Fostering or Adopting A Puppy Mill Rescue Dog
Are you opening up your heart and your home to a puppy mill survivor?
Congratulations, you are about to start a journey that will be emotional, frustrating, heartbreaking, and most of all, rewarding.
However, there are a few unique considerations that you should be aware of when fostering or adopting a puppy mill rescue dog.
Have you ever looked at the adorable puppies online or in a pet store window, wondering ‘what’s the catch’? If so, you’re not alone!
The process of adopting a rescue dog or purchasing a puppy from a responsible breeder can seem extensive or over the top compared to walking into a pet store and walking out with one of those adorable balls of fur. But it is for good reason!
Unfortunately, the truth about those puppies and the puppy mill ‘industry’ is a disturbing one.
Each year the week before Mother’s Day (this week) is Puppy Mill Action Week.
The purpose of this week is to raise awareness about the horrible conditions created by puppy mills and the mistreatment of the dogs and puppies that endure that unimaginable level of neglect.
What Is A Puppy Mill?
A puppy mill is a large-scale commercial farming operation in which they are raising and breeding dogs for the sole purpose of making a profit.
Viewing these dogs as nothing more than an income opportunity, they provide only the most basic needs (sometimes not even that) at the lowest cost to their ‘business’ as possible.
This often means keeping these dogs penned up in small cages and inhumane conditions, denying them the attention, love, and environmental enrichment that they need to live a happy, healthy life.
Cages are often stacked one on top of the other, with poor ventilation, and dogs are left to ‘do their business’ in the same tiny space where they eat and sleep.
Female dogs are forced to breed repeatedly with little recovery time after each litter. This often leads to health concerns that are overlooked or disregarded.
When the time comes that they are unable to continue producing litters, they are discarded and tossed aside.
The puppies also suffer in a puppy mill situation. They are pulled away from their mothers too early which can have an impact on not only their physical health but also their behaviour both immediately and throughout their lives.
They are often sold in pet stores or online without proper veterinary care and health checks.
As a result, many puppies are sold with kennel cough, pneumonia, parasites, genetic health problems (like heart disease, respiratory problems and hip/joint issues), and other ailments.
How to Recognize and Stop Puppy Mills
Unfortunately, there is no legal definition of ‘puppy mill’, which makes it near impossible to fully regulate their operations.
If you know of a puppy mill operating in your community, you can report them for animal neglect and unsafe living conditions to have the current dogs removed from the home and placed in homes with loving families (or foster families).
Note: I am referring to puppy mills, NOT responsible breeders. There is a BIG difference!
For those who are looking to adopt a puppy, the best thing that you can do is to learn the warning signs of a puppy mill and refuse to support them by giving them your money.
Often people believe that they are doing a good thing by saving that one dog, but the adoption fees are then used to continue funding the operation, exploiting hundreds and thousands more.
Watch for these red flags that you may be dealing with a puppy mill:
- The puppies being sold are under 6 weeks of age
- The seller is offering a variety of different breeds rather than focusing on becoming experts in one
- The seller asks little to no questions from you as a prospective adopter before agreeing to sell the puppy (responsible breeders want to screen potential adopters to find the best homes)
- The seller refuses to answer detailed questions about the puppy’s parents, genetics or health
- The seller refuses to provide veterinary contact information to confirm the proper care and medical history of the puppy prior to adoption
- The seller refuses to show potential adopters the parents of the puppy or the place in which the animals are being bred and raised
- The seller isn’t local but is willing to ship the puppy without meeting the potential adopter, no questions asked
- There is no contract in place regarding the ongoing care of the puppy (most breeders will require adopters to return the puppy in the event they are unable to keep them)
- The seller makes no effort for ongoing contact with any of the adopters that they have previously adopted to (a responsible breeder will continue to serve as a source of support and knowledge for adopters)
- The seller pressures potential adopters to make a quick decision rather than focusing on finding the right fit for both the family and the puppy
While we encourage you not to support puppy mills through purchasing their puppies, there are plenty of dogs that come from these situations and wind up in shelters or rescue organizations searching for their forever home.
This is an opportunity to truly make a difference and give these dogs the life they deserve.
