Rehabilitating a Puppy Farm Breeder

[LetThereBeCupcakes]

Hi all ? I?m looking for some advice. My partner and I are considering adopting a second dog. We currently own a nearly three-year-old neutered male lab, who is a dream. The dog we are considering adopting is a 4-year old girl, rescued from a puppy farm in August. She is terrified of people and has never lived in a house. The rescue centre want her to go to a home with another dog as they feel that she will be able to bond with the dog, and then hopefully the new owners can begin to bond with her.
We?ve walked her twice ? the first time she darted around a lot, but did stop to sniff things a couple of times. The second time she stopped darting around after about twenty minutes and was much better. She?s met our dog and they seem happy. Our boy is used to sharing his home as we often dog-sit for friends. He?s very calm and won?t bounce around scaring her.
What I?m looking for is advice from anybody who?s re-homed an ex puppy-farm breeder. Any tips on working with her? At first all I?ll be able to do is let her get used to us, but long term she?ll need her basic training. I?d be amazed if she?s house-trained, so we?d need to do that, but how to go about it without stressing her? Stairs could be a problem too, since she?s never seen them before. Our dog sleeps upstairs and she needs to be with him, so I need to sort that out fairly quickly. What else might we need to work on with her to help her adjust?
I am a dog trainer, and have a very basic qualification in canine behaviour, so I have a reasonable idea of what I?m doing. I?m most definitely not a behaviourist though, so will appreciate some guidance! The rescue centre has an in-house behaviourist who we will be working with, though as it?s a charity not sure how often we?ll be able to see him.
So, any tips? Experience? Am I mad? :)
Cupcakes

[2T2T]

i think you are doing an amazing thing - not mad at all

[silentcatastrophe]

We have a puppy farm nut. When he first came to live with us he had no concentration and no physical balance. He was terrified of ordinary things like trees and lamp-posts and park benches...He also had a line in crashing into things, both living and static.
I am not a dog expert or a trainer. We were very lucky in going to a very good dog school. It took us about 6 months of wondering what on earth we'd brought home for the dog to settle. That was more than 10 years ago, and he is a super and much loved member of the family. Like any other dog, you will have to deal with problems as they come up. I thought I understood a bit more about dogs through dealing with this one, but more fool me. We now have a 3rd youngster with a mind very much of his own!

[GrimmaTheNome]

Oh, good for you!

I have no experience of ex-breeders, but our current dog was 10 months when we got him and had lived in a bungalow so initially clueless about stairs - and a dachsund. We carried him up and down to start with, then found somewhere in a park with just a few steps, and he got the hang pretty quickly. I doubt going up will be a problem (I'm assuming yours is something nearer lab sized), but you might need to slow her on the down to avoid a precipitous rush! A temporary barrier at the top so you can supervise descents till she's got it might be an idea.

Good luck!

[minimuu]

You will enjoy seeing the change in your new dog it will be so rewarding for you all.

First thing to remember is your dog does not need sympathy - she is only considering what is happening to her now and she is not dwelling on the past.

Take things slowly so at first just let her settle in at home, I probably would not take her out and about much to start with(but you are with her so you will see if she is happy with this).

Give her a den or crate in a quiet area, but also where she can see what is going on, where she can retreat to. - I probably would not give her the whole run of the house to start with. She has to get used to all sorts of noises, washing machines, loo flushing, telephones etc so if she has a safe area to retreat to that will be great.

If she shows any signs of anxiety ignore it, do not persuade her to greet people or approach what she is anxious of but let her come to it in her own time.

Watch what does make her anxious, if anything makes her anxious and gradually introduce her to it at a steps at a time.

Your dog will show her a lot re confidence and she will watch his reaction.

Start toilet training from day one, take her outside regularly and treat when she wees in the correct place as you know Ignore any wees in the wrong place but be more vigilant in taking her out more .

Enjoy her - you will see such a difference in her very soon, some adapt very quickly some dogs take longer but if she is allowed to develop at her own pace she will be happier.

[LetThereBeCupcakes]

Thanks for the replies!
Silent - we think she'll be pretty much scared of everything at first, but hope that our current lab's laid-back-couldn't-care-less attitude will help to calm her. I'd like to take her to classes with my current dog eventually, but it'd be too much for her to start with I think.
Grimma - She's a very short lab! Not much to her at all, but we can't touch her yet so carrying is out of the question. At worst, we'll have to move the mattress into the lounge and camp out downstairs until she gets the hang of it. We have a baby gate so I'll dig that out and put it at the top of the stairs - good plan!
2T2T - thanks for the vote of confidence! Fingers crossed you'll be proven right!

