# Adopting a Puppy Mill Rescue



## MollysMom (Nov 17, 2008)

I am adopting a 2 yr old little girl who was recently rescued from a puppy mill. My neighbor has her now and she has visited me today. She will be coming to stay tomorrow. I don't know what to expect as far as housebreaking. 
Her name is Molly. Molly was here a couple of hours today because we have 2 monkeys and I had to be sure that they all got along well. They seemed to be ok with one another. So we agreed to take Molly permanantly.
My neighbor has had Molly for about a week. She had to be shaved because she was matted and infested with fleas and had a skin rash. My neighbor had her cleaned up and planned to keep her but she is allergic. So she needed to find a good home for Molly.
That is where we came in and where we are are now. My neighbor says that Molly is housebroken and will jump at the door when she has to go potty. But I'm not sure if that is actually accurate because I think they keep her crated most of the time. I tend to doubt that a puppy mill would housebreak a dog. So I am very concerned about housebreaking. I'm a real softy and I'm not stern with my pets at all. But I have to be prepared to get Molly on the right path as soon as she arrives. We just had new hardwood floors put in our home at great expense and my husband will have a fit if they get ruined.
When Molly was here for 2 hours today she did not have any accidents. Even though I fed her and gave her a bowl of water. She also had full run of the house because I wanted to be sure that she would be comfortable with us and our home. And she did go to the door. I put her leash on and took her out. But she lead me right to my neighbors house and didn't go potty at all. It seems that she just wanted to go back to my neughbor. Probably because she considers that her home now. 
So can someone please help me. Has anyone had experience with a puppy mill dog? Is housebreaking more difficult for them and for a 2 yr old? Also, if I want to use peepee pads can they be combined with outdoor potty. Or will that confuse her?
I plan to have a long talk with my neighbor about what she has been doing with Molly and what Molly has been doing as well. That may help me to understand Molly a little better.
I would appreciate any and all comments.


----------



## bbry (Feb 17, 2007)

I've never had a rescue & certainly am not good at discipline but I wanted to welcome you to Spoiled Maltese. I'm sure you will get some helpful replies tomorrow. Good luck with Molly - Maltese are very loving and I know you will enjoy her.


----------



## theboyz (Jan 10, 2007)

Welcome Molly's Mom!!

I can tell you about the foster puppy mill that we cared for.
He was so traumatized when we took him that he just stayed in his crate and looked at the wall.
If Molly is already social, you are lucky.
I took Powder out to potty every half to one hour. He never had an accident and would run to the door and ask to go out.
In my opinion......a fenced yard is an absolute must. As in Powders case, he would NOT come and would not let anyone catch him. Enjoyed running and playing in the yard. It would have been horrible if he would have gotten away from us or the yard as he would have been gone forever. That is just my opinion for safety sake.
Your neighbor only had Molly for 1 week? Maltese are not a dog that causes allergies.
In one week with the neighbor Molly didn't have much of a chance to bond or adjust and I wonder why she didn't want Molly.

As wonderful as it is that you are willing to take her please make sure that you are comfortable with your decision.
It will take some time for her to adjust to your routine. Be patient and loving.
Bless you for trying to help her.

If I can help please pm me.

(real monkeys?????)


----------



## I found nemo (Feb 23, 2006)

First, I commend you for this.
I would also make sure this decision is the best and make sure your ready for what it may entail.
She was only with you for 2 days so she may not have shown all she is scared of or traumatized by. 
Training and patience is so important with these babies.
Some will say it is ok to alternate between potty-pads and outside training , for me it wasn't
I would pick one method and just stick with it, JMO.
I wish you all the luck and all the best for you and Molly :wub: :wub:
Opps I thought you said 2 days, it was 2 hrs, sorry for the mistake**


----------



## allheart (Oct 3, 2008)

Absolutely wonderful responses above :aktion033: :aktion033: 

First, a hug for you, for opening up a home to a fur-baby that so desperately, needs your love, patience, warm home and heart. Bless you!

Second.....monkeys??? Real Monkeys. Oh gosh, I LOVE monkeys.

To be quite honest, not sure how the two different species would get along. I've never heard of having monkies with dogs. Did I tell you I LOVE monkeys? I know you didn't ask advice on this, but I do have a question for you .

Is there any diseases that a monkey could carry, that the monkies would be fine, but could not be good for a dog. Please, don't get upset at my question, as I really don't know. What does your vet think about housing both together. Sorry, I know, not even close to what you asked, but I am so curious.

Okay, my first malt, more then likely if not definetely, was from a puppy mill. As far as potty training, actually, as the other's have said, every half hour does work, and Flakey did do very well.

