Samantha 15-154

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In addition to LOVE this dog has the following requirements:
Entered Foster Care Fence Kid Friendly Another Dog Cat Friendly
 7/7/2015 Optional  Yes Optional Yes
This is the most recent information available; however, it may change as we learn more about the dog.

Sweet Samantha is a lively 9-month-old Lab mix with a heart of gold and a spring in her step. She comes to us from Minot, ND, where she was listed as free and “flipped” to make money and ended up in the pound there. She was so excited to be welcomed into RAGOM!

Samantha is definitely all puppy. She wants two things in life: adventure and affection! She has tons of energy to burn. She joyfully runs circles around our resident dog in the yard, and loves to wrestle with her as well. She pulls on walks, but is doing better with some leash training. She does pull towards other dogs on the street. She loves all people, and is starting to learn that jumping on people is not the best way to say hello.

In the house, if she’s not palling around with our resident dog, she’s following her people around. She bonds very quickly and adores her people. Since she’s a puppy and has had little to no training, she does do some counter-surfing and likes to get into things within her reach. She wants to please, though, so she would do really well with some basic puppy obedience training. She’s had one accident in the house, and that’s likely due to the fact that she doesn’t tell you when she wants to go out. We let both the dogs out often, so it’s not a problem, but we’re still trying to see if she has any signs or signals that she needs to go.

She’s used to being crated. She’s been left alone for a few hours in her crate, and she’s slept in her crate before as well. She’ll bark when you first put her in the crate and leave the room, but she’s getting better and better with knowing that you’re coming back. At night, she’s slept in her crate before and she’s slept on the bed, but usually, she prefers to sleep on the floor at the foot of the bed.

While Samantha loves to run and play, she also knows when to be mellow. If everyone else is relaxing, she’ll do the same. When she’s been exercised, she becomes an affectionate little lap dog. She loves belly rubs, kisses, and snuggling with her people on the sofa. We can tell how much she longs for a family of her own to love. She has quite the personality, and she makes us laugh every day. She would thrive in any home that gives her the love, patience, and exercise she needs. She loves to play with other dogs and would be great in a multi-dog home, but would be a great only dog for an active family, too! She would love to have some human brothers and sisters, but since she’s excitable and still a bit mouthy when she plays, children under 5 could possibly get knocked over.

She needs to be spayed, but will then be ready to go to her forever home! Will you give this sweet little pup a chance to thrive and become a part of your family?

At a Glance #15-154

Mixed Breed Born: August 2014
Female 40 lbs

Status: Adopted

Profile

 

In addition to LOVE this dog has the following requirements:
Entered Foster Care Fence Kid Friendly Another Dog Cat Friendly
 7/7/2015 Optional  Yes Optional Yes
This is the most recent information available; however, it may change as we learn more about the dog.

Sweet Samantha is a lively 9-month-old Lab mix with a heart of gold and a spring in her step. She comes to us from Minot, ND, where she was listed as free and “flipped” to make money and ended up in the pound there. She was so excited to be welcomed into RAGOM!

Samantha is definitely all puppy. She wants two things in life: adventure and affection! She has tons of energy to burn. She joyfully runs circles around our resident dog in the yard, and loves to wrestle with her as well. She pulls on walks, but is doing better with some leash training. She does pull towards other dogs on the street. She loves all people, and is starting to learn that jumping on people is not the best way to say hello.

In the house, if she’s not palling around with our resident dog, she’s following her people around. She bonds very quickly and adores her people. Since she’s a puppy and has had little to no training, she does do some counter-surfing and likes to get into things within her reach. She wants to please, though, so she would do really well with some basic puppy obedience training. She’s had one accident in the house, and that’s likely due to the fact that she doesn’t tell you when she wants to go out. We let both the dogs out often, so it’s not a problem, but we’re still trying to see if she has any signs or signals that she needs to go.

She’s used to being crated. She’s been left alone for a few hours in her crate, and she’s slept in her crate before as well. She’ll bark when you first put her in the crate and leave the room, but she’s getting better and better with knowing that you’re coming back. At night, she’s slept in her crate before and she’s slept on the bed, but usually, she prefers to sleep on the floor at the foot of the bed.

