Dakota is a playful, sweet 6 month old whippet mix that weighs 22 lbs. He is estimated to be around 45-50 lbs once he is fully grown, making him the perfect size for someone looking for a medium-sized adventure buddy with a whole lot of love to give. The best way to describe Dakota is playful, curious, silly, and affectionate, He is a certified goofball who will keep you smiling with his charming puppy antics. One of his favorite ways to play with his toys is to lie on his back, hold his toys up in the air, and try to catch them without ever getting up. Dakota is naturally curious and wants to be included in whatever his humans are doing. He’ll happily follow along behind you like a loyal little shadow, making sure he doesn’t miss a single thing. Whether you're moving around the house, relaxing on the couch, or getting ready to head out for an adventure, Dakota wants to be right there with you. When meeting new people, Dakota can be a little shy at first, but once he realizes he’s safe and has a chance to warm up, his sweet and silly personality quickly shines through. He loves people and is especially fond of sharing his puppy kisses. With a little patience and encouragement, he blossoms into the affectionate, playful pup he truly is. Dakota is also a social butterfly when it comes to other dogs! When he meets a new dog friend, he’s ready to play immediately. He loves having canine companions to romp around and interact with. His playful nature makes him a wonderful candidate for a home with another friendly, playful dog. Although Dakota is still building his confidence in public settings, he has already shown that he really wants to explore the world with his people. He is making progress with his self-confidence in new places, and will need continued positive exposure and encouragement as he gets older. With patient humans who are willing to help him experience new sights, sounds, and places at his own pace, Dakota has all the potential to become a confident and enthusiastic adventure buddy. At home, Dakota has a wonderful ability to entertain himself. He enjoys his toys and chew bones and doesn't need constant attention to be happy. In fact, he could make an excellent work from home companion. Give him a cozy dog bed near your desk, a toys or chews, and he is perfectly content to hang out nearby while you work. He can settle down and relax while his humans take calls, making him a great little office assistant who won't steal the spotlight during your meetings. He will benefit from continued training, structure, socialization, and positive reinforcement as he matures. His curiosity and desire to be involved make him eager to learn, and his affectionate nature gives him a wonderful foundation for building a strong bond with his family. Dakota would thrive with a family that enjoys a balance of outdoor adventures and cozy time at home. He would love people who will take him along to explore, help him gain confidence in the world, and then come home for a relaxing cuddle session. If you're looking for a loyal, lovable, playful companion who will grow alongside you and happily share in life's big adventures and quiet moments, Dakota may be the pup you've been waiting for. 

Dakota is medium energy, so he's a perfect mix of active and laid back. He has short bursts of puppy energy that can be quickly burned by running around in the backyard and playtime with the resident dog in his foster home As he gets older, he will likely need longer walks or play time in the backyard a few times a day. Once he gets done playing, he loves to sprawl out in the grass and sunbathe while he naps. His foster mom often catches him walking out through the dog door to just go sunbathe in the grass. He loves to play with mental stimulation toys, like treat dispensing toys, puzzle games, and snuffle mats. As he masters leash training, he would love to go on fun outdoor hikes or leisurely walks around the park. He would benefit from going to doggy day care a couple of days during the week or have doggy play dates if there are no other dogs in his forever home because he loves having fun with his furry friends. While he enjoys playing with his doggy friends, he’s also perfectly content to entertain himself with his favorite toys when he can't find anyone to play with. He will need more practice and exposure to going to dog-friendly stores and outings in busy public places as he grows up to ensure he continues important socialization skills. He's the type of pup that would thrive in a family that enjoys the outdoors, but also enjoys some lazy days cuddling on the couch too. His ideal home will have a toy box full of squeaky toys, ropes, and chew toys, and he’d be thrilled to have a BarkBox subscription to keep the fun going with new surprises every month, especially now that he is about to start teething. 

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Dakota is dog and kid friendly, and he likely would be able to acclimate in a home with a cat with slow introductions. He is currently in a foster home with a medium size senior dog and has frequent playtime with a large adult dog that comes over with his foster mom's son to visit. When it comes to making doggy friends, Dakota has never met a stranger. He absolutely loves being around other dogs and is always ready to play. His social, friendly demeanor would make him a wonderful addition to a home with another playful dog, though he would also thrive as the center of attention in a home where he gets plenty of love and interaction. If he is the only dog in the home, he would benefit from having frequent play dates with doggy friends or go to doggy day care a couple times a week so he continues having positive interactions with other dogs as he grows up. Dakota does well with kids of all ages and would love to have kids in the home that he can play fetch and cuddle with. He adores his foster mom's grandsons and is very gentle when playing with them. He is very playful, sweet, and loves to be cuddled and loved on, so if there are kids in the home to play with and give him attention, he's going to be a happy boy. Because of his young age and how easily adaptable he is, he would be able to join a family that has a cat in the home. Since he is a silly, playful puppy, he would do best with dog-friendly cats that have lived with dogs before as he is a puppy and will want to play with them. 

Dakota is kennel trained and potty trained, and is working on mastering leash training. He sleeps in a kennel at night with no fuss and will stay asleep all night. He isn't destructive when he's left out, but he has a tendency to take random objects and pile them up on his dog bed. He won't chew on the random objects, but if you can't find your shoe or belt, it'll likely be in his bed piled up with his toys and chews. When he gets older, he would really love to snuggle up in bed with his humans every night so he can get in as many cuddles as possible though. He has started leash training and is doing well, but he is still working on building his self confidence on walks. He will need additional practice to perfect his leash walking skills in his forever home. He is potty trained and knows how to use a dog door to go outside. If there isn't a dog door in his forever home, it is recommended to use a doggy door bell by the back door to help him learn how to notify you when he needs to go outside. He does need a consistent schedule and be taken out every few hours while he transitions to a new schedule in his forever home. 

Dakota's ideal home would be one where he can be included in his family’s daily life and get plenty of love, exercise, and attention. He would love to live in a home with a fenced yard to run and play in, and also sunbathe while he naps. He’d also be perfectly content in an apartment, condo, or townhouse as long as he gets regular walks and playtime. He would thrive in a home with another playful, friendly dog and some kids to cuddle and play with. No public dog parks for this sweet boy because who wants to risk your pup catching a disease or being bullied on by other random dogs anyways. He would love to have fun adventures at Sniff Spots for playtime and exercise if he doesn't have a private fenced-in yard. If you work out of the home and he is the only dog, he would love to go to doggy day care a few days a week so he can burn energy and play with some doggy friends. Dakota's ideal home would be with a fun, adventurous, loving family that enjoys a balance of outdoor adventures and cozy cuddle time, and that will let him be his playful, goofy self and love him unconditionally for it.