Sierra was spayed on April 3rd.  Her surgery went well but she had an exciting next morning.  When a staff member of the vet clinic took her outside on a leash to use the bathroom, she bolted.  She ran across a busy county road (twice) and ended up in a lake trying to get away from them.  Poor girl!  She must have been terrified.  This is a good example of how easily a puppy mill dog can be frightened.  She was skillful enough to evade a professional dog handler even though she was trailing a 10 ft leash behind her.  She obviously had had enough of "those people".  When my husband picked her up later that afternoon, she was still frightened and had to be carried to the car.  She didn't perk up until she got home and saw our 2 resident Goldens, whom she really likes.  She was once again herself.  She really needs the company of other dogs.Sierra is still frightened of the outstretched hand.  She has a long way to go before we can say she easily trusts humans.  I have to make myself non-threatening (sitting down, soft high-pitched voice) for her to want to come to me.  She is indeed still skittish.  The trip to to the vet set her back some, but that is common of a puppy mill dog.  Two steps forward, three steps back.  Her openness and trust for people is a fragile thing.Taking hold of Sierra by the collar is not an option.  It makes her fearful.  She is sensitive to a corrective voice, too.  If the dogs are playing too rough outside and I give a low voiced "Hey!", she stops what she's doing immediately.  We can say that she is a good listener and is attentive to us.  She no longer barks at night!  We moved her crate into our bedroom and have not had a problem since.  She apparantly did not like being in a room alone. Sierra still has lots of puppy energy, so keeping her mellow to allow her stitches to heal (from the spay) is not easy.  She also has the puppy habit of being a little "mouthy".  She only does this when I pet her when she's really excited.  We are also still working on housebreaking.  She will still quickly potty in the house if we are not attentive.  We had two children over this week, ages 5 and 10.  At first Sierra was nervous from all the commotion, but she was fine.  She allowed them to pet her.  I would say overall she was indifferent to them.  She had another leash walk today, very early in the morning before there was much commotion.  She was very good and was only uncomfortable with the leash for a few feet before she began following the lead of the other dogs. Sierra eats her meals VERY quickly and I still hand feed her often to try to slow her down a little.Sierra is a beautiful, gentle soul with brown eyes that melt your heart.  She is affectionate and attentive.   She likes to snuggle and be petted.  I just love this little angel but she does have some adjusting to do.  She missed that critical first year of socilization and training.  Patience is crucial in helping her overcome her fears.