MAGSR.ORG

Raina is settling in to her foster home. She is fine walking outside if she can be sandwiched between her humans but will continue to build confidence and work on her leash walking skills to perfect those to walk in a perfect calm heel. At this time, Raina is scared of many dogs she sees - her foster suspects that she was not treated kindly by some of the other dogs and maybe over time, she’ll settle. Raina loves food and eats beautifully being hand fed. Raina is calming down and coming towards her fosters - she responds well to praise. Raina has been great in the house, calm in her crate, and is even beginning to be playful with her parents - she is just lovely. And, most importantly, out of a wide range of options, she has selected her favorite toy - deer antler. Please ask to meet Raina if she sounds like she could be a good fit for your home.
 

Raina is a sweetheart and we are thrilled with the progress she has made in a very short amount of time.  She is very smart and observant, and while she learns quickly, she can test new boundaries with equal wit and speed.  In many ways, she is a playful and curious puppy that makes us laugh every day and is wonderful company.  It is impressive how quickly she adjusted to living in a house!  House breaking was easy - she handles a full work day without a hitch (zero accidents). Raina is calm inside her crate and quiet throughout the night.  Raina has not displayed any food aggression and has no issues with her food bowls.  She continues to be quite treat-motivated and is very gentle about getting her reward. Raina is willing to accept any handling, and while not thrilled with her shower, she is cooperative.   She has been passing her open-environment tests with more and more free space in the house and she can spend many hours looking out the patio window without an event.  Her favorite toys are always nearby and when she is done playing/chewing, we often find her napping with her favorite toy as a pillow.  Deer antler is still the absolute favorite!  While she is not quite ready for supervision-free time, it is expected that she can get there soon.  Yummy food on the counter tempts her to try counter surfing and she has confused a couple fabrics for chew toys but responded immediately to gentle correction.  She is also learning to appropriately share toys, treats, and human attention and affection with the resident dog.  Now that she is experiencing the comforts and positive attention she never had before, who can blame her that she gets a bit jealous and sharing is not on top of her priority list.  Earning positive praise is key to success with Raina and she is a very astute student.  While this girl is lovely inside the house, we have been focusing on confidence building outside and are happy to report that she is no longer reacting to cars, trucks, bicycles, and is even learning to be fine with loud trains.  While she prefers calm walks and hikes in the country, she is learning to navigate busy streets too.  Raina continues to be apprehensive about many dogs but responds well to being redirected by a human she trusts.  Trust with people is earned.  As a smaller dog coming from a terrible situation, she has some skittish tendencies, but they ease daily and she has been friendly with every person she has met.  Her leash walking skills are excellent in a calm neighborhood or when hiking in the country, and she is learning not to pull on busy and distracting streets.  We have started on basic obedience training and Raina is getting more consistent with "come" every day.  Raina has been a gem and as her confidence builds she is growing into the spunky pup that she was always destined to be.   Every day, her personality comes out more and we enjoy exploring new things with her.  Ask to meet Raina today!

My foster mom tells me that I have some fans and I wanted to give this week’s Raina update. I have been having only the best kind of adventures. My walks are the highlight of my day and I’ve become so good at it that I can now be a great jogging partner. I’m told that when I trot, it looks like I am jogging on air. I walked 14 miles on the beach on Saturday and could have gone many more. When we finally reached Rehoboth Beach from the Delaware Seashore Park, it was loud with screaming children, some nice, some not nice dogs, and many distractions. I kept my focus and walked the boardwalk and town making my foster mom proud. I even went to lunch at an outdoor patio with lots of activity and other dogs and sat quietly the whole time. I think I aced the Rehoboth Beach test. I got to hang out on a longer cable lead to watch spring flower planting. I tried my best to help, but I eventually decided it best to just plant myself in the flower bed and observe the process up close.  I am not quite sure what to do with these command things that my foster mom tries, but I have learned to love my name and I now know that “come” means warm pets and an occasional treat bonus.  I definitely like "come."  I keep hearing this word “sit” but I prefer to do that on my own accord for now. I surprised even myself that I liked playing a little dress up with festive neck bows. Those also get me positive attention. I have heard that some dogs take time to learn their house manners, but my record is 100% perfect week after week and I have picked my favorite outdoor spots (right by the fence). My profile says "working on it" for housebreaking, but I think I have this one mastered so we're going to change that to a "yes" and have moved on to working on other things. I used to be so curious about what might be on the kitchen counters that my nose just kept finding itself up there. I don’t think it is my fault AT ALL that the foster dad left roast beef sitting on the edge of counter for so long, but I only got up to look, and did not touch. I wish my foster parents would reconsider their kitchen rules but I learned to respect them. The furniture also needed exploring, but I’ve been so good that all rooms are fully open to me and I can explore with more confidence. My crate is by the window, which I like, and it is my place to relax. I am not a fan of dragging a leash inside the house but my foster mom tells me it is for my protection. Given how great living inside is compared to where I came from, I guess it is a small compromise I can make. I am getting skilled at my road trips and quite used to the car. I have toured state parks, went to a great MAGSR event to see my old GA friends, toured the University of Delaware (inside and out), and mastered the beach. A couple of hours in the car is nothing for a tough girl like me! I am curious and like to explore.