Meeting Hogan

We just got back from a vacation visiting L's family in Arizona. L's brother has a dog named Hogan that he got when an acquaintance could no longer keep him. Over the years, we've heard stories about Hogan - about how he is scared of people during walks, about how he destroys the house, about how he barks at visitors and is generally overwhelming. This visit, we finally met Hogan...

Look at that face!

He was exactly how he appears in this picture: adorable and well-behaved. We had expected him to jump on us or bark at us when we entered, and we had planned to come in one at a time or meet him outside if necessary. We ended up all entering at once, and none of those things happened. Hogan sniffed at us, we threw some treats, and then we had Hogan practice some sits and downs for more treats.

We made sure to tell L's brother and his wife that Hogan was a wonderful dog. Calm, treat-motivated, quick to warm up to complete strangers. He also got the run of their beautifully-decorated house when they weren't home, and as far as I could tell, nothing had been chewed. We had come prepared with some suggestions on how to deal with Hogan's behavior, based on their stories, but the only one that seemed relevant was to let their guests give Hogan treats when they enter.

We gave Hogan an antler chew. Notice the unchewed fall leaves and pumpkin.

I have been similarly surprised by people who say they enjoyed meeting Badger and Mushroom. I think sometimes we think about the few ways we wish our dogs were "better" so much that we overlook all the ways they are already great.