Thread by @HavanKnees

This was Millie’s first day at her new home. She had been in a puppy-mill for three years, then rescued and in a foster home for a month where she got vetted and spayed. Then I found out about her and brought her home. She had not been exposed to anything that a normal 1/

dog would have been exposed to; people, being touched, playing with other dogs, stairs, walking on slick household floors, or grass or gravel or dirt, toys, eating different snacks or treats. 2/

Everything in the world was new and frightening to her. She panicked at any little movement around her. But I noticed that after a panic response, and fleeing the area (remember “fight or flight”?) she turned to see what it was that had scared her. She was curious. That was 3/

a very good sign. She certainly wasn’t crazy or dangerous to herself or others, she just had no experience determining what might be safe or dangerous. She needed that experience. At her own pace. So that’s what we did. We went about our daily routine, including her, but 4/

asking nothing of her. Even looking at her would cause a panic, so we made the house so that she had areas that she could run away and immediately feel safe and in control of her environment. She learned to use the dog door immediately by watching the other dogs. 5/

She was allowed to come and go from the house to the fenced yard, at will. We have a routine of feeding and chores and just added one more with no fan-fare. She was free to watch and learn. 6/

Over the weeks she was exposed to one visitor, then more who all ignored her and gave her plenty of room to move away from them. Then she became familiar with the vacuum cleaner, chain saw, mower, tractor, etc., from a safe distance. She showed no fear of any of them, only 7/

curiosity.
We started playing games from a distance. She still didn’t want to be close enough to be touched, but after a while i could gently toss a treat near her and she learned to find it. She had probably not used her sense of smell much before. 8/

After a while I started tossing treats for her to find. Then I hid treats in boxes for her to find. This helped her learn to use her nose and built up her confidence. I dropped treats behind me, in my steps for her to track. All this time I still couldn’t touch her, but we 9/

could still create a bond and start learning from each other. After a month, she ran to greet me, from a safe distance, when i came home. At two months she would take a treat from my hand. At three months, she felt confident enough to invite me to play. 10/

One of the best games we play is having her chase me. She is building up tons of confidence by chasing me. Even though she doesn’t get close enough to touch it’s building a habit in her to move toward me. 11/

That’s where we are. Three months in. It will take many more months before she will be able to deal with much of the world. There will probably be things that she’ll never overcome, but for today, she’s laying on a dog bed, chewing on a bone. Not in a #puppymill 12/

If you are ever in a pet shop and you see adorable, fluffy, friendly, little puppies for sale, please don’t buy one there. They came from a dog like Millie.
Instead, find a reputable breeder, ask your vet or adopt from an animal shelter. Millie thanks you. 13/

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