Violet. Who knew?

Do you know about this kind of dog?

A Breeder Rescue Dog.

They are born into puppy mills, they are kept there to produce more puppies and then a lot of times they are euthanized at about age 7 because that is when their bodies are maxed out from making so many puppies. (usually about 10 litters)

They live outside in groups of 30-50 dogs, girls in on yard, boys in another.
Little to NO human interaction, unless they are getting sprayed down or getting their puppies taken away from them...usually too early, causing emotional damage, twice a year.

Violet is a breeder rescue dog and of course, I can't help but think we just accidentally (not to God but to us) adopted a trafficked little girl dog.

(more info for those who are curious)

It's a stretch, I agree, but it's there.

This little Golden of ours is a dog like nothing I have ever ever ever seen in a dog.
I didn't not know this problem existed in the dog world.

She has been so severely neglected, other than keeping at the most minimum of weight and she had her own igloo, that even though she's 7, she is....

Gosh, there is no way to describe her totally.

She is fearful.
Of everything.

She is confused.
About everything.

She just had surgery (spayed) and has Kennel Cough (a cold that dogs get in kennels) so on top of fear and confusion, she's sick!

Her world of 40ish dogs around, all the time and of being used for puppies, all the time, is gone and now there are these six LARGE creatures in her face all the time petting her, feeding her yummy raw eggs and rice, giving her treats....

Shoot.

The girl doesn't even know what treats are.

She wouldn't eat them for the first few days home.

See?
A Dog that won't eat treats.

SO different!

She is eating them now, but not from our hand.
That is supposed to be one of the ultimate goals with these girls.

Get them to eat from your hand and you're IN.

There is a lady that works with the rescue we got her from who just happens to live 15 min's from us.

She came over the other day after I kinda sorta pleaded help from her and literally had to spend 2 hours at our house going over what to do with her to help her.

Um.

Who knew!?

I keep crying at her little victories or when someone reassures me she's going to be ok...LIKE A FIRST TIME MOMMY.

Ya know how you used to freak out about every little thing and then when someone validated you or reassured you or encouraged you, you'd melt down and .... SOB.  Out of relief, out of release, whatever.
It's like that.

When she wags her tail, we all pretty much have a party around her....and I tear up.

Goldens are known for wagging their tails and it does not 'just come' to her.

Nothing 'just comes' to her.

The cool part?

This is so cool.
That's what's cool.

We rescued a dog that needed rescuing like we couldn't have even imagined.

This is not the dog the girls were hoping for.
They wanted a 'play dog' (and we will get them one soon ;-)

But, having them watch this process is going to be such a rich experience.
Already they get so excited whenever Violet overcomes something like, being afraid of the water bowl or the first time she ate a treat or the first time she came out of her crate without brute force or the first time she went up the stairs even though she was afraid....
They are understanding what it means to just wait and let healing happen.

Not on a grand scale, because Violet is just a dog (even though I keep crying like a first time mama), but on a small kid sized scale.

um.
cool.

and Puppy Mill Survivors.
Who knew!?

Now we do, and oh boy are we glad we do.

She is precious!