Patty Mint D18723

Hi! My name is Patty Mint and I am from Iowa. From her foster: Patty Mint, or just Patty as I call her, was a breeder release dog. She is sweet but also very shy and timid. She has made a lot of progress in the week that I have had her, but she has a long way to go. Her ideal adopter will be someone who has the time and patience to allow her to come out of her shell at her own pace. She does well with my resident dog and likes to follow her around. With two dogs around she was even more curious and wanting to interact with them. She isn't playful (yet) but definitely likes having a dog around and would do best with another friendly dog in the home. She is not leash trained and is still getting used to even having a leash on her. I have to carry her in and out of the house to go potty because she will not go where you want her to go. As soon as the leash gets tight, she either pancakes on the ground or pulls backward and thrashes a bit. Once in the yard, even though it is fenced in, I keep her on the leash and just let her lead me where she wants to go. She is definitely not ready for walks around the neighborhood! I mostly use an exercise pen in the house for her to sleep in and when I am at work, it gives her a bit more space so she isn't confined to a kennel. She does not go in or out willingly, I have to pick her up. Once in there though, she settles on a blanket and will nap. I also feed her in there to keep her comfortable. When she has free reign of the house when I am home, she does pace some but has finally started to feel comfortable enough to find a spot to lie down. She can be startled easily and may be considered a flight risk out in public if something scared her. Getting her comfortable at home would be best before any public excursions. She is not yet ready to seek affection but if you slowly let her know that you are going to pet her, she is fine with it. She even let a family friend sit by her and pet her this weekend. Baby steps! Hopefully, this hasn't turned anyone off of applying to adopt Patty. She is such a sweet girl and deserves a home where she can be a happy dog. I think with time, love and patience she could be a very different dog than she is now.