Some have been treated well, some have not. if you do not have the time or patience for one of our older dogs, we understand, but you will miss the reward of total devotion that these rescues are known to give the people who will give them a chance to trust, love and be loved as a pet.
Every mill survivor is different. What works on one will completely fail on another. The only thing that is consistent is that these dogs will need lots of patience, understanding and love. And probably most importantly, acceptance: unconditional acceptance of what they are capable of giving and receiving.
We would love to say that every puppy mill survivor only needs love to become a wonderful family pet, but that wouldn’t be true. Love is definitely needed in large quantities, but so is patience. The damage done during the months or years in the mill usually can be overcome, but it takes time and dedication.
Most are still capable of living out a wonderful life. They need a scheduled environment but most importantly, a home where they are accepted for who and what they are. They may never jump up on a couch and cuddle with you, or bring you a ball to play catch. But you will see the joy that they take in living each day knowing that they will have clean bedding, fresh food and water, and unconditional love. To them, those small comforts alone are pure bliss.
Our stories of how we have changed and how we have changed the lives of our adopted families. It is such a rewarding experience to adopt an older troubled Havanese. Please read on.
So happy now!
How lucky we are.
Piper was a very shy, but loving 1-year-old when I adopted her. She had been named Alice for being a part of an “A” group when bought at auction. I was told she would be perfect in my home because I lived alone since my children were grown and on their own. How true that was! HALO matched us perfectly! Piper adjusted immediately, basically because of her calm temperament. Somehow, she knew how to walk on a leash and was completely housebroken.She loves people but is not real fond of people who move too quickly, such as young children, and has a definite distaste for men and people who are wearing gloves. (Hmmm- perhaps a clue to how she had been previously treated?) Piper had had a litter before coming to me and spent most of her time under tables, desks, chairs, etc. She still does that when a bit scared, but otherwise sits at my feet or anywhere she can keep an eye on me. She is my constant companion and has been considered by everyone who meets her “the perfect dog!” Thank you, HALO, for knowing exactly what Piper (Alice) and I both needed!
My husband and I adopted Owen, foster name Tyrone, in Cleveland in January, 2010. Judy and Gerry provided his foster care. He was four and a half years old and had spent his life in several mills.The first few weeks, Owen was especially fearful and often hid in his safe spots. Although he was curious when people came to the door and cautiously approached them, he cowered and withdrew with fear, as if whoever he met was planning to hurt him. Within a month, we decide to hire a behaviorist, who provided exercises and activities to make Owen feel more secure. He soon responded to treats and learned the invaluable "touch" command, among others, which served to bring him in close contact and more comfortable around people. He continued to blossom, gaining a new confidence and perspective on life. The first two milestones I hoped for were: first, to see his tail wag, and second, to be greeted at the door when I came home, both of which were achieved within weeks.
For a couple of months, we took care of our son's one-year old Havanese, Cooper, aka Yankee, who was also adopted from HALO. He truly brought Owen out of his shell and eventually Owen learned to wrestle and play like a real dog, which they tirelessly did all day!
He is such a little bundle of sweetness and everyone we see on our walks always come up to greet him. Owen is a very popular guy. And his truly soulful eyes can melt anyone's heart.
We believe that time, patience, and of course, love are the keys to rehabilitating a puppy mill dog. Working one on-one with a behaviorist who believes in positive reinforcement and who understands fearful dogs was also invaluable.
Charlie (Adonis) came to us as a foster in May of 2011. He spent 6.5 years in a puppy mill before HALO rescued him. From the start he was a very sweet, gentle, quiet and loving little guy who was so extremely male shy that he would cower every time my husband came near the same room. Since we have dealt with shy mill dogs before we knew the best way for Charlie to come around was to give him space and let him come to my husband on his own terms. Tom would sit on the floor and let Charlie just smell him and then slowly he would try to extend a hand. Sometimes he would gently scratch his chin but if he moved too fast, Charlie would bolt with his tail down. Charlie's first big step was to let Tom leash him at the door if I was standing there. Tom consistently took Charlie out first thing in the morning and always feed him his meals. This was key in gaining his trust. After 5 months, one morning Tom called him to the door and he went by himself. We were so proud. He now sits on his lap at night, comes when called and is a lot more comfortable around males. He captured our hearts and we knew that he had found his forever home with us. Everyone who meets Charlie falls in love and can't believe he spent his first 6.5 years in a puppy mill. He has come so far. My best tip for success in rehabilitating a shy mill dog is to give them plenty of time and patience. Sit on the floor so you are down at their level and let them come to you. We all want to just hold them and give them all the love and attention they deserve but this may be very stressful to them at first. Let them come to you and with time you will have an unbreakable bond. We love you Charlie Brown Eyes.
Chica is a work in still a work in process. She was rescued from a dog auction 10 or 11 months ago and came into our home about 8 months ago. She had come a long way in her wonderful foster home, but still had a long way to go. When she came to us at almost two years of age, she was not potty trained and was terrified when approached by people.
It took about two months for her to figure out the potty business, but when she got it, she really got it. Seems like being an adult female able to hold her urine is both an advantage (not as many puddles) and a disadvantage (not as many chances for praise and excitement). We took her out about every two hours and stayed with her. She loves the yard and thought these were play opportunities. Eventually, she must have been so entertained by our antics that she began to perform just to watch us act like idiots.
She is still fearful when approached, even by us, and is easily startled. She is making progress, though, in very small steps. For the first four months, we kept a leash on her day and night so we could catch her for walks, combing, etc. Gradually, she began to stop and wait for us to catch her. Eventually, we were able to remove the leash and she still waits or goes to her safe place, our bed. We are allowed to pick her up there almost any time. When she is ready to be picked up, she cowers. When we touch her, she tenses before she relaxes. She learned “sit” and “down” from about eight feet away and we had to toss the treat. She now works two or three feet from us and will come forward to take the treat from a hand.