While Samantha loves to run and play, she also knows when to be mellow. If everyone else is relaxing, she’ll do the same. When she’s been exercised, she becomes an affectionate little lap dog. She loves belly rubs, kisses, and snuggling with her people on the sofa. We can tell how much she longs for a family of her own to love. She has quite the personality, and she makes us laugh every day. She would thrive in any home that gives her the love, patience, and exercise she needs. She loves to play with other dogs and would be great in a multi-dog home, but would be a great only dog for an active family, too! She would love to have some human brothers and sisters, but since she’s excitable and still a bit mouthy when she plays, children under 5 could possibly get knocked over.

She needs to be spayed, but will then be ready to go to her forever home! Will you give this sweet little pup a chance to thrive and become a part of your family?

Updates

Saturday, October 10, 2015

Wanted to give an update on Samantha as she has recently entered a new foster home. Samantha has been with me for three weeks now and if I had to describe her in a short phrase, it is "an energetic, affectionate snuggle bug!" Samantha loves to snuggle in the morning and when she is tired at night. In between these times, she is all about bursts of play and periods of rest. She LOVES people and LOVES other dogs. She will play energetically with our resident Golden all throughout the day. When she first came to us, she was a Velcro dog and never left my side. Now she feels more comfortable, and even lets me go into the bathroom without following me in!

Samantha rides very well in the car and loves to look out at everything that goes by. She is very alert and smart. She understands the word "no" and will listen when corrected. She wants to please! She has made significant improvements in not jumping up on new people when they walk in the door. She is so excited to see new people, she often "defaults" to jumping, but remembers and then gets down. A little more time and I think she can get this down! As she is learning, it might be a good idea for children to be 10+ so they dont get knocked over! She is also improving on her ability to not counter-surf. This has been challenging because she is very food-motivated! However, I have noticed when I am in the room, she will not counter-surf. It is usually when my eyes are not watching her. I think she knows deep down she is not supposed to do this!

Samantha has been on anti-anxiety medication due to her separation anxiety. She really does love to be with her people, and being separated from them makes her anxious. I have cut back slightly on her medication and things have been going well. I believe playtime, exercise, and someone, or another dog with her, helps her feel more secure.

Samantha thrives with companionship and lots of playtime with her people or another dog. She will make a wonderful addition to a family with time to train and time to love!

Samantha will be at the Meet-and-Greet at Chuck and Don's in Shakopee, MN, on October 17th. Come out and see her!

Thursday, October 1, 2015

From Krysta M

Monday, September 14, 2015

Samantha attended Goldzilla today and did absolutely fantastically! She showed us that she is friendly, gets along with all dogs well, and LOVES people.

Samantha has been with us now for about a month and continues to grow in many ways each day. We had some concerns when she first arrived at our house about her anxiety levels when we left for work. We do work full-time, but are able to let her out partway through our day. She broke out of her crate on the first day and also would howl and pace a bit when one of us left. This paired with her very high energy level made it difficult to mentally and physically wear her out. After a lot of discussion, we decided to try a dose of anti-anxiety medication to see if it took the edge off a bit. We have really noticed in the last week that it has made a big difference! She happily goes in her crate, shows no signs of anxiety when she is in her crate during the day (like drooling, digging at her crate or ripping up blankets), and is redirected much more easily if one of us just steps out for a bit. The medication costs very little and at this time, we think that it would be beneficial for her to remain on it until she transitions into her new forever home. I absolutely believe that once she feels safe and confident there, that she will be able to be slowly taken off it and will not need it for long.

Samantha is full of personality and really wants to please. She is also very treat-motivated and will sit without hesitation if she thinks you may give her a treat. She has been wonderful around our kids (ages 8 and 10). She certainly could be adopted by a family with younger children, but they will need to be committed to keeping their small kiddos safe so she doesn't jump up on them and knock them over.

 

Samantha loves dogs of all ages and sizes and plays appropriately with them. She would also do fine as an only dog, but would love opportunities to play with other dogs, such as at a dog park. Samantha is also good with our cat. Samantha loves car rides and can't wait to see where she will go next for a new adventure!

If you are interested in meeting Samantha, please let your placement advisor know!

