Puppy mill rescue w/ hanidcap- HELP! (shih tzu, miniature, clean, vet)

[pixietob]

(sorry about the novel) About 2 weeks ago I took in a shih tzu that we're assuming was a puppy mill throw-away.
She was found on the side of the road in Missouri, matted like no other, starving to death with literally NO muscle tone or fat at all (she's tiny- one of those "imperial miniature teacup insert-stupid puppy mill name for undersized dog here" dogs). That person took her to a local shelter, who promptly took her to a vet because it appeared she couldn't stand on one leg. Upon cutting the matts away, they discovered a rear paw was MISSING! She had a raw, maggott-covered stump. They also discovered a deep eye ulcer. Physical signs show she has had at least one litter, probably several more if she DID come from a mill. She was admitted, placed on antibiotics, the rear leg was amputated 5 days later, and the next day she was placed in foster care with me. 10 days later (last friday) she was spayed (which personally I thought was too soon), and returned to me.
I have 2 other shih tzu, one of which is also a rescue after being abused. My male (the only one that came from a good family) is now 5, my first rescue (female) is 3, and the vet guessed my new rescue is around 2-3 (however she has quite a few more teeth than my 3y/o ). My 2 have adapted quite well to having her around- they include her until she becomes obnoxious, then go to the couch to sleep or stare at her. I have one of those doggy-stair things so she can get on the couch, and she has mastered that. When she first came here, she didn't have a clue what a toy was for, and now she's playing with them. She didn't really realize that people=good for a while (though she would give kisses if you picked her up). She would not really come to you though. NOW she doesn't want to be left alone. At all. She sits there & whines until someone talks to her. She'll sit on the couch and whine at my 2 until they get mad & move. Whine whine whine whine whine, until someone or somedog pays attention to her! And if she's not doing this, she'll sit in one spot for HOURS if you let her, just staring at nothing until she gets tired & slowly makes her way to a laying down position.
I'm trying to get her adapted to being a "normal" dog after living in who-knows-what conditions for who-knows-how-long. Can anyone suggest anything on how to get her to quit whining and anything else I can do for her!? I've used a dog trainer in the past, but she seems to not know how to train SMALL dogs!

[Marleys Mum]

Firslty thank you for rescuing this poor little girl. Firstly,is she getting enough exercise, could she be bored? My rescue Mastiff sometimes whines a little if he is bored.

I am no expert but if it was me, I definately wouldn't give her any attention when she does this behaviour, otherwise, she will quickly learn that if she whines, she gets your attention.

You could try positive reinforcement training techniques with her (Jan Fennell) so rewarding the good behaviour (Maybe when she isn't doing this) and ignoring the unwanted behaviour.

You could also try distraction techniques, as it could just be that this is habitual behaviour from a miserable life of a puppy mill, and has just become a learnt behaviour from hours of been locked up.

They are bright little dogs, so some stimulus to break the habit might help to in time reduce the periods of whining, have you tried her with a stuffed kong or one of these?

Amazon.com: Premier Busy Buddy Kibble Nibble Dog Toy: Kitchen & Dining

We have a similar one of these balls and it is very good stimulus and the dogs love it.

Hope my info helps you and keep us posted.

[subject2change]

I think Marley's Mum has made great suggestions. Don't reward the whining, help her find something to entertain herself. It really sounds like she's making wonderful progress so you must be doing a good job. I think it's natural for any rescue dog to be clingy at first with all the changes they've gone through and she's still getting over an awful lot of physical and mental trauma. Just give it time. And bless you for helping this poor little girl!

[LookinForMayberry]

Dogs whine for the same reason kids whine -- it has its rewards. Try rewarding her for being quiet, and putting her away from company when she whines. (Don't be mean, just say "No whine" and then set her in a room alone until she quiets.) As SOON as she is quiet, open the door, say in your happiest voice: "Good quiet!" and give her a treat (if she is treat oriented).

After repetition she will start to understand whining means being alone, and quiet means rewards (whatever rewards her).

Best wishes on the happiness of the whole family.

[lifelongMOgal]

Don't know what part of the state you are in. However, I found these folks (Columbia, MO area) who are outstanding with their training methods. I'm so much more pleased than the places I'd taken previous dogs in the KC metro area.

Ann Gafke's Teacher's Pet Dog Training Kennel

[foxywench]

i also wanted to send a resoiunding thank you for everyone thats helped this little girl.

other than the previous suggestions id also say time.
shes probably in the midst of a huge sensory overload period right now

[pixietob]

Thank you all for your advice! I have been trying to reinforce good behavior, as that's how my other 2 were trained. I don't believe in negative feedback because I don't want old behaviors to re-surface. As I said before, my other girl was previously abused- to the point of her having vision problems (assumingly from being hit on the back of the head as a puppy- I got her at 8 mos old). I don't want to take any of them outside for walks or even to potty for very long at the moment- it's just too cold! She had to be shaved down quite a bit to get all the matts, plus her side & belly are bare from the pre-surgery shaves. No coat will cover her completely. I suppliment that by running them up & down the hallway that runs the length of my house (which they LOVE!), and by playing for longer periods.
I like LFM's idea about putting her in a room until she stops. I keep hearing how everyone crates their dogs, but considering her past, I do NOT want to involve that. I've kept a dog carrier out for her in case she needs a quiet moment, but she wants NOTHING to do with that. I don't blame her, considering she's probably been confined to at least that small of a place for years. It bothers me when she decides to just sit in that one position for so long, staring at nothing. She was hardly able to vocalize when she first came here and I'm scared to wonder why that was (she'd try, but it was like someone with laryngitis).
LifelongMOgal: I live a little over 2hrs away from Columbia (and Springfield, and St. Louis). There's 2 main trainers around here whom I actually know of, and they both deal primarily with large dogs. When I took my other 2, she had a really hard time adapting to smaller breeds.
I welcome any and all suggestions!
Here's 2 pics- the first one is the day she was found, while at the vet; the second one was taken on 12/15/10

[brightdoglover]

Let me add my thanks for your unending kindness and to those who helped with this sad situation. May puppy mill owners burn slowly.

[latetotheparty]

Originally Posted by brightdoglover

Let me add my thanks for your unending kindness and to those who helped with this sad situation. May puppy mill owners burn slowly.

make that S...L...O...W...L...Y....

what a sweet lookin' little girl once she is cleaned up .... poor little thing... you can still see that TERRIFIED little eye peering out of all of those mats in the first picture.....

i second the suggestion for time and patience and kindness and gentleness.... when i transport puppy mill survivors, they are invariably overwhelmed and terrified by all the new sights and sounds .... most to the point of being all but shut down.....

[TheBeagleLady]

What a beautiful girl! Thank you for giving her a chance. I don't have any better advice than you have already received, but best of luck to all of you!