Due to the extreme neglect and inhumane situations that they have faced, dogs and puppies that are removed from a puppy mill situation often have unique needs to help them adjust to life in a normal, loving household.
Tips for Fostering or Adopting A Puppy Mill Rescue Dog
Everything is New
Dogs and puppies that come from a puppy mill situation have spent most of their lives closed away from the world in a kennel or small cage.
Normal life in the outside world is all new, exciting, overwhelming, and sometimes frightening for them.
To help your dog adjust, introduce changes slowly and focus on positive reinforcement. Be patient and give them time to accept these new experiences one step at a time.
If you are bringing an adult dog into your home, be prepared for them to view the world through the eyes of a puppy.
They have had limited experiences in life and that has prevented them from maturing mentally at the rate that other dogs do.
Slow and Steady
Many dogs that come from these situations are fearful or skittish. Loud noise and sudden movements can be extremely frightening, preventing them from feeling safe in your home.
In the early days of the adjustment process, avoid loud televisions, radios, or loud voices.
When approaching the dog, do so slowly. Reach out a hand and allow them to decide when they are comfortable coming to you versus the other way around.
Be patient. As your dog starts to establish trust in you and their new home, they will begin to settle in and show less fear.
Extensive Puppy-Proofing
Any time that you are introducing a new dog to your home, you should take the time to puppy-proof the space, removing hazards such as exposed electrical wire or items that they could chew or break.
With a puppy mill dog, there are some additional considerations to think about.
These dogs have never lived outside of their small cage or pen, so they are unfamiliar with the risk of heights including stairs or getting off furniture.
Don’t allow them to navigate any of these obstacles on their own until you are sure that you have taught them how to do so safely.
Positive Crate Training
At first glance, this may seem counterproductive. After all, this dog has spent their whole life to date living in a small cage.
However, that cage is what they know. In many cases, it’s familiar.
Positive crate training focuses on creating a ‘safe space’ in the crate. This includes leaving their crate open and available 24/7 as a place that they can retreat to if they are feeling overwhelmed.
This will also be a beneficial tool in keeping them safe as they adjust to the real world.
Puppy mill dogs are not used to living in a home environment, which means that they aren’t familiar with what is safe or what is dangerous.
Crate training will prevent your dog from getting into hazardous situations, bolting out the door, or eating something that he/she shouldn’t.
If the dog that you are working with shows severe anxiety or fear in the presence of a crate (as some will) consider designating a ‘safe room’ where they can be left unsupervised, and all potential hazards have been removed.
Keep the door to this room open throughout the day so that the dog can retreat to this ‘safe space’ if they feel the need.
Housetraining
Regardless of your dog’s age, approach housekeeping as if you are working with a new puppy.
While living in the puppy mill, dogs are forced to live in a small, confined space. This includes sleeping, eating, and doing their business.
They establish a ‘clean space’ in their kennel, a spot in the kennel that they avoid soiling for eating, sleeping and ‘living’ in.
Recognizing this, the best approach is to slowly introduce the house one room at a time, teaching the dog that the house is their new ‘clean space’ and the designated spot (whether it’s outdoors or an established potty spot with puppy pads) is where they should go to the bathroom.
It’s a process that doesn’t happen overnight, but it can be accomplished!
Invest in cleaning products, either commercially purchased or DIY, to remove any trace of scent if and when your dog does have accidents.
This will help you to prevent that becoming a repeat occurrence moving forward.
Don’t Push the Outdoors
We often think of the outdoors as the one place that every dog would love to be, running free with the wind in their fur and the grass beneath their paws.
However, dogs that are coming from a puppy mill have often never seen grass in their lives.
They are used to standing on a wire cage surface and even the sensation of walking on grass can be overwhelming and frightening.
It may take time for your dog to adjust to the fact that the outdoors is safe. Allow them to explore at their own pace and don’t push them to be outside.
Housetraining can be done using a designated spot with pee pads at first and transferred outdoors at a later time when they are comfortable making that transition.
Separation Anxiety
Many dogs that come from a questionable or troubling past end up developing separation anxiety when they move to a loving home.
This is due to the fact that they are attached to the individual that they see as ‘safe’, becoming extra clingy.