I would be more watchful, for either health issues, and even just as important tempermant issues that will need your attention.

Flakey, thankfully did not have any health issues, but my oh my, he did have his personality quircks:

1) Seperation Anxiety

2) Alpha dog issues (which really was our fault)

With all that said, I will tell you, giving Flakey, our love, time and lifetime dedication, no matter what his issues were, I think helped our little boy, to be the most rewarding blessing in our lives. His heart was bigger than our body, and any time and love spent on Flakey, we were rewarded 10 fold, with love and care and being the best big brother one could ever be.

Sometimes when a dog has issues, behavorial, they won't show right away, as the dog is sometimes in a state of "where am I now?" "what is all of this, a nice, warm, loving home". So, it may take your little guy sometime to get adjusted, to feel safe, and at home, and it is when they do feel that way, that he may feel safe enough, to show his "special" side.

So, expect the unexpected and bless you once again, for opening your heart and home to this very special girl.

We had our Flakey for 15 wonderful years.....and he gave us memories and love to last a lifetime...I know your little girl will do the same for you as well.

Keep us posted on how you are doing.

P.S. That's my Flakey on the right with litte Kara in the bottom picture. Tremedous big brother.


----------



## MollysMom (Nov 17, 2008)

Thankyou all for your feedback. btw, I should have introduced myself. My name is Lynn. And I recently moved to Nashville TN from NYC. For the past 20 years we have been rescueing and rehabilitating abused and unwanted monkeys. So commitment is of the utmost importance to us. So there is no worry that we won't be there for Molly for the long haul.
We've retired from rescueing monkeys. We have only 2 left who are both 17 yrs old. The others have lived out their lives with us.

Well, Molly is here with us now. Everyone is getting acquanted. I was able to get her story. It seems the breeder dumped her at a groomer. He said he didn't want her. But no explaination why. He just handed her over to the groomer with her papers. He said she had a litter of 6 in Aug and they were all sold by Oct 11. The groomer cleaned her up. She was matted and infested with fleas. She then gave Molly to my neighbor's brother. He couldn't keep her so he gave her to my neighbor. Well that neighbor couldn't keep her either and gave her to another neighbor. That is the neghbor who gave Molly to us. So she has had 6 babies and then got passed around to 5 different homes in 3 months. So she has gone through a lot.
She is scratching her eyes and her paws until they are raw. But I noticed that when we hold her she doesn't scratch. I wonder if it is anxiety. We'll be taking her to our vet today or tomorrow. And we plan to spay her asap.
So that's our story so far. Wish us all luck. I think we'll adjust fine in time.

Thanks for listening/ reading.

Lynn


----------



## emmie0527 (May 4, 2007)

:Welcome 2: Wow...monkeys! That's pretty cool! Molly sounds like a sweetie! Please post pics of all of your babies when you can! We love pictures around here! Good luck with Molly and I hope the transition goes smoothly! :welcome1:


----------



## revakb2 (Sep 8, 2006)

Thank you for taking this little girl into your home and hearts.


----------



## MollysMom (Nov 17, 2008)

We took Molly to the vet today. Her eyes are very red and raw from scratching. And she is also chewing her front paws raw. The vet said it was an allergy and also anxiety. So he put her on 2 kinds of meds. Other than the allergy she got a clean bill of health.
I found out something about her today. She is not 2 yrs old. She was born 5/7/08 which makes her 18 months old. And that means that she has a litter of 6 pups at 15 months!
She's getting lots of TLC now. So she'll be fine.
Oh, and the housebreaking issue... Not an issue at all. She goes potty outside. And she has had no accidents inside at all.


----------



## lillykins (Oct 15, 2007)

QUOTE (MollysMom @ Nov 18 2008, 03:30 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=672679


> We took Molly to the vet today. Her eyes are very red and raw from scratching. And she is also chewing her front paws raw. The vet said it was an allergy and also anxiety. So he put her on 2 kinds of meds. Other than the allergy she got a clean bill of health.
> I found out something about her today. She is not 2 yrs old. She was born 5/7/08 which makes her 18 months old. And that means that she has a litter of 6 pups at 15 months!
> She's getting lots of TLC now. So she'll be fine.
> Oh, and the housebreaking issue... Not an issue at all. She goes potty outside. And she has had no accidents inside at all.[/B]


Bless you for taking in this little girl. Like you, I hope this is Molly's final home.

Is one of the meds an anti-anxiety drug?

