Reply #48: it's a challenge, but well worth the effort [View All]

[Neecy]

My other dog (he's in the photo behind Guido) was from a shelter, and he was very well socialized when I got him - housetrained, friendly, well-adjusted. Most (but not all) shelter dogs can be easily transitioned into your home.

Puppy mill dogs are almost feral. They've had very little human contact (and what they've had is usually frightening to them), no training, and a host of psychological issues. For all the work it takes to socialize a puppy mill rescue, it's well worth it. Just seeing Guido play for probably the first time, or chasing squirrels in his own yard, or snoozing in his own snuggle ball bed instead of in a wire cage makes every bit of effort worth it. I guess I'm lucky because he's made so much progress so quickly, and I know that isn't the case with many mill dogs.

The rescue people who work so tirelessly for these little guys will always have my respect. I've learned a lot in my journey with Guido about how these mills operate and just how many people are working to change the laws that govern them - what selfless and terrific people those in rescue are.