PUPPY MILLS BREED MISERY!

ADOPT, DON'T SHOP.

           

courtesy of http://www.stoppuppymills.org/

As society grows more conscious of animal abuse and neglect, we read nearly every day about a puppymill being closed down and the animals confiscated. Many times these animals are in deplorable physical condition: parasite-ridden, underweight, bred nearly to death. Most have rarely been out of their small, cramped cages. They may have eye infections, missing orbs or vision impairment caused by ammonia from urine-soaked quarters. Some have torn, deformed ears and missing limbs from cage aggression. Females may have hernias from painful, extended labor. Their toes may be splayed from walking on wire floors. Many have tattooed ears. Some have numbers hung around their necks on chains that have grown into their flesh. Their dental state is invariably horrible; most will have painful, infected teeth and gums, some resulting in systemic infections.

These are animals who've endured years of torture to make money for uncaring humans.

When a reputable rescuer gets her hands on a puppymill survivor, providing medical attention is just the beginning. The physical damage can be staggering. The psychological damage is much worse.

It takes a very special adopter to accept and love a puppymill survivor. Rehabilitation of the puppymill survivor begins with rescue, but can only be completed by a committed, loving family. The purpose of this article is to help demystify some of the acquired behaviors of the puppymill dog, and to let the adopter know what to expect.

Common Puppymill Survivor Behaviors

Terror of humans hands: The only time most mill dogs are removed from their cages, it's a painful experience. The dog may be grabbed by the first reachable part of it's body: tail, leg, scruff, ears. This takes lots of patience and non-threatening touches to overcome. 

You may have to lie on the floor face down with your eyes averted to get the dog to approach you at all. Let him come near you and sniff. It may take an hour, or days for this to happen. You can sometimes begin by holding the dog, petting him gently for a few seconds, speaking softly, then place him carefully down. Let him know you do not wish to restrain him. Lengthen the time for this ritual each day. Never raise your voice, clap your hands, or allow loud noises in the home during this adjustment period. You must strive to create a totally non-threatening environment. Behave as submissively as possible. Build trust slowly.

Aversion To Eye Contact: Many puppymill survivors refuse to make eye contact with humans. This indicates fearful submission which decreases as the dog comes to realize he will not be harmed by you and begins to trust. Talking to your dog in a soft, calm voice helps speed the process. A dog may not speak English, but the gentle tone of your voice and the fact that he is the focus of your concern will be understood.

The "I'm Afraid Of My Food" Routine: Anytime the cage door is opened on a mill dog, fear is the response, because an evil human is behind it. Of course, the cage door must be opened to insert a bowl of food, which may also be used to entice the dog within reach. It's not unusual to see your puppymill survivor run in the opposite direction when you sit dinner on the floor. Turn your back and walk away until the dog feels "safe" enough to eat. Let him eat undisturbed.

Marking/Housetraining: No puppymill survivor comes housetrained. Some never grasp the finer points. Most males will mark, and many females, too. Crates are useful in housetraining. Belly bands (a cloth band which wraps around male dogs covering the ureter) will help prevent marking. Nicely fitted doggie diapers are available from Foster and Smith. Human diapers can also be used - just cut a hole for the tail. Put your dog on a schedule. Take him outside first thing in the morning, at lunchtime whenever possible, after dinner, before bedtime. If you see him lift his leg in the house, a shaker can (jar filled with small pebbles) or clicker can distract him long enough for you to get him outside. Never raise your voice. Never hit a dog. Take him outside and reinforce by saying, "Potty outside", or something similar.  Use positive reinforcement when the dog does his business outside..."Good boy! Potty outside! Good, good boy!" Lots of petting must follow. : )

Flight Risk: All puppymill survivors are high flight risks. Never take your dog outside a securely fenced yard until you are thoroughly bonded. Then if you take your dog outside the fence, double-check to be sure harness is secure enough. I sometimes use a collar and harness, then run the lead from the collar through the harness for extra safety. If a mill dog gets loose outside a secured area, he will likely run until he drops; catching him will be quite a feat. Prevention is by far the best policy.

Coprophagy: Stool-eating is common in puppymill survivors. There is much contention as to the cause. However, most rescuers feel it is a learned behavior. Again, prevention is the best policy.  Pick up the yard frequently. Some mill dogs stop this behavior over time.

Fear of Water: Many puppymill survivors are frightened of water hoses. Puppymillers generally don't bother removing the dogs before hosing down their cages. I have known adopters whose puppymill survivors have become well-acclimated to homes, families and leashed walks only to have the dog bolt when they chanced by a neighbor watering his lawn.

Fear Biting: Fear biting is more common in abuse cases than in puppymill survivors, but we do see it occasionally. 90% of all dogs who bite do so out of fear. Puppymill survivors, like feral dogs, usually cower in the presence of humans. Fear biting can frequently be overcome with proper training and commitment, but it generally requires a professional animal behaviorist, not to mention a strong commitment from the adoptive family. Sadly, because of both the enormity of the canine overpopulation problem and the abundance of more easily salvageable dogs, most fear biters are euthanized.

These are a few of the most common puppymill survivor behaviors and suggestions for working with them. Working with a puppymill survivor is not an easy undertaking. But for those of us who have witnessed the miracle of these frightened beings growing to love and trust, to play with toys for the first time, to learn to take soft beds and good food for granted, it is one of the most joyful and rewarding experiences of our lives.

Adopting a Puppymill Rescue 

Adopting a puppymill rescue is not for everyone. These dogs have not had a normal existence, and their contact with humans, if at all, could have been very unpleasant.  In a nurturing environment, however, they have the potential to become the awesome companions they were meant to be.  This does not happen overnight and can take many months.  It requires patience and lots of love.