Friday, September 4, 2015

Wow, is life great! I am staying at this amazing house, with people who are giving me lots of belly rubs and let me run and play a whole lot. While I don’t fully understand why these things called humans keep walking around holding treats all the time, I do understand what I need to do in order to get a treat. If I sit and look cute, I get a treat. Well….most of the time, I do. Sometimes, I just get a really nice ear rub and hear “Good job, Samantha!” and then they walk away. I keep following them, because I just know they still have some treats left in those pockets!

So, here is what my day looks like right now:

5:45 am Alarm goes off. I lay nicely on my dog bed next to foster mom, and since it brings a smile to her face every time, I make my tail go Thump, Thump.
5:50 Foster mom gets out of bed and giggles, because I like to run over and sniff her toes, rubbing up as close as I can get to her when she gets out of bed.
5:55 I chase my doggies friends around the house and my foster mom yells, “Settle down!” Then we run to the door and wait on the rug because we hear her opening the closet door where she keeps our leashes. We go outside and she tells us to “Go potty!” I quickly do. Except that one morning, I saw this amazing, fluffy rabbit go running across the yard. Yep, I won’t give you the details, but my foster mama (FM) didn’t have nice things to say to me when she caught with me a couple of houses away. Shhhh…don’t tell anyone she was running around the neighborhood in her slippers and jammies! Hee, hee. Now FM has a tight grip on my leash…no more rabbit chasing for me!
6:30 MMMMM! Time to eat. We all run downstairs and to our crates. FM dishes up our food and always puts some medicine in my dish and gives it to us. I eat SUPER fast and she thinks I don’t even breathe when I eat. She says the medicine helps me to calm down just a bit and be completely comfortable while I learn all the routines around here. I am doing great, so I don’t know what the big deal is!
6:45 My doggy friends and I run and run and run through the living room and kitchen while the humans get all ready for work and school. We have a great time!!
7:30 FM brings us each outside to go potty, brings us back inside and gives us a treat when we go into our crate. They then don’t say much, give me a surprise toy each day to play with, shut off the lights, and I hear a door close. Nap time!!
12:30 pm
 Yeah! Humans come home and let us out to go potty. I get SUPER excited to see them. Bad news…more nap time!
4:00 Yeah!!! I haven’t seen these humans in, like, hours! They bring me outside to go potty and then it is all fun for most of the night. What?! I have to go back inside while you change?
4:15

Yeah!!! Time to go and play in a friend’s fenced-in yard! I love fetching the tennis balls these humans throw and I drop them as soon as they tell me too. My favorite game. My dog friends and I also have a great time wrestling and chasing each other.
5:00 We walk back home, using the dreaded gentle leader. I guess it isn’t so bad! I gave my humans a really hard time with it at first, but I am getting better. Without it like to pull as hard as I can, just to see how strong they are. I will spend the next hour getting attention and wrestling with my friends.
6:00 Dinner time! Back to the crates we go for some food. Yum!
6:30

I ate and now I have to go outside to do my business. Whew…I am getting all tuckered out. I lay down and rest for a bit.
7:00 Time to play outside again. This time, I get hooked up to my very own zipline in the backyard. I love to run back and forth on it, chasing my friend Roxy and fetching tennis balls my FM throws for me. Wow, I better go back inside and get some water!
8:00 Time to tuck the kids of the family in. I love to act like I am going to snuggle in their beds with them, after first nibbling on their hair a bit. My FM left the room, so I leave really quick too. This is the time of night I lay right under her feet, no matter where or what she is doing. If she is standing, I like to put my head on her foot.
10:00 We are heading outside for one last time. Bedtime! I go straight into the bedroom and lay on my doggie bed. These people don’t see humor in me jumping into bed with them and tackling their hair as they fall asleep. They made it very clear to me that is not okay. So, I have given up and enjoy laying on the bed next to them. Sometimes, if it is just FM, I LOVE to go in and cozy in with her. I lay really still then and sleep for hours.

Oh yeah, I sleep all night long now, until that 5:45 am alarm goes off!

