Hannah had a great and busy memorial day weekend and days following it. She enjoyed a muddy wrestling match with our resident dog which resulted in a quick spray down from the hose which Hannah didn't enjoy however tolerated it very well by standing nicely.

Hannah also enjoyed a get together on our deck and chose a nice spot on the couch to take an afternoon snooze.

Hannah spent a warm sunny day in a doggy pool with friends digging and splashing like crazy. She was able to entertain everyone (people and dogs included).

Hannah did well meeting new people this weekend and enjoyed being around them. FM did great by reminding people to let her come to them versus reaching out to her first. Hannah continues to work on building trust with people and will often shy away if people try to pet her unexpectedly. Hannah will allow anyone to pet her if FM is also petting her. Hannah attempted a walk alone with FD tonight and got to the end of the street but then wouldn't walk any further. FM got home and Hannah went on a walk with ease with her independently.

Hannah continues to make great progress every day. She is very excited to head to Coon Rapids this Saturday at Petco for a meet and greet!

We continue to learn about Hannah and her personality. It's been so fun to see her grow (literally!). She came to RAGOM from a neglect/hoarding situation, and weighed 24 pounds. We are so happy to report that Hannah weighs 38 pounds now, and our vet thinks 40 pounds will be her ideal weight.

Hannah eats primarily kibble, but we've supplemented with various training treats and healthy indulgences like plain yogurt, baby carrots, cheese, and she even got some left-over salmon the other night - yummy! We loved treating her to what we assume was her very first "kid-sized" ice cream cone.

Hannah would really benefit from some obedience training. She is very smart, treat motivated, and we think she's at the point where she can handle the next challenge of learning some skills (e.g., "down," "heel," "leave it"). Hannah has a lot of energy that needs to be let out both physically and mentally. Physically, she loves to run and play. Mentally, she would do well with obedience training and other games (see http://www.mnn.com/family/pets/stories/10-brain-games-to-play-with-your-dog). As we've mentioned in previous posts, Hannah knows "sit" very well. Here is a photo of Hannah sitting in hopes of some food dropping to the floor. :-)

Assuming Hannah is around four years old, and that she had been neglected for some time, she is still learning what it's like to live in a "normal" situation. For example, we've noticed that some sounds cause her alarm. When she hears a phone ringing (in real life or on TV), she seems frightened and barks. If she is in her kennel, she barks a few times, and can then be re-directed to a Nylabone or something else. If she has free-roam in the house, she will bark and then pace around (maybe trying to find the source of the noise?). Again, her focus can be re-directed pretty quickly without incident. Hannah is also fascinated by new items. She has never chewed on our shoes, boots, or other things like that lying around the house. However, this morning, she noticed some magazines that I placed on the floor ready to go to our recycling bin. She scooped one up in her mouth and started chewing on it. A verbal "uh-uh" seemed to do the trick.

While Hannah is high-energy, she is able to relax. While I'm preparing food in the kitchen, she is able to lay down by my feet and rest. She was even able to cuddle up next to our shy black lab the other day, which made us so happy.

Here is a pic of Hannah playing "tug" with our Golden, as well as Hannah relaxing outside with a Nylabone. Enjoy!

We are so proud of Hannah and the progress she has made. It's hard to believe how much she has grown and changed over the last few weeks. She came to RAGOM as a scared, malnourished dog with evidence of fleas, filthy ears, loss of hair around her ears due to fly or other insect bites. In a very short amount of time, she has gained a healthy amount of weight, learned how to walk up and down stairs, and has come to trust her human caregivers. See before and after pictures below.

Below are some updates about Hannah:

• No resource guarding issues. She is able to wait her turn for treats, and there haven't been any issues with all three dogs (Hannah plus our two resident dogs) enjoying bully sticks or other toys/balls at the same time. Check out this video for a demonstration!
• Hannah is generally a happy dog! Her tail is wagging more often than not.
• Hannah plays well with other dogs and would love a sibling dog interested in play.
• She is leery of men at first, but will warm up. Men just need to give Hannah some space and let her come to them as she feels comfortable.
• Hannah does very well in the kennel during the day and at night. See some video clips of Hannah during the day (using a "blink" motion-activated camera).
• Hannah is looking for a forever home with loving, patient humans to help her continue to grow and gain confidence and skills. Hannah responds well to training, as she is eager to please and willing to "work" for treats.