If she's only 18 months old (I'm guessing you meant 5/7/07), she may not have as many social issues as another pup would have, but please know that it can take years to get her true personality to blossom. Our Charlotte was ~2 when she came to live with us. We got her from NMR; I had to fly to Charlotte, NC to pick her up. We've had her for 3+ years, and we cannot believe how she has really been coming out just these past 6 months. Adopting a rescue's not the same as raising a puppy (we've done that, too) but the reward is every bit as incredible.

Again, bless you!


----------



## bbry (Feb 17, 2007)

Could the 5/08 date be the date she was registered rather than her birth date? It seems some breeders don't send in the papers until they need to register the litter. 

I am so happy you have her now. And already housebroken, how lucky are you! I hope all goes really well with the allergies. She may have also been scratching from stress & anxiety.

Good luck to you all.


----------



## Madison's Mom (Dec 26, 2007)

I hope everything works out well for you. It's wonderful of you to take this baby in and make her part of your family.

Monkeys? That is so cool! I'd love to see pictures of them. I'm always telling Jim we should get some monkeys!


----------



## MollysMom (Nov 17, 2008)

I'm sorry for the confusion about Molly's birthdate. I made a typo. It should have been 5/7/07.
I also forgot to mention that the vet said that Molly has a slight heart murmur. I notice that she pants sometimes when she is resting. I have to ask the vet if this is due to the murmur.
The meds that she is on are prednisone and amoxycillin. And they are working very well. She's doing great, No more scratching. And her skin has healed already.


----------



## I found nemo (Feb 23, 2006)

QUOTE (MollysMom @ Nov 22 2008, 04:18 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=675115


> I'm sorry for the confusion about Molly's birthdate. I made a typo. It should have been 5/7/07.
> I also forgot to mention that the vet said that Molly has a slight heart murmur. I notice that she pants sometimes when she is resting. I have to ask the vet if this is due to the murmur.
> The meds that she is on are prednisone and amoxycillin. And they are working very well. She's doing great, No more scratching. And her skin has healed already.[/B]


Aww I am glad to hear she is feeling a bit better, hope she continues to do well . :grouphug:


----------



## Harley & Dakotas Mum (Jun 11, 2005)

Good for you!!! thank you for taking this baby in (and all the other babies in the past!!) it sounds like you have a heart of gold!!! :grouphug: 

I'm also pleased to see Molly is responding well to her medication!!!

From my very limited experience, prednisone and amoxycillin sound like a great start to get her allergies under control, the pred for the itchies, and the amoxycillin for any infection.

My darling Harley was also treated with the same meds, and he improved so much once the infection was all cleared up.

Just a little caution for you though, and as I said, I am certainly not an expert, nor am I a vet! - however, once your initial treatment is done, I would try to stay away from long term use of prednisone if at all possible. I don't think prednisone is a bad drug, I think it has it's place to serve as a short-term treatment, however, I would advise against using it long term.

There are a few of us here who love & care for little ones with allergies, please dont be scared to ask us any questions, if we don't know the answer, chance are, someone will be willing to find out!!!!!

Good luck with your little one!!


----------



## The A Team (Dec 1, 2005)

Thank you for taking in this young rescue. It's a wonderful thing to give her a chance at "the good life". I have a yorkie who came directly from a puppy mill at around 2 or 3 years old, we've had him for just about two years now. It took me a good two months to house train him, but once he "got it", he just did it. Tink has no humor, nor does he physically play with my other dogs. And I am still the ONLY one who can touch him...or look at him (he's so shy). But he loves me with all his little heart and he's a very happy little guy who has placed himself as head of household security duties.

Time and patience and lots of love (and no sudden movements, :w00t: LOL) will work wonders. 

Good luck and I look forward to hearing about and seeing her transformation!


----------



## Morkie4 (Oct 13, 2006)

I have three maltese that we rescued and some came with behavioral issues, some with medical problems but with patience, love and understanding........well, they are gems!!!! My first rescue was 2 1/2 years old and suffered from separation anxiety..........well, with four fluffs now, she is content and that issue was resolved. Other than that, she is a dear sweet fluff with lots of zip and life and now is six years old. Brandy, our second rescue came with fear issues, fleas, matts and well, with time and patience, she is a doll and the love of my husband's life!!!! She was two when we adopted her and she is doing great. We've had her a year and we are still working on "food aggression".......I still put my hand in the bowl after feeding her a couple of kibbles from it and she no longer growls at all! PROGRESS!!! Slow, I know but progress in the right direction is always a plus in my book. Then we have Buffy.........she was two but vet said four, she needed spayed, dental and shots..........none had been given her prior. But she has adjusted and is part of the pack now and is knock out gorgeous but then so are all my fluffs (said without prejudice). So my theory is some rescues come with more complex issues and some get better and some don't but I'm three for three and so I'm going to just wish you the best and thank you for taking Molly into your care! I am sure from reading your posts that she will be one of the rescues that will make it to the top and bring you tons of happiness!!!!!


