Patches is a 1-year-old husky/cattle dog mix who came to us from the Navajo County hoarding situation, where around 50 husky mixes were living on one property. She was adopted as a 3-4 month old puppy and spent her first year in a home, but without much opportunity to build her confidence around new people, Patches became increasingly unsure of the world around her. She became very mistrustful of people and was sadly returned to rescue. Now she’s getting the chance to learn that the world doesn’t have to be such a scary place.
Patches needed just a couple of days to decide her foster family was okay—and once she made that decision, she was ALL in. She wants to be wherever her people are and has become incredibly sweet with the people she trusts. It took her a few weeks to really settle into the full new home routine, but she’s now showing off her playful, silly personality. She’s got some pretty high energy and would happily spend her days running around with her other doggy friends. She’s learning her manners and responds well to both verbal correction and food redirection.
Patches’ biggest challenge is still new people. She’s very undersocialized and can bark quite a bit when strangers enter her space. Outside the home, she’s much more likely to avoid them or find somewhere to hide. She has attended a training session in an attempt to work on her fears and overall did well. Her family will need to be patient and help her to build positive experiences with new people. She also struggles with separation anxiety and isn’t a fan of being crated when she can’t see her people, so she’ll need a family prepared to continue working on her comfort with alone time.
An active home with playful dogs would be a wonderful fit for Patches, both because she has plenty of energy to burn and because she genuinely enjoys canine companionship. She would do best with kids ages 12+ who can understand that she needs time to feel comfortable with new people. Her first impression may not be her best one, but once Patches knows you, you’ll see just how sweet this girl can be. And if you’re wondering how to win her heart, we have some insider information: cheese. Lots and lots of cheese.
