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Originally Posted by jenn1381  Loyal rescue IS awesome.. Oliver's foster family was amazing.
I have, however, decided NOT to get a rescue this time. Dealing with Oliver's issues from his time in the puppy mill is not easy. He does not trust humans and was not socialized with them at all. One pup like that is enough, and he did NOT show these symptoms in foster care! We think the moving around really messed with his little head  I need to find a dog that is well socialized with animals and humans, as when Ollie is around dogs who don't have these issues, he learns that things aren't so scary and tries to be more social. That's not to say that all rescues have these issues, or even that puppies from breeders do not - just that the risk is higher in rescues as they've often been thru hell. I will rescue again one day, just not this time. |
I understand what you mean about issues in dealing with puppy mills. Both of mine are puppy mill dogs. Chip was sold to us by a broker at 7 1/2 weeks, so imagine how old he was when he was ripped apart from his mother. The poor thing didn't even know how to chew food, let alone being socialized with humans. The day we brought him home he would sit in the corner farthest from us and shake... of course he's improved a lot since then, but he doesn't trust people he doesn't know, at all. Smokey came along and was a rescue. He was a puppy mill dog that had been switched from home to home to home and was 6 months. He has his own set of bad anxiety issues in being left alone, but loves people and dogs. Since we brought Smokey home, Chip is more social with people - cautious, but more social. My point in telling you all this, is that maybe if you get a dog that is very social, maybe Ollie will learn to come out of his shell a little bit. It worked for Chip.