonderfully happy, loving, playful, and super smart guy, with enormous potential. He has already come a very long way in just a few months. He needs experienced and understanding people, who can continue to teach him how to overcome some of the habits he acquired from his life on the streets of Iran, and to learn that he doesn’t need to protect his precious food or toys. All work with Maz must be positive (treat and praise based), so he learns trust and let go of the survival worries he acquired as a street dog.
If you have questions about Maz, please contact Lee at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 415-359-5111. If you are interested in meeting Maz, please go to his adoption link at Copper’s Dream at: https://www.coppersdream.org/dogs-over-6-months.html
