Location: Brookings, SD Meet Rye! Affectionately known in his foster home as "Rye Rye, the brave little lovey shy guy," Rye is still timid, but SO brave and making big progress every day. As he gains confidence, more of his fun, sweet, goofy personality shines through all the time. He is a smart boy who makes his foster parents smile daily. A loving family with patience, routine, and kindness (and maybe a cat friend, since he adores those!) will help Rye continue to blossom. It is hard not to fall in love with this guy. It was clear Rye had a rough first 12 weeks of life and came in scared of most things-people, outside, movement, and new experiences. But in just his first week, he gained enough confidence to start exploring the house and backyard, snuggling with humans, playing with toys, and enjoying his favorite thing from day one: the cats. Rye has been wonderful with cats. He quickly bonded with the older, dog-friendly cat in his foster home. From the start, he showed gentle, respectful interest, and they became fast friends. If the cat explores something, Rye wants to check it out too-and then curl up beside him for a nap. Like any puppy, Rye has occasionally tried to invite the cats to play, but he is very gentle and redirects beautifully. He has also figured out that the younger cat has different boundaries and smartly gives her space, waiting for her to approach on her terms. Rye has learned that humans are pretty awesome too. Once he trusts you, he loves to snuggle beside you (or right in your lap), enjoys a good head massage, gives gentle nudges for affection, and offers the sweetest little kisses. He is an excellent nap buddy. He also loves to play and gets wonderfully goofy during playtime. He seems to know he has an audience and enjoys entertaining it. Rye falls asleep beside his foster mom, then transfers beautifully to his kennel at night and sleeps well there. Right now, he typically goes out once around 2 AM and then sleeps until about 7 AM. He also naps in his crate during the day and has done stretches up to three hours with no accidents. With his puppy calm playlist on, he settles in quietly like a champ. He is not fully potty trained yet, but he has had very few accidents, and all have been on potty pads. If taken out regularly, Rye goes potty quickly and is making great progress. Rye is still timid, especially when people are standing and moving around-he likes to know what is happening. But he is incredibly gentle, brave, and learning more and making big steps every day. He has not formally met other dogs yet, but he seems respectful and curious when he sees or hears them. He would likely do best with slow, positive introductions, but because he has enjoyed his cat siblings so much (and is good about being told not to play with them but bummed about it) we suspect he would love to have some dog friends or maybe even dog siblings. He has only met older or dog-savvy children so far, so gentle, patient kids who understand how to respect a shy puppy would likely be the best fit right now. Trust and love are earned with Rye- but oh man, is it worth it. He is really a very special guy. He has so much love to give, so many things left to learn, and with the right family, he is going to keep blossoming into something truly special. --------------- The best way to show interest in an animal is to submit an adoption application by visiting our website (www.rescuenetworkmn.org). Adoption fee includes spay/neuter, all age-appropriate vaccinations (distemper, rabies, and bordetella), heartworm and flea/tick preventatives, heartworm test (dogs over 9 months), FIV/FeLV test (cats - one in the litter), dewormed, and microchip implant (including registration). Rescue Network is strictly foster based which means all adoptable animals are in a home and there cannot be a meet until an application is submitted and approved. We have no way of knowing the breeds in the animals. All breeds listed are best guess.