Samantha is really ready to meet her forever family so she can continue to learn how great life is! She does need to continue to be held accountable and know that her humans will lead the way and she will be safe and comfortable. Samantha would enjoy having either another dog in the home if the family works full-time, to keep her company during the day. But, if someone is home more often, she would be okay as an only dog. She does need a plan for lots of exercise, and I think she would love a dog part if you have one nearby and don’t have a fenced-in yard. Samantha would also really benefit from obedience training to bond with her family. If you are looking for a young and spunky dog, Samantha is the girl for you! She is planning on attending Goldzilla in a couple of weeks, so come and meet her there! If you are really interested and are an approved applicant, contact your placement advisor right away, before she is snatched up by someone else. If you are not an approved applicant but are interested, contact RAGOM and let them know you are interested specifically in Samantha. I would love to talk to you and tell you all about her.

Sunday, August 30, 2015

Samantha is doing fantastically and is quite the special dog! She arrived at our house 2 weeks ago and instantly charmed us with her smile. She probably has the most energy of any dog I have ever known and really needs to have a lot of exercise and mental stimulation to help her be the best dog she can be. Miss Samantha has the most amazing vertical jump I have ever seen and loves her rabbits! There is nothing like a good chase!

Samantha was with a couple of amazing temp fosters prior to coming to our house a couple of weeks ago. We were planning on having her arrive at our house in late June, but a house fire here the night before she was to arrive left her without a place to go. Her overnight foster Sue thankfully was able to keep her for a few extra days and then she went to another wonderful foster mom MJ, who kept for her for about a week. Next, she headed to another temp foster mom named Ora. They said they were only able to keep her for a week or so, but thankfully, they were able to foster her for about a month. Finally, our house was back in order enough that we were able to take her as her permanent foster family until she finds her forever home. We thank Sue, MJ, Ora, and their families for taking such great care of Samantha and welcoming her with open arms into the RAGOM family!! RAGOM volunteers are the best!

Samantha arrived here on a Sunday and the poor girl was spayed the next day. Everything went well and she came back home to us that night. It was difficult for 9 days while she was supposed to not run and wrestle so she could heal up. She had a lot of pent-up energy and was WILD. We did end up using some medication to help keep her somewhat calm and keep her nerves in check, as she just couldn’t release all that energy. Samantha does seem to really like to be by her people and has a touch of anxiety when they leave. Our family works full-time and Samantha came from a foster family who was home a bit more. This has been an adjustment for her, for sure! On the first day she was crated here, she managed to bust out of the crate and enjoyed a few hours of free roam. Thankfully, although we arrived to a howling Samantha at our door, she had behaved herself and didn’t destroy anything in the house. Good girl! It was then that we started using a dose of Trazodone to help calm her a bit, especially when we would be leaving and she needed to remain in her crate. This helped considerably!

She is currently used to being in her crate from 7:30 – 12:30 and then gets a 15-minute potty break. She then will go back in willingly until about 4 pm when we are done with work. When we arrive home, she is ready to go!

Samantha loves kids and likes to play with them. However, right now, she jumps up on them when she first walks into a room or near them and jumps hard. I know that with consistent training, she will learn to not do that, but her family will need to be committed to teaching her those things. For that reason, she is marked as preferring kids 5 and older, but we would consider her for a family with younger kids as long as they know they will need a plan to keep their kids safe from her jumps until she learns better manners. She would really love to have a fenced-in yard, but if a family has another place to let her burn off steam in a safe area, that would be okay too. Right now, she is not okay off-leash without a fence, because she will take off. I do believe she would love an area such as a dog park!

Samantha LOVES:

  • belly rubs
  • playing fetch with tennis balls (she is great at retrieving and dropping them)
  • snuggling in bed (she sleeps best in bed with you!)
  • her people to be able to spend a lot of time with her (she is doing just fine with us working full-time, but needs the midday break and REALLY needs time from her people and to be by them the rest of the evening)
  • to run free without a leash in a secured area (right now, she WILL take off if not in a fenced-in area)
  • treats!!! (she is very treat-motivated)

Samantha doesn’t like:

  • fake owls that sit on the deck to scare away the birds (this one we thought was funny!)
  • to be left all alone – she really likes to have a doggy friend there for comfort
  • when her people have to leave the room and can’t be by her (although she is learning to manage this just fine…it definitely needs some work and positive reinforcement to continue)
  • lying still when she can PLAY! Who wants to spend their time sleeping!?
  • the Gentle Leader – we are using this to help her learn how to walk on a leash (she is not a fan!)

