Seeking a success stories of puppy mill rescues

My fiancé and I are considering adopting a one-year-old cockapoo rescue. He was taken out of a puppy mill situation, and initially in a foster home for 2-3 months before he got out accidentally through an open gate. The rescue was able to trap him and have since been fostering him since February. The current foster/rescue says he is who he is and he doesn’t really change.

Some things we’ve been told about him:

• he lives to be with other dogs (we have one dog currently)
• he barks at commotion, door knocks, if you get up in the night, etc.
• he doesn’t like the crate but tolerates it; typically gets crated 2-4 hrs/day; he growls when picked up and getting taken to the crate but never shown actual aggression; will shred blankets in crate if present
• if left uncrated he will shred paper in house
• getting better about coming when called (will stay put when called now and not run away)
• has started asking for belly rubs at night in bed but then will still bark at you like he forgets who you are later in the night
• he isn’t a digger and has never tried to jump fence outside

My fiancé and I do have some experience with caring for a small dog that has similar tendencies, but obviously every dog is different. Are we going to be getting ourselves in over our head with this adoption? I want to give this dog a good permanent home, but it definitely seems like it will be a learning curve and adjustment for all involved.

Just seeking words of wisdom and success stories with similar situations.