Sly...that's how he sneaks into your heart! This boy is the absolute definition of "don't judge a book by its cover" - though he starts off terrified, he soon reveals the goofy pup underneath! Sly is an 11 month old retriever mutt who came to CCR with his brother from a shelter in Arkansas. Unfortunately, Sly was done a huge disservice in Arkansas - he was kept from 1 month old to 9 months old in a rural shelter with only his brother, receiving very little of the socialization young puppies need to feel safe in the world. Because of that, Sly has been initially freaked out by all of the things that a normal dog should be comfortable with. The good news is that Sly is a friendly, playful, goofy boy - you just have to give him time to adjust. He's been living happily in foster care where his foster parents have seen first hand how a super petrified dog can bloom into a nutty teenage puppy who loves to play play play! Sly will likely always be a slow adjuster to new things, but he's grown leaps and bounds in his confidence and bravery. His new home will need to continue working on exposing him slowly to new things, but if the past two months are any indication - slow and steady wins the race for Sly! When he's comfortable, he's all knucklehead - he can jump high, run fast, and he LOVES to play with toys! Sly loves other dogs and may do well with a dog friend, though he does have trouble sharing his special things with other dogs in the home (especially his toys). That's likely because he grew up competing with his brother for everything. Sly has no guarding issues with people, though. He'll do best in a home that has access to a fenced yard while he adapts to a new environment, and to a home that is happy to be more routine-oriented and predictable while Sly adapts. For now, older kids 12 and up and adults are preferred. Sly may do fine with cats since he's skittish and open to learning new things!

To meet Sly, please submit an application at chicagocaninerescue.org!