Samantha NEEDS:

  • a family who is willing to take her to some classes so she can become more confident, learn more manners, and bond her with her new family
  • positive reinforcement to help her continue to know that it is OK for your people to leave you…they will always come back
  • a place to run, run, play, and play…lots of exercise
  • mental stimulation through games, toys, and playing with her humans or dog friends
  • a family who can spend time with her

Samantha is a wonderful dog, smart and can be very cuddly…when she is worn out. She has come a long ways in the last two weeks managing her little bit of anxiety and I know she will make a wonderful family pet. She is adjusting well to our workday routine, but I do think her midday break is key right now. She does not show any signs of stress in her crate at all now and is often found sleeping when we get home. She is crated right next to our resident dog, which I think helps. She may do best in a family with another dog, but I can’t be for sure...with some more time, she may be okay as an only dog.

Watch for additional updates on Samantha within the next week. She can’t wait to tell you about herself!


Samantha LOVES to sleep with her people when she can!

Friday, August 14, 2015

Samantha here! It's been a really fun and busy couple of weeks here with my foster family. I went to a RAGOM meet-and-greet last weekend with foster dad. Everyone was talking about how sweet and mellow I was, but I'll admit that I got really excited whenever I got to meet kids. I love kids!

 

I really love hanging out with FD and FM and my foster sister. My foster sister is teaching me all about being a family dog and I'm learning a lot from her. I've been able to meet a lot of new people, too, which is great. Whenever I greet someone I really love, I try to jump up really high so I can see their faces! Foster mom is training me to sit before I get attention, but I'm so excited that it's still hard.

I'm mostly potty trained now. I figured out that I need to go to the door if I need to be let out so I won't have an accident in the house. I get distracted easily by playtime and attention, though, so I still need the occasional reminder after I've been in my crate for a while or after I've been sleeping a lot.

Speaking of my crate... it's not my favorite thing. Sometimes I get anxious when FM and FD have to leave me at home. I've torn up a couple of their blankets. They say I'm getting better, but I'd still much rather be with my people. They call me a "Velcro dog" sometimes, because I like to follow them around and lay down by their feet, wherever they are. I've also found the best spot in the bed at night--stretched out and snuggled up right in between FM and FD. My foster sister squeezes in the bed, too, so we're like a giant cuddle pile.

I'm getting spayed on Monday, which means I'll be able to find my forever home soon! I would love to have human siblings or doggie siblings. I would do best in a home that has the time and energy for me, since my foster mom says I have "puppy energy and puppy behaviors." All I know is that I will be so happy to be part of a loving family.

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Samantha has quite the way of charming her way into your heart. She is a very energetic young puppy. The first time I poured food in her bowl, she started jumping up and down with excitement. She seems to catch on to routines around here fairly quickly. We’ve been giving her meals to her in the crate, and after only a few days, she was running to the crate, sitting patiently, waiting for me to arrive with the food. This has gotten her used to the crate more, so we’ve been able to leave the house with her crated for longer periods of time.

She seems to like people very much; whether it be on a walk or having company over, she is always overjoyed at the sight of potential new friends. She will often slide her way down your legs, plopping herself to the floor and offering her belly for you to rub.

She still pulls on walks, but is getting better and better with some training. She really does want to please.

When it's time for play, she loves to run around with our resident dog in the yard. They can spend hours outside wrestling, chasing, and chewing on sticks. When it's time to come inside, the loving, calm side of her personality starts to shine. She usually follows us wherever we go and curls up on the couch or on the floor near your feet. Sometimes, if she is on the couch with me, she will crawl/climb her way up my lap to sneak a few kisses/nibbles on my ear. She even loves to be held close and snuggled.

Samantha is definitely a puppy with a personality. We laugh at how she sits like a human, her legs sprawled out in front of her. She is thriving in the structure, routine, and company that a foster home gives her. She wants nothing more than to be part of a loving family.

 

What Samantha needs:

  • An active family that can help her burn off that puppy energy.
  • Kids are optional. She would adore some human siblings, but could knock over young children in her excitement.
  • Another dog is optional. She’s become very chummy with our resident dog, but would love a family without a dog, too.
  • Fence is optional, but preferred.

This is a girl who loves to run! She is truly a wonderful, sweet puppy that will grow into the best, most loyal family dog.