Circling/puppyfarm
 

I have a friend who has just adopted an ex breeding puppy farm girl, aged around 5 years.
The little dog circles a lot, like in the video here.
Puppy Mill Dog walking in circles - YouTube

I just wondered if anyone has come across this before, and if so, the best way to deal with it. The little dog does it in the garden and in the house and is almost in a trance when she gets going.
I feel as though i want to pick her up and cuddle her to stop her spinning, but don't know if that would be the right thing to do.
She has been out of the puppy farm for a about 6 weeks now and the spinning hasn't lessened.
Any help anyone can give, would be gratefully received..xx

Lola will do this ...sorry could not watch the video at work ..but it did get better and has gotten a lot better with trust. i believe lola came from a breeding farm also but not 100% sure. she has been with us almost a year and she is getting more comfortable everyday. if she gets real upset though she will circle and i will pick her up and cuddle her. maybe im wrong to do so but it does help sooth her with some calming talk. best wishes and i hope others will chime in.

I have no advice......it is just so sad! :( Bless your friend for giving this pup a better life!

Poor girl! I hope someone can help. Please keep us posted.

had she been to the vet yet to rule out any health issues?

If she was kennel kept in a puppy mill or farm, it may be 'habit' since she likely didn't have much space to herself. If there are no health or neurological issues, maybe taking her on walks in straight lines and non-circular patterns may help, and engage her as much as possible so she has little time to herself for now.

The dog in the video looks to me to be bored/stressed/nervous and that may be why it is pacing in the circular pattern quite redundantly. There is something called 'muscle memory' which may be partly to blame. She may well come out of it within a month or less, depending on how much distraction she receives. The video looks like the circling dog just changed 'cage' homes and is reacting to the new one with the same old habits from the previous home.

The circular pacing may also be a 'personal comforting' activity...to keep herself from 'thinking' about her situation...a 'metronome' sort of thing. People are known to do this as well.

I am no expert, so this is only a meager opinion. lol I truly hope she is healthy, and there is nothing wrong...that she is just in an adjustment period that will soon end. Your friend is wonderful to take her...please give her my best regards.

YES, my very 1st Rescue that I adopted came from a Puppymill where she had lived for 8 yrs.
I thought it was so very sad when she I first got her as she would walk this way all the time, she walking in circles and pacing so much.
My Audrey was a very scared little girl. I let her adjust to things on her time line,. She would sit at the back of room and just watch me and how I interacted with my other girl at the time. I would sit on floor with my back to to her and let her to come me at her own pace.
I would advise to never crate her and shut the door, also if can never confine her.
I always had a big crate out that had a bed a fluffy blanket in it and also a blankie over top it to make it cave like and I took off the door. Audrey came to use that her safe haven.

I will say it took her about 4 months before her circling completely stopped.

Bless your friend for adopting a Puppymill dog. I can tell they are the most loving babies.

It's all she knows to do. I worked in Rescue, Lion Dog Rescue, and Pekingese that had been in a small kennel all their lives would also walk in a circle, exactly the size of the little kennel they were confined to. Those confined to dog runs would run back and forth continuously.

I forgot who wrote to interrupt the repetitious pattern with hugs and/or reassurance (whatever the puppy is comfortable with) and to change the pattern by taking them for walks were right on point.

Introduce positive change with compassion and affirmation.

my lola will not walk on a leash..ive tried many different things and will continue to but i had always believed that she was mostly left in a crate her whole life. this helps me confirm that this probably the case. plus we brought her to the groomers on tuesday last week, first time since weve had her and she was like a different dog..confident and so happy when she came home. i kept saying to my dh what the heck has today done to change her then he said mel she was in a crate at the groomers......click light bulb went off she was so happy we picked her up and she came home to what shes known as her home for the last almost year!! so sad my girl was once only free in a crate. how anyone could do that is just unreal in my mind. but the next time she goes to the groomers i dont want her back in the crate and ill explain it to them.

Its most likely from her mill environment but she needs a vet check to make sure its not neurological. I almost adopted a persian cat once that did that circling and she did have neurological defect

That's a great idea! Bless you and your sweet little girl!

I don't know if this will work for your Lola, but I did see this work with some rescues that we were preparing for adoption. Attach a short leash to the puppy (while being monitored) to familiarize them with the feel and weight of the leash and collar. It was done with time limits several times a day until it became routine and expected. Next came holding the leash and walking with the puppy, and if all went well with the leash, training/walking began. At that stage you can give them treats and praise when they've done well.

I'm not a professional trainer and there might be a better way to do this, but when you work in rescue, you work with what you have; a limited budget. ;)

thank you i have tried this but will start again when we can finally get back on our walking routine daily. she just stands and looks at me like a looney! hehe. she has a stroller and i put her in that and walk keylo and cedric. she loves her stroller and will finally look out and smell the air and stuff so we are getting there. :)

That's awesome, she just may be smarter than all of us!!! ;)

If the Vet. doesn't find an ear infection or neurological problem, then it's a behavioral issue. You could contact a behavior specialist to help this little one. Your such a great person to have taken her in. Bless you.

Puppy mill dogs pick up strange traits from being in tiny cages all their lives. Can you imagine boredom of being in a tiny cage 12/7? The brain gets stuck in certain behaviors. When the dog starts to circle have them try to distract it and get it doing another activity. The poor darling is going to need some work but hopefully these people won't mind spending the time needed to help the dog.

Some puppy mill dogs will lick consistently and pass the trait onto their pups. This can also be treated but it does take consistent work. Always distract and get the dog doing another activity. The brain really does get stuck and the poor dear needs someone to help.

Thank you for adopting her :)
I have had a few puppy mill dogs that did this too. I think its just habit...they cant do anything else in their cage to get their energy/exercise out. Many zoo animals do the same...its very sad. Most of my mill dogs wont walk on a leash in the beginning either. The circling in my experience slowly gets better. Just keep working with her and she will continue to improve. I started doing puppy preschool with my fosters now when they are from a mill. I have found that has been the most helpful and in many ways their minds are like a brand new puppy because they havent seen or experienced anything outside their jail cell.

With lots of love and care I hope she will get better. So sad to watch that video but I truly understand why she does it. Bless you for taking her and with your love I think she will be fine.

Thank you all so much for your advice and comments.
Jenny is my friends 2nd puppy farm rescue dog but her first one didn't display the same circling problem.
I too adopted an ex breeding puppy farm girl 3 years ago, and although she has other problems, she doesn't circle, apart from just before toileting.
I will pass on all your advice, and if the vet check goes ok, we will have to assume that it's a result of being confined for so long, and hope that Jenny will eventually grow out of it. :confused:
Thank you all again..xx