Date of adoption 8/31/10 – Dr. Shabnam Balali-Edin and Mr. Mark Edin
While visiting my mother in Iran this summer, VAFA Shelter asked if I would take a puppy to the USA for Shabnam, a VAFA supporter who wanted to adopt Darya. I agreed. They also asked if I could keep her for a few weeks as Shabnam couldn’t take her right away. I also agreed to that. Darya was delivered to me the day before my departure. I would take her out for walks during the day since she was not house trained. She had a few accidents indoors but was quick to learn that when we were outdoors, that was the place to go.
During the night, she started to cry for her good friend, another puppy at the shelter whom she was very close to. So when it was time to sleep, I picked her up and put her in my bed. She laid down next to me and slept the whole night, not once crying or making a mess.
When we arrived in the USA, my dog Max took to Darya right away. He loved to run away from her so that she would chase him, and Darya would oblige. It was so funny to see a little puppy chase Max, a full grown one, all around the yard. We have two acres of wooded land, so the two of them had a good time running around. I didn’t have to worry about Darya going off on the road since she stayed close to Max and followed his lead. We have the invisible fence for Max and he doesn’t leave the property. Darya, the smart dog that she is, did everything Max did and learned much from him. My son, Bijhan, started training her to sit for a treat. Darya still had accidents indoors, but she was starting to get the hang of things.
Darya would take Max’s toys and play with them and then she would lie down in his bed and snuggle up to him. The two of them really liked each other and would nibble at one another all the time. It seemed as if Darya had some Pointer in her; once when outdoors, she saw a squirrel and froze, pointing her nose and lifting her front leg. It was such an incredible sight. Two weeks after Darya arrived in Connecticut, Shabnam called and said she was ready to take her and I sent her off.
Sheyda
Darya was only a few months old when she came all the way to Boise, ID. She is the sweetest dog but very mischievous. She was placed in training for a total of two months and the trainer described her as “a dog who has her own agenda”. She is an ever growing puppy and wants to chew everything. She loves to play with the cats and her brothers (the dogs). Due to her training, she is more obedient than our two other dogs but still very playful. Everyone describes her as very sweet and gentle dog when they meet her. She is adored by all of us and she is part of our family.
Shabnam
