Elsa 16-094TD [1]

I am extremely excited to introduce Elsa to the RAGOM family! Elsa traveled all the way from Istanbul, Turkey, on May 20th.

Elsa is a 5-year-old female Golden who is as sweet as sugar! She was living on the streets of Turkey when a small vet took her in and cared for her until it was her turn to come to America. She was completely black from dirt when she arrived at the shelter; after quite a few baths, her beautiful cream-colored coat began to show, and they knew she was a Golden.

Elsa and I headed to the vet on Saturday where she got a clean bill of health, other than some skin allergies we are currently working on relieving. She had two oatmeal baths when she came in, along with a long grooming session with Foster Mom, which helped ease a lot of her itchies. After our trip to the vet, we began to give her an antibiotic, along with a special shampoo to use for a week to help with her allergies. In addition, we rub coconut oil on her irritated spots, and she absolutely loves it!

Elsa is one of the most trusting and gentle Goldens I have had the privilege of fostering. From the second I met her, it was like she knew we were here to give her the Golden Life. Here are a few things I have learned in our first few days together.

• Elsa gets along with other dogs and likes to lounge around with them.

• Balls and bones are her favorite toys; she likes to make little piles with them.

• She loves a good treat and is motivated by them!

• She does not mind the bathtub and absolutely loves being groomed and pampered!
• She does well in car rides; you could add plane rides in there, too. ;)
• She walks well on a leash; she has the most adorable trot.

• She sleeps in her crate all night; she even chooses to take naps in there herself. Wherever there is a soft spot to lay her head, Elsa will find it.

• She is housetrained and will signal when she needs to go outside.
• She loves to cuddle and get belly scratches (it brings out her inner Thumper).
• She does well going down stairs, but sometimes loses her balance going up. She is getting better each time she tries it. She needs to gain some more muscle strength in her hind legs.
• She is the most loving and gentle soul I have met. There is not an aggressive bone in her body.

We are still getting to know Elsa and are working towards clearing up her allergies, so she is unavailable at this time. However, we are optimistic that with some TLC, her allergies will decrease, and she will be ready for her forever home in no time.

Elsa will also be making an appearance at the Saint Paul Saints game this Thursday! I can’t wait to see what Elsa thinks of her first baseball game.