In the News: Tails of Marin
Potential Problems for Puppy Mill Dogs
By Trish King
Recently, the Marin Humane Society volunteered to transport approximately 100 Chihuahuas and other small dogs from Tucson to Marin to find them new homes. The dogs were among 800 being raised in a puppy mill, which is essentially a dog-producing factory. An elderly couple was breeding the dogs for sale, and became overwhelmed trying to care for them. Authorities at the Southern Arizona Humane Society described the living conditions as one of the worst they had ever seen.
Puppy mills, like the one in Arizona, are far from unique. In fact, according to the Humane Society of the United States there may be as many as 10,000 puppy mills operating across the United States. Many dogs born in puppy mills end up in pet stores or sold on the Internet. Last week, The Oprah Show aired a segment that exposed the hidden world of puppy mills. Thanks to Oprah’s show, millions of viewers learned about the abuses that take place in this industry. “I am a changed woman after seeing this show,” declared Oprah.
Hundreds of Bay Area residents offered to foster or adopt one (or more!) of the Arizona rescue dogs. The response from the public was wonderful, even after our adoption counselors cautioned applicants about the potential for medical/behavior challenges with puppy mill dogs. Because these dogs were raised in horrible conditions, they missed out on good nutrition and care. The majority of the dogs’ teeth were rotten, and many needed extensive dental work. In addition, a significant number of them have behavior issues that could prove to be taxing for inexperienced dog guardians.
Because these little dogs were raised together, in huge groups with little human contact, many of them show fearful or spooky behavior around people. They like people - who represent food to them - but they’re afraid of being touched. Thus, they’ll approach you with tails wagging, only to shrink back or run away if you try to pet them or pick them up. Then, when you are actually holding them, they seem to enjoy it! Like many puppy mill dogs, they need to learn that the approach of human hands is welcome and comforting. The key is to take it nice and slow – don’t do unexpected things, and don’t push them beyond their threshold.
Many if not most of these dogs will have house training problems. Young ones (under six months) will be much easier to house train than older ones, who may never completely understand where they are supposed to eliminate. This is because dogs naturally tend to eliminate outside their den – if there is no “outside,” and they have no choice, they learn to defecate and urinate wherever they are. This can be very difficult or impossible to unlearn.
Many dogs that have never been on leash before will panic when they are restrained. We suggest fitting dogs with a harness, which you can then leave on all day. At first, attach a short leash to the harness and just let the dog drag it around. Then, attach the leash to something immovable (i.e. tie it around a chair leg). Let the dog pull on the leash and discover for herself that it doesn’t “give.” Now, hold the end of the leash and become a “post.” When the dog doesn’t pull or panic, take a couple of steps and then stop and let the whole scenario repeat itself. This process takes time, so be patient.
Finally, some dogs will probably have food, toy or human guarding problems. Now that they have a real home, they could try to protect it or the things in it. They need to be taught that there’s plenty more where that came from.
Trish King is the director of behavior and training at the Marin Humane Society.