The idea of being separated from the person that they believe is protecting them can cause significant stress and anxiety, leading to destructive behaviour.
Addressing separation anxiety is the same for puppy mill dogs as it is any other dog, offering distractions (including interactive toys), creating a schedule so that they know that you are going to return and carrying out patient training to help them to adjust.
Feeding and Resource Guarding
In most cases, puppy mill dogs were not provided with adequate nutrition. As a result, they develop behavioural problems related to food and mealtimes.
Establish a set feeding schedule so that your dog is aware of when they can expect their next meal.
Feed your dog in a separate room from any other dogs in the beginning to prevent food aggression resulting from their fear of their food being taken away.
There are training options to work on desensitizing your dog to this anxiety, eventually potentially allowing multi-dog households to feed their dogs in the same room.
You may also need to consider a slow-feeder dish to prevent your dog from inhaling food too quickly, leading to health concerns and complications.
Flight Risk
Fearful and skittish dogs often respond to frightening or uncomfortable situations by choosing flight. This is incredibly common in puppy mill survivors.
Take extra precautions to secure your dog at all times, especially when outdoors or opening any doorway in the home.
Many rescue volunteers recommend either using 2 leashes or a coupler to attach the leash to both a collar and a harness as an extra precaution in the event that a flight risk dog pulls out of one.
Carefully investigate your backyard for any possibility of escape, even if it is fully fenced.
This could include holes dug near the fence perimeter, loose board, small openings under or around the fence or gate or anything that could facilitate climbing over the fence.
Toys and Play
When most people picture bringing a new dog home, they picture playtime, toys and all the laughter that comes with it.
The sad truth is that puppy mill survivors often don’t know what toys or play are.
This isn’t to say that they won’t play, but it may take them time before they develop a curiosity and learn how to play.
It is often recommended to avoid toys that encourage ‘mothering’ behaviours early on, like small stuffed animals, if your dog is around children or other dogs as they may lash out if someone tries to take their ‘puppies’ away.
Unique Fears and Triggers
While there are many common struggles, as I have shown above, every dog is unique and will come with its own unique fears, problems, and triggers.
Some dogs don’t like men due to the fact that it was a man that treated them poorly, or more specifically, don’t like beards or baseball caps. These can be overcome in time, but you will have to work even harder to gain their trust.
Others are set off by the sound of someone watering their lawn due to the fact that many puppy mills use hoses to quickly wash out kennels and cages.
They need your patience, understanding and love to adjust to this new chapter in their lives.
Do you have experience fostering or adopting a puppy mill rescue dog? If so, I would love to hear about your experiences in the comments below!
Feature Image Credit: yanjf | Canva
It is so tragic that puppy mills still exist at this day and age. And we call ourselves civilized. I do plan of fostering but I think I’m too old and stressed out to want a challenge like that. I admire people who can take that on.
It blows my mind that they not only exist but that they are still so common and prominent in the pet world. I’m glad to see that many places are now banning the sale of pets in pet stores as this cuts off one of their income streams, but they are often just moving online instead. That’s why it’s so important to help share the signs that you’re dealing with a puppy mill.
It’s so sad that puppy mills are still a thing. I wish I could adopt, or even foster, a puppy mill puppy but sadly I have my two dogs and two is my limit for now. I do what I can in other ways, usually by donating and volunteering at our local rescues.
That’s a great point, I actually wrote a whole post about things that we can do to support our local shelters and rescue organizations without adopting. We’ve talked about the potential of adding a 3rd dog to the mix if we find the ‘right dog’ to fit with our pack, but we do spend a lot of time volunteering, donating and helping out in any way that we can.
So glad you pointed out some very common issues that these dogs may have. It is important to be armed with the information to make it less stressful for the dog and the humans. I wish I could help them all!
Yes! They can make INCREDIBLE pets and family members, but they need a little extra help to adjust to ‘normal’ life in a loving home.
I hate puppy mills and speak out against them all the time, I boycott stores that sell puppies and my list can go on. This is a fantastic post and thank you for it, we all need to be the voice for the silence and if we do not speak out it will carry on. With love and patience these pups turn out to be fantastic family members
I truly believe that most people that see pets in their local pet stores don’t realize where those pets are actually coming from. That’s why it’s SO important to spread the word!
