I would like to do a brief update just dealing with Nikki's reactiveness with other dogs.  Nikki has now been introduced to two other dogs ( one mellow and one very high energy) on separate occasions and there were no problems whatsoever....she socialized beautifully with both pups. She really seems to enjoy the company of having another dog to engage with. Another pup was here for the past weekend and there was not one growl the entire time. Another dog in her forever home is now optional. I am so happy for her.....another step closer to her forever home!

She continues to bark when she sees dogs walking by the house but it is all show.

Nikki has been with us for a week and a half now.  She had a family very interested in meeting her, unfortunately that did not work out to be a match.  That’s OK because at RAGOM we want every dog to get the perfect family and every family to get the perfect dog.  Nikki gets along great with Buddy the old resident lab mix.  They just leave each other alone.  She has a more difficult relationship with my resident golden Sasha.  Often they will ignore each other and they have their own spaces and own toys.  Sometimes they will play until they wear each other out.  Sometimes there is a little resource or territory guarding.  I’m not even sure which dog is starting it, but it seems she would be better off as an only dog, or perhaps with a male or submissive dog.

Nikki loves food.  She will look for it on the counter tops and in the garbage.  She even got the top off of the food storage container.  It only took me 2 days to realize that all food and garbage needs to be at least 4 feet off the ground.  She can and will jump right over a baby gate.  She likes to sit on the sofa table in front of the picture window.  She can jump a 3 foot fence as easily as she climbs stairs.

All that being said; she is the sweetest dog I have seen in a long time.  She is very enthusiastic with her greeting when I come home.  She has not chewed up anything that isn't food.  I accidentally left my Sorel slippers by the water dish one day and they were still there when I got home.  She has free roam of the house with the resident dogs.  She has good recall and will come when called. She rides very well in the car and really just wants to find someone to be with on a regular basis.

If you think she could be the dog you are looking for please let your placement worker know.

Although Nikki likes the snow, she doesn’t like the frigid weather we have been experiencing lately. Her trips outside to take care of business are pretty quick! But she does enjoy running around in the backyard while to check out the bunnies that live under the garden shed and the squirrels that run along the fence line.

Nikki really comes alive when she is with children. She shows the affectionate and playful side of her nature. It makes me think she may have lived in a household with children at one time.

Nikki is becoming much more affectionate. She has surprised us by approaching our friends for pets now, and she will sit beside me on the couch. It took some coaxing previously (treats), but now she seems to welcome an invitation to jump up beside me.

We recently found out that Nikki is a dominant dog. She would be good with more submissive dogs or as an only dog.

Nikki sleeps on a dog bed on the floor beside us, but I’ll bet she would love to share someone’s bed. Would that be you??

Merry Christmas from Nikki and her foster mom and dad!

Each day we learn more about Nikki. She has been with us about a month and is now looking very svelte and fit due to a combination of high-quality food and exercise. She probably weighs about 50# now.

Nikki met our son’s dog and had a play date with him this week. Fun times for both. She is quite the acrobat! Our youngest grandson has learned that Nikki can jump and twirl to grab a toy from him. Kind of like a pirouette. We gave her a bath and ear cleaning, and she tolerated both very well. Now she smells as good as she looks!

We only crate Nikki when it's absolutely essential for her safety (when workers are in the house, because they aren't as careful with doors as we are), and for short periods of time. She was surrendered was due to long hours in a crate. So while she tolerates it, crating should be avoided if at all possible.

Nikki doesn’t seem to mind being left at home alone as much anymore. She doesn't try to push past us to get out the door like she used to and has learned to "wait" while we leave. In fact, one time she just laid on the couch and watched us go instead of walking us to the door. But, boy, is she happy to see us when we get back! Wouldn’t you love that kind of welcome?

This Black Friday take a closer look at Nikki and all the other RAGOM black dogs. There are some wonderful pups out there just waiting to be taken home and loved.

I have a new name! Since I didn’t answer to Kiki, temp foster mom and dad went through the alphabet trying out names. I didn’t respond, so none of them seemed right. Then FD hit upon Nikki. My new FM tried it out, and I responded. That must have been the right name for me all along! I don’t want to confuse you, but from now on FM will be calling me Nikki or Kiki/Nikki in her updates.

It’s Foster Mom writing now. Nikki gave us quite a scare Friday night. One of the guys who cleaned up our leaves must have left the gate open to the backyard, but we weren't aware of it. I let her out about 10:00 and kept waiting for her to come back to the door, but when I looked and called, she was gone. FD and I went searching with flashlights and saw her shadow moving in the golf course parking lot a LONG ways away. He whistled and I called to her, and Nikki came running! As you can imagine, she got lots of hugs and kisses, praise and treats for coming when called. Who would have guessed? I thought we were in for a long night of dog searching. Nikki proved that her recall is excellent, even when off leash. Good dog!!

Here’s what Nikki needs in her forever home:

• Daily exercise, both on and off leash
• Home alone for only a few hours a day
• Allowed on the furniture
• Obedience training
• No cats (Nikki has a strong prey drive)
• A physical fence would be preferable, but as Nikki proved, she has great recall

Sound like the right girl for you? Contact your placement advisor and ask to meet her.

Hello from Fargo, North Dakota! Kiki here. I have been in Fargo with my new foster mom and dad about a week now, and they can’t say enough good things about me. I had an excellent first day and night with them (we all slept well!), so they already know I’m pretty adaptable. I was curious to know about my new home, so I explored every nook and cranny, including all the plants in the backyard. Some of them smell so nice. Do I ever like having a fence so that I can run free! Birds, squirrels, bunnies, all kinds of exciting things to chase.

When my temp foster mom took me to the vet, I weighed in at 54.9# (I probably could afford to lose a few pounds). You might be able to tell from my picture that my coat is a glossy black with brown highlights. And if you get to meet me, you will see that my paws are white tipped and I have a little white around my muzzle. Everyone says I’m a pretty good-looking gal!

The grandchildren, ages 8 and 11, came to visit, and of course they think I am pretty special. I surprised them by showing them some of the tricks I know. I can sit, down, and shake hands. But mostly I like snuggling with them on the couch.

My foster parents are surprised at how quiet and mellow I am around the house. I hardly ever bark. I like going for long walks in the neighborhood using a Gentle Leader. They say it’s amazing how nicely I walk compared to the way I used to pull. But I get very excited when I see or hear other dogs. I settle down after a while, but could really use some obedience classes.

I have two speeds – fast and stop. I get very excited when my people come home or if we are getting ready to go for a walk or car ride. Sometimes I get so excited I forget my manners and jump up on them. I have even been known to try to bolt from the car when it stops and they open the door. But most of the time when I’m in the house, I’m a real couch potato.

One thing you should know about me is that I hate crates! Both my temp fosters and my new fosters let me roam free in the house. They know they can trust me not to have potty accidents or intentionally damage anything.

Another thing that you should know is that I don’t like to be left at home alone. I get pretty stressed out when I see that my peeps are about to leave and sometimes I try to squeeze out the door with them. I’m trying out a Thundershirt to see if that helps me calm down.

But the most important thing you should know about me is that I’m very sweet and loveable. I try very hard to please. I will go where you go, will look at you with love in my eyes, and will fill your arms with warm doggy snuggles. Wouldn’t you like to meet me?