Fear of touch

Many mill dogs are never handled unless it is to be bred or whelp their litter. They are fed and watered with automatic dispensers and live their life with little to no human contact. Some of the less fortunate dogs are held down while being de-barked, a procedure where a steel rod is forced down their throat to damage their vocal cords, often breaking many teeth in the process. Often when small dogs are moved to breeding cages, they are grabbed by whatever body part is available, a leg, an ear or scruff. They learn to associate the human touch with pain and fear. They often refuse to make eye contact and cower whenever approached.

The damage done from years of isolation is not always an easy fix. When these dogs first come into rescue, they have no idea what to expect. They are bathed and groomed which is often the first real attention these dogs get. They often try to avoid human contact at all costs remembering that human contact means pain and fear. It is our job and yours, as adopters, to show them that human touch is comforting and pleasant.

We start by reassuring the dog that all is well in a soft voice. NEVER sneak up on a mill dog or make loud noises behind them. We often have new rescues drag a leash while wearing a harness. By simply stepping on the leash it easier to stop the flight behavior when approaching the dog. They may panic at first when they realize that they cannot get away from us, but once they realize there is no escape, they become submissive and stiffen, allow us to pick them up. Gentle stroking or brushing creates a new sensation for them. Eventually they come to enjoy this contact, but it does take time. Undoing years of bad experiences doesn't happen over night.

Chloe is a perfect example of this behavior. She came to Safehaven last year after pending her entire 7 years in a mill. She has made progress but it is slow going. Chloe will now allow us to pick her up without the aid of a leash, however she still stiffens when being held. Chloe will now come close to us, acting as if she wants touched but goes into escape mode if a hand is offered to her. We hope that her curiosity will overcome the fear and she will soon allow touching on her own terms. We never force attention or affection on a mill dog, we and the new adopters must build a level of trust with the dog and continue to support and praise them for the baby steps they make.

Although Chloe no longer stiffens and will allow us to handle her, you can see that she is still not comfortable with the experience. With continued encouragement and time, we believe that she will one day accept and even learn to enjoy being handled.