About Mischa
Mischa is a loving, extremely friendly Golden Retriever with a soft heart and a gentle nature. She is a true homebody who adores being close to her people and regularly checks in with you throughout the day. She greets familiar humans with a toy in her mouth, happy little whines, and—when the moment strikes—some joyful zoomies.
Mischa is calm and affectionate indoors, crate trained, house- and toilet-trained, and very settled in a home environment. She would happily spend her days lounging near her humans (and would absolutely love to be on the furniture if allowed).
Where I grew up
Mischa has grown up living with three adults (65, 57, and 18 years old) and currently lives alongside an older Labrador, whom she is very comfortable with. She is used to being left at home for periods of time and does not require someone to work from home—but she would not enjoy being an only dog. Having another dog for companionship is important to her.
She has not lived with cats or pocket pets. She has lived with chickens, but that arrangement did not go well, so a home without small animals is essential.
A good fit for me is...
Mischa is a sensitive girl who needs a calm, understanding home that can support her ongoing training and management.
She experiences:
- Severe fear of loud noises, particularly traffic and rubbish trucks
- Severe fear of traffic, especially trucks, motorbikes, and louder vehicles
- Moderate fear of novel objects, particularly those that move or make noise (kids’ toys, prams, ride-on toys)
- Severe anxiety around car travel, including motion sickness (managed with medication)
- Mild body sensitivity when objects touch her
The garbage truck is a significant trigger for Mischa—she will run and hide in the furthest room of the house when she hears it and will panic if encountered while out on a walk.
Mischa despises the car and is not a road-trip dog. On the rare occasions she needs to travel (e.g. vet visits), she will require someone physically able to lift a fully grown Golden Retriever into the car. She is most settled in the back seat with another dog and has never travelled in the footwell due to stress.
Her ideal home would include:
- Another older, calm, well-mannered dog to help show her the ropes
- A quiet household, away from busy roads and heavy traffic
- A lifestyle focused on peaceful leash walks in quiet streets, trips to a calm beach or dog park, and relaxing at home
- Kids who visit rather than live full-time in the home, due to noise and moving toys
- A family comfortable administering daily anxiety medication and occasional travel medication
She would love to live primarily indoors with access to a yard via a dog door (which she would need to be taught).
Mischa’s trainer and foster carers have been actively working on her sensitivities and will provide detailed notes and strategies. She is currently on behavioural medication to support her training, and the SED veterinary team will fully guide her new family through her care.
My personality traits
Mischa absolutely adores people of all ages. She is incredibly gentle and calm with children and often gravitates towards them, though busy environments with lots of movement, noise, and toys can be overwhelming for her. She is quite submissive with both people and dogs—often crouching low or rolling onto her back when greeting.
She loves dog toys and chews (especially quiet ones—no squeakers please!) and enjoys relaxed leash walks. She walks beautifully on a flat collar or body harness and has never worn a head collar. She’s fine with stairs but finds lifts very scary, which is something to consider for apartment living or vet visits.