You need to make this a printable for everyone adopting a puppy mill dog. People may not realise there are a few issues but be happy to work through them if they are prepared.
A good GOOD post.
Great idea, thank you! I believe that most people who take in a puppy mill dog would be willing to work through most of the hurdles (at least) if they just knew what to expect and how best to approach it.
Puppy mills are such horrific places! Thanks for sharing this practical piece to help people who are fostering or adopted a puppy mill dog.
They are horrible and it kills me to know that they are still operating so prominently. I honestly don’t understand why there isn’t more being done to stop them!
This is such an excellent post! The horrors of puppy mill puppies, and especially puppy mill adult breeder dogs is unbelievable. I hope to one day rescue an adult female from a puppy mill situation and give her the life she deserves. You brought out really important considerations about adopting a puppy mill survivor. I was astounded to learn that many puppy mills are run by Amish communities. “Puppy farming” is a significant part of their economy. New York state just passed the NY Puppy Mill Pipeline Bill to stop puppy mills from selling cruelly bred puppy mill puppies to pet stores in the state of NY. The fight against puppy mills continues, and it’s a huge fight. People need to recognize the signs you listed and never buy a puppy mill puppy from a store or online. Thanks for this great information. Sharing!
Love & Biscuits,
Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them
Yes, I read that about that bill in New York state and I am SO happy that they are taking an active approach to stop this! Those dogs all deserve SO much more.
This made me so sad. You made a grest point….I didn’t think about how inadvertently supporting them is doing the exact opposite. I hope more awareness comes to this issue.
A lot of people don’t realize it and they adopt dogs with the full intention of making a difference without understanding that they are actually, in the long run, contributing to the problem.
Reading this post made me so sad and angry at the same time. I have no idea what the penalties are for running a puppy mill (and I’m sure this changes depending on where in the world you are) but whatever the penalties are, I’m sure it isn’t enough! How heartless to treat these beautiful animals as mere commodities. You can probably tell I’m a dog lover and I so love what you are doing to educate so many people via this blog.
Unfortunately, they are completely unregulated in many areas. In some cases, they can be slapped with animal abuse or neglect charges, but the penalty for either of those is a joke and seriously needs to be updated.
A very real and sad post to read. I know of so many puppy farms and dodgy puppy sales, it breaks my heart!
Rosie
I hope that talking about them and shedding light on the problem will help us to move towards finally addressing the horrific treatment that these poor dogs endure.
Thanks for this very useful post. Though I wonder why people treat animals as less than! Cages!
I will never understand how someone can treat animals in this way.
I was lucky enough as a child my parents adopted a rescued puppy mill dog. She lived happily for several years before she passed from some illness complications. I still miss her. Great post to raise awareness! I hate that this still is going on.
I really hope that, with the availability of information today, we can spread the word, raise awareness and finally crack down on the existence of puppy mills. The fact that they are still going strong honestly disgusts me.
Puppy mills are super scary! It is horrible it is by no means restricted by law and people buy it. What is worse in my country we have puppy mills that take advantage of inexperienced people and divide puppies, showing some of them in different locations as if they are responsible breeders. my parents didn’t listen to me and got a sick puppy from a de-facto mill. sure he is sick and being only one-year-old fluff get to spend tons of time with vets with his numerous close breeding issues.
That’s one thing that I try to tell people as much as possible – they believe that they are saving money by purchasing a puppy mill dog due to the fact that the upfront cost is lower. However, they are likely going to spend a lot less in the long run if they spend a little more in the beginning and adopt a dog that has been properly vet checked with any health conditions addressed.
Are puppy mills still a thing?! They shouldn’t be. My mother bought me a puppy from a pet store when I was younger, and he was the most adorable dog ever. But he was definitely a puppy mill dog, and cost us a TON of money throughout his life from the numerous health problems associated with being a puppy mill dog. It is so frustrating that puppy mills exist, especially in today’s world. They shouldn’t be a thing anymore. I hope more people really pay attention to the information you gave here when looking for a breeder and make certain they are buying from a reputable breeder.