[LetThereBeCupcakes]

Sorry minimu - cross post! Some really helpful tips there, thank you. We have a spare crate (don't we all?) so will set up up in the corner behind the dining room table. Nice and quiet there. She won't take food from people at all at the moment, and only eats when she's been left alone with her bowl for a few minutes, so food rewards will be tricky at first. Hopefully we'll overcome that fear soon though!
I think our current lab will be the one doing most of the work at first :)

[minimuu]

She has a lot to get used to but will do so. Drop food around you even if she doesn't eat it one day she will and she will see your other dog is happy to come close to you

[daisydotandgertie]

Also have a trawl through www.labradorforums.co.uk where there are people who have done exactly what you're doing and can offer a laot of support and advice.

Well done - she's a very lucky girl.

[daisydotandgertie]

Here's a thread you might find helpful this one too.

[daisydotandgertie]

My post suddenly makes no sense at all. Click the link though!

[PlasticFlamingo]

Our Pip was rescued from an unscrupulous breeder most of the dogs were put to sleep as they were so ill,
I took him to the vets the as soon as we got him and the vet shouted at me for letting my dog get in such a state!
We crated him as he had no concept of freedom, if we put him on the floor he would stand there until you moved him.

We got him at 6 months, he is 3 now and the most wonderful, gentle, loving dog you could hope for.

He only learnt stairs this year when we moved house and got straight stairs.

Good luck, you will end up with a fab and loyal pet.

[Elibean]

Good for you, Cupcakes

Our Mouse wasn't from a puppy farm, but he was rescued from a dustbin and then spent 4 months in a cage at a pound. He had 2 weeks in foster which helped, but basically when he came to us he was scared of everything - stairs, cars, hoovers, leaves, squirrels, etc. He wasn't scared of people or dogs, thankfully, but everything else....welll, thats why the kids named him Mouse.

He is now a confident, happy boy who will hang out with dh in the garden even when the leaf-blower is on, struts his stuff on busy streets en route to the park, chases squirrels with the best of them and is even working up the nerve to try stairs (not encouraged!)

I think your lovely lab boy will help her hugely, but I think you will too

[LetThereBeCupcakes]

Two more days before we go and see her again ? we have a ?mix? scheduled between our current dog and the girl we?re hoping to rescue. They will be allowed into a secure paddock so they can come off lead and just interact. Then we have a meeting with her behaviourist to go through some of the finer detail.
Daisy ? I?ve read through that thread and I feel much more confident about the whole thing now. Some of the posts made me well up though. How can people do this to these poor dogs?
PlasticFlamingo ? glad to hear that Pip is doing well! It?s going to be tough, but I?m sure you?re right ? she will be a fab addition to our family.
Elibean - Mouse seems very apt for your boy! The lab we're looking at does have a name, but it was given at the centre and she's never responded to it, so we may change it to "Orla" - which apprently means Golden Princess.

[Elibean]

Lovely - I am sure she will feel like one after a few weeks

[greatdanelady]

Hi
I got my Tara, Great Dane and was told she was from a puppy farm. When I first clapped eyes on her I was upset. She cowered and hid and ran when approached by us. In the end she hid in her house and refused to come out, tail tucked under the whole time. She was terrified of men and has had a good beating regularly from where ever she came from. I decided to take her,we have another bitch who is outgoing and laid back. When i collected her she refused to get in the car so was coaxed onto the back seat. She came home and was greeted by my bitch and she just froze and stared at her. Leaha my other bitch plays, she just looks. We have had her six months now and she has started to come out of herself, she is still very nervous and with strangers will tuck her tail and try to escape the room. If cornered she will growl but when leaha runs over for fuss she will creep up behind her and let people pet her. She is my shadow and adores me and never leaves my side. I am fully incharge and never let my soft side come out with regard to training and routine i.e i go through doors first, they always sit before feeding etc. She will hopefully one day come out of herself fully but to see her play now with Leaha makes me happy but raise your voice and she is that dog in the kennel when I first saw her, which i hate.

Good luck and enjoy.

[LetThereBeCupcakes]

Just thought I'd let you all know that we made it through all of the assessments and checks and hopefully we'll be bringing her home this afternoon. So excited!

[daisydotandgertie]

Brilliant news. How's she settling in.