 LadyJ
It's a great thing you did taking in a puppymill rescue. All but one of my Yorkies are rescues. I'd like to share with you a special story about my Noel. Noel came to me at about the same age as your Kozanna. Noel also came from a puppymill. When we got her, she was in very bad condition both physically and emotionally. She was bleeding from her rectum, had Coccidia along with other parasites, but more then that, she was so emtionally tramautized from being beaten.
The first day we brought her home, she ran straight to the washer and dryer and got as close to gettting behind it as she could and just sat trembling in fear. When you reached for her, she would roll over on her back and just tremble. Within two weeks she fell in love with my two sons and became their protector. Guarding their every move. My sons and I became her world but she wanted no part of my husband. After a good six months my hubby was able to pet her, but she was cautious and it had to be slow or she would just take off running and hiding.
We were not abe to take her out to parks or to the boy's baseball games because anytime anyone would come to pet her or talk to her, she'd pull violentlly to the point of where she'd be hurting herself, just to get free of her harness. And, company forget. She'd hide under the table and cower, shake and bark at them.
Housebreaking was an effort. She tries and will tell you, but you get one warning and you need to take her out right away. We believe that the beatings she took caused her damage in that she cannot hold her bowels long.
Noel is now a little over three years old. At the time we got her (around 10 months old) we were told by our veterinarian that because she was so young when she was abused that she will always have a timid streak. To a point he is right but I'm happy to report that just the past year she has made so much progress with strangers. Noel has learned that they will not hurt her and she will now slowly let our company pet her and she will bring a toy to them. AND, she now sleeps right next to my husband while he's watching TV. She still shows signs of what happened to her as a pup but she has gotten so much better and keeps getting better. She is such a good girl and so appreciative like ALL rescues, that she has a good home.
Keep working with her and over time you will have the best dog. Rescues are so happy to have a home. They just want to please you, so they learn fast.
Best of luck and if I can help in any way, please feel free to PM me.
Elaine |