This very friendly older lady is Shyann the Black Lab/Akita mix! Fourth-year computer science major Matt Sutton reveals that this older gal has plenty of love to offer to just about everyone she meets. 

Shyann was originally a Christmas present for Sutton and his brother 10 years ago, when she was just a little pup! Ever since joining the family, she has filled their lives with lots of love. The Lab/Akita mix was given the first part of her name “shy” due to being very shy when the family first brought her home, and the second part “ann” coming from Sutton’s mother’s middle name. 

The Black Lab is a water dog which was bred in the United Kingdom from St. John’s water dogs. These dogs were imported from the colony of Newfoundland and were named after the Labrador region of that colony. Despite being part Black Lab, Shyann does not enjoy the water. In fact, Sutton shares that she is terrified of water. When he and his brother were staying at their grandma’s up in Michigan, they made the mistake of going out on the water in a row boat, much to Shyann’s dismay. She was so beside herself that she jumped in to try and rescue the brothers. 

“She thought the boat was taking us away or something. So, she jumped into the water, which she is terrified of but could swim in just fine. As soon as she was in the water she regretted her decision, and my dad had to lift her up and out of the water,” Sutton said. A sweet gesture, nonetheless! 

Shyann seems to have a history of looking out for her humans’ well-being, including Sutton’s grandma. 

“One time my grandma was letting Shyann out to go to the bathroom, but the porch was icy and she slipped. Shyann stopped and waited to make sure she was ok,” Sutton said. 

Though she doesn’t like water, Shyann loves to play in the snow! When she was a puppy, she would burrow under it and pop up like a rabbit. She is older now, so she doesn’t do much popping, but she still enjoys a good snow day. Perhaps she gets this from her Akita half! Akitas were originally hunting dogs bred in the mountains of northern Japan and sport a short double coat, perfectly suited for colder weather. They were also used as guarding dogs, which could explain her protective and friendly nature towards her family. However, she doesn’t seem to have inherited the desire to hunt any large animals, and much prefers to relax. 

She also enjoys playing keep away, rather than fetch. Like so many dogs, she wants her humans to chase her, instead of her chasing the toy! Shyann gets along very well with other dogs and with people, but not so much with cats. Unfortunately, she was attacked by a stray cat when she was a young puppy, and the event caused her to not enjoy their company. 

“Just about any other living thing she is friendly towards,” Sutton said.