Most puppymill rescues lived their entire early existence confined in a small cage with other dogs.

As a result . . .

• Best Adopted in Pairs. Puppymill rescues are more comfortable in the company of other dogs and are quite fearful of humans. For them to feel most secure in their new homes, ideally they are best adopted out in pairs or there should be another dog in the family from whom they can learn. Many of our puppymill rescues arrive as bonded pairs. In that case, we do our best to adopt them out together.

• Eating. Living in a cage or pen with other dogs required competing with the other dogs for food and some never getting enough to eat.  Some can be food aggressive while others may not eat unless they are paired with another dog.

• Housetraining. Living confined in cages resulted in them living in their own waste. Consequently, they often do not understand the concept of housetraining. With a tremendous amount of consistency, patience, and love, this can be taught within a few months.

• Leash Training. Often their feet have never touched the ground so they do not know the feel of grass beneath their feet or how to act when attached to a leash. These dogs have never eliminated while being attached to a person. Leash training, which should be gradual and requires patience, is best if you follow with a loose (or retractable) leash. If you need to pick up the dog, stop him, and walk toward him. Do NOT drag him by the leash as it is reminiscent of being grabbed by the neck.  Never let go of the leash, keep it securely fastened around your wrist.  A loose leash provides the dog the opportunity to run away.  This is imperative until the dog is fully bonded to you, a gradual process that can take up to 6 months.

• Collars/Harnesses.  Puppymill rescues have the uncanny ability, if frightened, to buck and squeeze out of normal collars and bolt.  If outside in an unsecured area, this may result in your dog getting loose. If the  puppymill rescue gets away from you, he will starve before approaching another human being for food or shelter.  Note that very few who have escaped have ever been caught and have met their demise. Consequently, collars need to be very tight.  With toy breeds, a well-fitting harness can solve this problem.

• ID Tags and Microchip Registration.  Immediately after adopting a puppymill rescue, you should buy and attach to their collar or harness, an identification tag with the dog's name and your address and phone number.  This will help ensure his safe return to you should he bolt.  In addition, each dog is implanted with a microchip which requires owner registration.  Every shelter and veterinary clinic has a scanner to read the microchip and will call the microchip vendor to find the owner of record

• Eye Contact. They are initially fearful of eye contact or stares, which can be considered aggressive behavior. When looking at them, make sure that you blink. Resist the urge to look into their eyes or hold your face close to theirs.

• Holding the Dogs. Initially puppymill rescues are quite fearful of being picked up. In their former life, this usually resulted in them being tossed or thrown from one cage to another. To feel secure, they need to be firmly held while gently rubbing their backs. Until they know and are secure with you, do not pet their heads or necks. It will cause many of them to flinch as it is reminiscent of being grabbed in their former lives. Keep your hand on the dog while petting backwards (from the back toward the head) often can ease their fear and relax them.  If you are not in a secure area such as within your home or a securely fenced yard, please keep the leash securely fastened around your wrist.

• Do Not Chase. When you first adopt your puppymill rescue, he may be fearful of your approach. Do NOT chase him or you may undo any trust he has in you. Until he knows you and is not fearful of your approach, it is best to leave a leash on him at all times. That way he is easily caught (by stepping on his leash as he goes by) without any apparent chasing. Do NOT drag him toward you, but simply use the leash to keep him taut while you approach him.

• Life in a Household.  They do not know how to act in a household.  They are not familiar with its ordinary sounds, do not know how to climb up or down stairs, and do not understand the concept of height (they do not know how to jump and will simply walk off high surfaces and fall flat on their chins). These are things that they must learn in their new lives. Ideally, a puppymill rescue does better if there is another dog in the household from whom they can learn how to function in a home situation.  (See "Teddy's Story" below.)

• Doorways. Many are quite fearful of going through an open door past a person because in their former lives, many had their heads or bodies slammed in doorways for trying to escape. You will need to open the door wide and stand behind it so that they feel safe. To get them to go through a doorway, you may need to stand a distance beyond it to get them to follow.

• Providing a Secure Environment. These dogs can spook easily and can be frightened by sudden moves, loud noises, and sometimes even the touch of a hand.  They tend to run or bolt if given an opportunity to do so and can be very hard to catch because they are frightened.  Therefore, it is extremely important that you have a securely fenced yard and that everyone in your household remembers to close doors to the outside.  If they get loose, it most often will result in their death.

• Emotional Issues. In their earlier existence in the puppymill, human beings were not to be trusted, rather they were to be feared.  Accordingly, it will take time for your puppymill rescue to feel secure with you.  Do not be lulled into a false sense of security because your puppymill rescue no longer trembles when you pick him up.  Just because you love him does not mean that he understands it.  Accordingly, every precaution should be taken to ensure he is always in a secure environment. They can go from being very frightened to becoming totally dependent upon you in a very short period of time.   They may attach themselves to one person in the home and become their protector, not permitting anyone near that person.  They are often quite fearful of men.

• Health Issues. They often have severe periodontal disease caused by a lifetime of accumulated tartar on their teeth which can result in some, if not all, their teeth to be extracted. (See Dental Procedures). Some may develop joint problems in later life because of their years of inactivity confined in cages. 

These dogs are the most innocent of creatures.  Working with them through these issues can be a very rewarding experience, but only if you are up to the challenge.  It requires time, patience, understanding, and most of all, lots of love.  They will blossom and become awesome members of your family.  

A New Leash on Life Rescue organized a rally

at the Petland in North Olmsted (Great Northern Mall) on 2/7/09

 

   

Thanks to everyone who attended and helped us get the word out to

Petland to stop selling puppymill puppies!