----------



## MollysMom (Nov 17, 2008)

Well, I guess I lucked out with Molly. Because I haven't noticed any behavioral problems... except for the barking. She barks at everything and anything. And when I take her out to potty she has her own routine everytime, She goes from house to house where she knows there is a dog and she will stand and bark until that dog starts barking back at her. Then she goes to the next house and does the same. We live on the sde of a hill. So then she wants to go to the back of our house and bark down the hill where there are houses, Before long all the dogs in earshot are barking. Tonight I wouldn't allow her to make her nightly tour. I'll have to break that habit or my neighbors will drum us out of the neighborhood.

I don't think this is a behavioral problem. But Molly will not let me out of her sight. Whereever I go in the house she is right by my feet. She'll even wake up to follow me np matter how quiet I am. If I close the bathroom door she lies down outside the door and waits for me. My husband said that when I go out she lies right by the door and doesn't move until I get back. Does anyone have this problem? Will this ever change as she gets more accustumed to us and our home? We haven't left her home alone yet. Even though she wouldn't actually be alone because the monkeys are here. But I'm afraid she will have a nervous breakdown if she is left home. Does anyone have any advice about this problem?

I've been trying all day to get some photos of her. But she hates the flash and turns her head when I point the camera at her. So all I got was blurry shots of her profile and one of her sleeping. But I will keep trying.


----------



## Boobookit (Dec 3, 2005)

*First, please let me say congratulations on your new addition and welcome to SM!! Second, Bless both you and your husband's big heart!! 

My Pacino, who is 3, we got from a breeder (a backyard one at that, but that was before we knew better) and Ralphie, who is now 7, we got from the Maltese Rescue when he was 5, that I volunteer for. Pacino we have had since puppyhood so he knows no abuse. Ralphie, on the other hand was a owner turn-in who was abused by the owners' children and he had many issues. He has seperation anxiety, was scared to death of hardwood floors and steps, food aggression, etc. He trusted no one. He had no idea how to play with toys and they kept him drugged, he was lethargic for over a year.

He is now stable, no more anxieties, no more food aggression, no fears....he is one happy little boy. 

Your baby, with constant reassurance and love will be fine. You have an advantage that she doesn't have many issues and that is a good thing, you are ahead of the game. Unless she is crying and acting out when you leave then I don't think she has separation anxiety although I am no expert. But with Ralphie I couldn't walk out the door without him crying and howling, it was horrible.

I think that being in those living conditions at the mill then being shuffled to five different homes has made her fearful that she will be shuffled again and it sounds like she is attaching herself to you for reassurance. I think she just needs to be loved and directed. When she knows what her rules and boundaries are she will be a happy camper.

Ralphie has no problem with me leaving the room and for the most part he is following me but if he is sleeping or comfortable he will stay where he is or stay with his daddy. Pacino, on the other hand, the one who doesn't know what abuse is at all, is my velcro boy. He HAS to be where I am at all times. With these boys I think it is just their personality. But Ralphie does not have separation anxiety anymore and Pacino never had it to begin with. Pacino is the baby and he just prefers to be in whatever room I am in. Neither have a problem when I have to go out somewhere.

We had to show Ralphie how to love and trust again and every accomplishment was a huge milestone for him.....But, the feeling that I get every time he got/gets over a hump is the most wonderful feeling in the world.....undescribable.

Good luck with your little girl and keep us posted on her trek to being that whole little girl that she deserves to be. 

Good for you!!

Marie, Pacino & Ralphie (The Boys)*


----------



## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

Congrats and welcome!!

My first malt was a puppymill dog. My advice in a nutshell is that training is training. You're gonna use the same methods, basically, but the key is going about it with a lot of *positive reinforcement*. Lots of extra TLC, praise, treats, cuddles, etc. Our Camden (RIP) was only with us for several weeks but in that time his progress was just amazing and he was a wonderful, loving and affectionate pet with no signs of "hang-ups" from his past. Not to mention was very easy to potty train. Unfortunately, him being in a cage in his early months made crate training very easy. Best of luck!!


----------



## TNDeb16 (Dec 24, 2008)

Kudos to you for giving your new baby a nice loving home. I too have a puppy mill rescue that I just got 2 weeks ago and am just in love with him.

From my 2 wk experience, all I can say is lots and lots of patience. They have not had the life that they should have and need us more than ever


----------