We have found that she is most comfortable when we stick to a predictable schedule. She knows when it is walk time, food time, grooming time, or bed time, and she nags us if we don’t seem to be following through. She is nosy, and follows us everywhere in the house. We can see her trying to fight through her ingrained fear.
Chica is much more than a troubled little dog. She is very intelligent and shows affection in spite of herself. She loves to play and comes to us, our older dog, or our cats wagging and bowing. She greets us barking, wagging, and leaping. She sleeps on the big bed, usually snuggled up against one of us. She enjoys petting on a lap and allows a caress while her leash is being attached. Our groomer has noticed lots of improvement from visit to visit.
We know that Chica will never be as trusting and fearless as a dog raised in a good home, but we are really enjoying watching her personality come through. She has become a member of our family.
Like most people, my husband and I were looking for a puppy or young dog but I fell in love with Coffee/now Piper. Her soulful eyes in a photo on Halo's website reached out to us. Having spent 6 years caged and being bred in a puppy mill, she was very shy and fearful when we met her. We took a leap of faith in adopting her because her wonderful fosters, Sally and Cloyd, assured us she would heal and continue to come out of her shell with love, guidance and patience. We are so happy we made the choice we did because 6 months later, her transformation is remarkable. Piper has a very sweet disposition and she loves to run and play. She's a quick learner and was easy to potty train. She loves going for rides in the car and does great traveling under the seat on airplanes. From the beginning, she never chewed on anything but her toys and bones. She's a wonderful and loving dog.
Please consider adopting an older dog because they have so much hidden potential. We love Piper so much and were amazed to learn that we were the only ones who ever expressed an interest in her.
Thank you Halo for everything you do!
June & Bob Gregory
We adopted 8 week old Daisy (a.k.a. Brandy Alexander) in August 2010 and then drove back from Washington DC to Ohio to collect her mom, Bailey, 3 weeks later. Bailey, almost 5 at the time, was rescued from a horrendous puppy mill in Oklahoma, she was pregnant – again – giving birth to her final 5 pups, ably assisted by Cindy Chandler!
Bailey was extremely fearful and showed potential to become aggressive with people, especially men. Cindy spent a lot of time with Bailey, teaching her basic house manners and how to go up and down stairs. Bailey had attached to Cindy and vice versa, separating them was tough, only made easier by the fact that Bailey was joining her last born, the playful and confident Daisy. Everything was new to Bailey. For a dog who vomits in the car, the trip home was, let’s just say ‘interesting’!
Bailey’s journey from ‘breeder’ to cherished family member had begun. She has come a LONG way, but many of her issues persist. She is still fearful, skittish, hypersensitive to sudden noises and movements. But she is more relaxed most of the time, and allows more touch and she loves playing with her daughter. Like many puppy mill survivors, Bailey attached strongly to one family member, so much so that we call her ‘the stalker’. She suffers some separation anxiety when that person is not around. Happily, that isn’t very often!
The best tip for adopting a puppy mill dog is to keep your expectations low. These dogs have had no reason to trust humans, they will learn, but it takes a lot of time, patience and determination. Gently encourage them to confront their fears, for instance with Bailey avoiding eye contact, sitting next to her and stroking her, without expecting her to respond is a great strategy. We never speak harshly to Bailey, even though she still doesn’t understand fully the notion of not peeing in the house. Give them lots of exercise and gradual exposure to new experiences. Bailey has benefitted from wearing the ‘Thunder Shirt’ and listening to her ‘dog music’, see: http://throughadogsear.com/music/ which really does seem to relax her almost instantly. Also consider classes for Fearful Dogs and using a trainer who understands the background of your dog.
Daisy is a plucky, friendly and super-loving puppy, who helps her mom gain confidence and trust. We LOVE them to bits! The challenges puppy mill survivors bring are more than repaid by seeing them grow day by day.
The Daminia Family
We had purchased a Havanese-Swiffer before we knew about Halo. I thought it only appropriate that Swiffer have a sibling.
I was searching the “web” for a friend who wanted to adopt a dog for his daughter. During my search, I found the Halo Rescue site. I read the information and how they obtain Havanese for foster/adoption homes. I talked to my husband about filling out the application and upon acceptance adopt another dog. He said absolutely not! Needless to say, that didn’t work. After our application was approved I was asked to contact one of the foster homes to discuss the current availability. After speaking with Judy probably 100 times to rush the process - I just wanted my new Havanese-Matty.
Like a kid at Christmas-my husband and I as well as friends of ours drove to Ohio to pick up Matty. Upon meeting Matty, I immediately fell in love. He has the biggest brown eyes. He looks like a teddy bear. He was not very social, but now he has adjusted to people coming and going from the house. He now loves Sunday. We have a football gathering at our home every Sunday. Matty gets his greeting and he loves to eat. Everybody feeds Matty, talks to him, and now they can even pet him.
It is important once you take your adopted dog home to allow them to accept the change at their pace. They do not like loud voices or sudden loud noise(s). They need to “investigate” and learn the surrounding. The dog will find what we call a “safe” place where they hide. That is their way of not wanting to be bothered. Sometimes it is difficult after letting Matty into the yard for him to come back into the house. We still do not why this happens. We leave the door open and when he is ready-he does come in. When he would have an “accident”, we did not punish him. It didn’t take too long for him to understand where he should go. He now makes a circle around the room to indicate when he needs to go out. Of course, Swiffer has helped him as well.Thank you for allowing us to adopt Matty. We love him! (he loves us)
Matty's mom
