Affectionate. Gentle. Calm. Sweet. We could go on and on about Sasha; she's such a sweetheart. Sasha is an 11-year-old female who came into RAGOM after her owner's death.

You can tell that Sasha was well loved. She easily made herself at home after a day-long drive to Iowa City, settling in quickly. She scouted out the backyard and every room in the house and then claimed a dog bed, and that was that.

She met our resident dogs, both the young boisterous ones and the older ones, and was calm and relaxed during what must have been a bit of an overwhelming experience. Sasha is smart and you can tell she's not easily bothered by things.

As mentioned, Sasha is a sweetheart. But because she’s elderly, she’s sometimes a bit wobbly as she goes about her day. She is suitable for children age 13 or older; younger children might be a tad rambunctious for her. She tolerates children but would not be a good match for young children who want a playful, engaged dog.

Sasha has been to the vet and is now microchipped and current on her shots. She's on heartworm preventative along with tick and flea control. She goes back to the vet this week for another nail trim and to prepare for her upcoming teeth cleaning. And as we've come to expect, none of this is a big deal to Sasha—this dog takes everything in stride.

Here's what we've learned about Sasha in the last weeks:

1. She has remarkable hearing. You might think that an elderly dog might have hearing loss, but not Sasha. She can hear that treat jar opening no matter where she is in the house. She takes her treats very gently and patiently waits her turn in our multi-dog house.
2. She has excellent household manners. She goes to the door when she wants out or comes and looks at you expectantly if you miss that cue. She enjoys a chew toy and can nap like a pro. She has let our younger dogs know that she's not interested in sharing toys with them and they haven't questioned her at all. Her experience shows through over and over again.
3. Sasha has a hearty appetite. She eats twice a day now, a scant cup at each meal. She has adapted to our early rising schedule, goes outside, eats breakfast, and then goes back to bed. Who wouldn't want that schedule? And most endearingly, Sasha likes to be kissed on her forehead after she eats. Again, who wouldn't want that?
4. Sasha is enjoying her twice-daily walks around our very big backyard. At first, she needed to sit down halfway through the walk and take a brief rest but now she's building her stamina and sniffs every corner and plant in the yard.

Sasha was well-loved, it shows in her demeanor and her quiet confidence and in the affection she shares with us. She loves attention and is one of the sweetest dogs we’ve met. Once she's had her teeth cleaned, she'll be ready to find her forever home.