Unfortunately, they are still going strong. Adapting to our current society, many have simply gone online and started to advertise their dogs on websites like Craigslist and Kijiji to find buyers. That’s why it’s so important to spread the word and inform prospective dog owners, so that they know what they are getting into and can make an educated choice when looking for their new dog.
This makes me so angry. The same thing happens with hybrid cats too. It never ceases to amaze me how many people fall for the scams and end up with sick or poorly bred/inbred kittens. With all the Facebook breeders groups out there, how do people fall prey to these unethical mills?
I don’t know, but I will say that the lack of legislation in place to prevent and penalize those that choose to engage in this kind of unethical breeding doesn’t help the situation!
From the comments above, I can tell how passionate people are about this. We need to save these puppies and give them better homes if we have space.
The more voices that we can bring together fighting for these dogs, the better. It’s WAY past time that something serious is done to end these practices once and for all.
Gosh this post makes me so sad but it’s so important that we learn about these things so we’re not caught out by then if/when we adopt a dog!
The more that we talk about it and the more that we spread the word, the closer we get to finally making a difference for these dogs by ending the cruel practices of puppy mills.
This is such a heartbreaking post, Britt. It’s an incredibly cruel practice and one that should be outlawed. Your tips for taking on a rescue pup are so helpful. I think time and patience are great healers too (cliched I know but true). Thank you for such an eye opening read, I hope everyone who reads it will take on board what you’re saying about not adopting from a puppy mill. Thank you for sharing.
Cliche, but cliche for a reason. Most cliches, I find, are rooted in facts and that one is no different. It is SO important to give these dogs the time that they need to adjust to ‘normal’ life. They have never known anything even remotely close to it before.
It’s so sad that puppy mills exist! They should definitely be illegal. Thank you for this detailed post on how to look after a dog that came from a puppy mill – it’s clear that they need a lot of extra care and attention to overcome their difficult start in life! xx
They definitely need some extra care and attention when they are first adjusting to normal life. When that trust is eventually built, it creates such a special bond!
I knew there was a puppy mill but I actually didn’t know much about it because I have always had bunnies, but I do know of a similar situation industry with bunnies, and I remember going into a pet store locally to see if they stole bunny food and you could tell that the bunnies weren’t being treated right and were scared of their own shadow (I don’t think the store was abusing them but I think it came from who had them before the store, but they didn’t help). I think these industries should be shut down for all animals tbh.
I have seen a growing trend of pet stores not selling pets any longer, but inviting local rescues to showcase their pets there. I LOVE that solution and hope that it continues to move towards that. Not only will it help to cut down on the demand for puppies form these situations (they won’t have pet stores to sell to, so they are less likely to find the buyers they need and therefore are not as profitable and less likely to keep breeding at that rate) but it also highlights those that are in need for a forever home and the great work of local groups!
I appreciate the detailed, comprehensive tips, and on top of that I’m even more grateful for your raising further awareness of the issue. I am always excited to see new legislation/policy targeting puppy mills, but as you point out they’re a very slippery target.
My wife and I have fostered a few times in the past, but always service dogs in training. Do you know of any organizations/resources that focus on puppy mill rescues specifically, if someone were looking to help out in this way directly?
While many rescues will take in these puppies when a puppy mill is shut down, there are some that are specifically focused on fighting the puppy mills and finding loving homes for the dogs and puppies involved. A great one to check out is the National Mill Dog Rescue: https://nmdr.org/
This could explain a lot. We rescued a 2 year old large breed dog a few months ago and he is absolutely terrified of the hose or the sprinklers coming on!
That could definitely come from a negative experience in the past. You may be able to slowly desensitize him to the presence of a hose but don’t push it too quickly.
I recently rescued a puppy mill dog from a foster parent and he is so adorable . I am working with him everyday and his new buddy that we got from our daughter. Both guys are 6 years old and rescue Hank waits for his buddy Oscar when going outside to potty. I am grateful that I am always home to give him the life he has missed out on so far!!!
Having a buddy like that is so good for him! I’m sure that Hank can learn a lot about just being a dog from Oscar, which is something that most puppy mill dogs don’t have the opportunity to learn.