Meet Peony, a beautiful 58-pound sweetheart with a gentle heart and a big personality waiting to blossom. Peony can be a little cautious when meeting new people or experiencing something unfamiliar, so she appreciates a patient approach and the opportunity to get comfortable at her own pace. Once she feels safe and decides you're her person, her affectionate side comes shining through. She loves being close to her people and may happily curl up right in your lap for a nap, despite apparently believing she's a 10-pound dog!
Peony has been thriving in her foster home and is proving to be a wonderful companion. She has excellent house manners, and her housetraining has been going great with no recent accidents. She also does wonderfully when left alone and can be trusted to relax comfortably without a crate. Whether her people are home or away, Peony knows how to settle in and enjoy some downtime.
One of Peony's favorite things is simply being with her people. She loves affection and thinks nothing of climbing into a lap for quality cuddle time. She has a medium energy level and enjoys getting out for walks and adventures, but she is equally happy relaxing at home. She loves rope toys and bully sticks, and she's always excited when it's time to play. Once she's gotten her energy out, she'll happily plop down and rest just about anywhere. Her foster family also describes her as eager to please, noting that she responds quickly when asked to stop or leave something alone.
Peony is a smart girl who is making progress with her training. She has become very good at "sit" and "down" and is improving with "stay." Her foster family is also working on "leave it," and she is eager to learn when given clear, consistent guidance. She recently enjoyed a trip to the harbor, where she happily sat on benches with her people and took in the sights while enthusiastically sniffing all the new things around her. She would love an adopter who enjoys helping her explore the world while continuing to build on her growing skill set.
Peony enjoys walks and has plenty of enthusiasm for getting outside. Her leash manners are still a work in progress, but a front-clip harness has helped considerably. As she has become more comfortable in her foster home, she has also shown more selectivity in her reactivity towards other dogs. Some dogs excite her, but she can pass them calmly, while others may prompt barking and pulling toward them. She has been doing better around men on walks and generally passes other people without reacting. She will benefit from continued leash training, thoughtful management around dogs, and an adopter who can help her navigate exciting encounters.
Meeting new people goes best when Peony gets to take the lead. Her foster family recently introduced her to a friend by having the friend join them for a walk rather than approaching Peony directly inside the home. The introduction went beautifully! Once everyone returned home, Peony was comfortable with the visitor coming inside and soon cuddled up with her on the couch. This is a great example of how well she can do when people respect her space and allow her to warm up at her own pace. She may growl to communicate that she is uncomfortable when unfamiliar people approach too quickly or pass close to her while she is outside, so her adopter should take those signals seriously, create space when needed, and continue helping her build positive associations with new people.
Peony has met other dogs at BARCS and has shown interest in canine companions, although she can be selective about which dogs she is comfortable around. She will need to meet any potential dog siblings to make sure they are a compatible match. She does not currently live with other pets, and her compatibility with cats has not been established. Careful introductions and appropriate management would be important if she were to share her home with other animals.
Peony has not had any reported interactions with children in her current foster home, so her comfort level around kids is unknown. Given her preference for slower introductions and personal space when meeting unfamiliar people, any introductions to children should be thoughtful and supervised, with adults ensuring that she can retreat whenever she needs a break.
Peony is a lovely combination of playful, affectionate, and easygoing at home. She can get excited when it's time to head outside or when her favorite toys appear, but once she's had a chance to burn off some energy, she's happy to settle in for cuddles. Her foster family has also found that she responds well to simple verbal guidance, and she seems genuinely interested in pleasing her people.
Peony will do best with an adopter who understands that trust is built at her pace and who is willing to continue working on her leash manners and reactions to select dogs. She has made wonderful progress in a home environment, and her recent success with a carefully introduced visitor shows how much a thoughtful approach can help her shine. Give her patient introductions, consistent guidance, and plenty of opportunities to explore and learn, and you'll get to see more and more of the loving, goofy, cuddly girl underneath her initial caution.
Peony is currently in the comfort of a foster home. If you're interested in meeting her, please complete an application and email dogfosters@barcs.org for next steps!
MVP Up to Bat! I'm a BARCS MVP because I'm learning to channel my excitement, and I can be a little shy at first, so I just need a little time to warm up! Please contact our Dog Foster team at dogfosters@barcs.org to connect with my foster family, and get to know me better! I can't wait to meet you.
Every animal deserves a home run! BARCS MVPs are overlooked pets in the shelter. Thanks to the generous support of the Alonso, Basallo, and Bradish Baltimore Orioles families, all MVP animals have waived adoption fees AND will go home with a brand new leash and collar or cat carrier.
For more information or to see the full MVP line-up, click here: https://www.barcs.org/mvp
