Doberman's
01-30-2007, 10:16 PM
Jenna was a year and three months old when she came to live with us. She has always been a lovely girl but her start in life was not so lovely.
Jenna was bred by a breeder that only bred once in awhile and her dog's were Champions. This breeder is a very nice lady and very trusting so when she met Jenna's buyer she thought nothing of him being mean or twisted but that is what he turned out to be. He told her the dog would be used to start his own breeding program and would be shown ( I suppose ) so she gave him full breeding rights with her registration papers. She also lived close to him so she would be able to see Jenna and also probably had rights to some of her puppies when she would be bred. They insisted on not cropping Jenna so that also gave the breeder a good feeling that Jenna would never be abused. How wrong she was.
Jenna was purchased and sent to her new home at 10 wks of age. The breeder did not see Jenna again till she was 8 months old. At that time she went to see how she was doing and found Jenna in a horrible situtation, Jenna was extrememly fearful and would not come to people. Jenna was at the breaking point, the point where a dog can start to turn. She took Jenna immediately and kept her till she felt she was ready to be adopted out at 15 months old.
I had been reading an agricultural paper, usually I looked at the horses never the dogs but I did for some reason and found Jenna. I called the breeder and talked to her about Jenna. She said she was not cropped and that most people wanted a cropped Doberman so most of the people whom had called were not interested in her ( how stupid ). I said I didn't care and wanted to see her. As long as she got along with Rudy I wanted her, I don't know why I felt so strongly about wanting her but I did. So off we went to see her.
She was in her kennel and smiling like crazy at us all the while her body wagged with excitment. It was like she knew we came for her. :) The breeder let her out and she ran and played with Rudy and that did it, we were taking her home. I met Jenna's Dam and Sire and was impressed with both dogs.
It was not till the breeder told us a little of her history that I understood some of her reactions and as we would later find out what happened to her was horrific.
Jenna was neglected and abused. If you raised you voice at all she cowered and shook with fear. It made watching hockey and football a more quiet experience at first. We had to be careful not to cheer loudly. Trying to get Jenna through doorways was very hard, she must have been dragged by the neck and thrown outside by her preivious owner. She hated Lino flooring and would not step foot on it, suggesting more dragging. She must have been hit with newspapers because she shook with fear if you picked one up. I would also guess she was hit because any clapping or loud smacking noises would send her running. She never has learned how to play with a ball, frisbee or anything like that; she was never played with.
My husband and I surmised that her previous owner never expected a puppy he wanted a full grown well trained dog and had no idea what to expect. If she messed he must have yelled, screamed, dragged her, threw her outside and left her there for hours. He had to have hit her. He neglected her horribly and probably starved her because she bolts her food.
It took a long time for her to get over most of these things; Rudy taught her how to be a dog again but she still has her moments.You know she remembers things and it breaks my heart every time it happens. She is the sweetest, kindest, most loving, devoted dog and for al those things to have happened to her it just seems so unfair.
That is Jenna's story.
Jenna was bred by a breeder that only bred once in awhile and her dog's were Champions. This breeder is a very nice lady and very trusting so when she met Jenna's buyer she thought nothing of him being mean or twisted but that is what he turned out to be. He told her the dog would be used to start his own breeding program and would be shown ( I suppose ) so she gave him full breeding rights with her registration papers. She also lived close to him so she would be able to see Jenna and also probably had rights to some of her puppies when she would be bred. They insisted on not cropping Jenna so that also gave the breeder a good feeling that Jenna would never be abused. How wrong she was.
Jenna was purchased and sent to her new home at 10 wks of age. The breeder did not see Jenna again till she was 8 months old. At that time she went to see how she was doing and found Jenna in a horrible situtation, Jenna was extrememly fearful and would not come to people. Jenna was at the breaking point, the point where a dog can start to turn. She took Jenna immediately and kept her till she felt she was ready to be adopted out at 15 months old.
I had been reading an agricultural paper, usually I looked at the horses never the dogs but I did for some reason and found Jenna. I called the breeder and talked to her about Jenna. She said she was not cropped and that most people wanted a cropped Doberman so most of the people whom had called were not interested in her ( how stupid ). I said I didn't care and wanted to see her. As long as she got along with Rudy I wanted her, I don't know why I felt so strongly about wanting her but I did. So off we went to see her.
She was in her kennel and smiling like crazy at us all the while her body wagged with excitment. It was like she knew we came for her. :) The breeder let her out and she ran and played with Rudy and that did it, we were taking her home. I met Jenna's Dam and Sire and was impressed with both dogs.
It was not till the breeder told us a little of her history that I understood some of her reactions and as we would later find out what happened to her was horrific.
Jenna was neglected and abused. If you raised you voice at all she cowered and shook with fear. It made watching hockey and football a more quiet experience at first. We had to be careful not to cheer loudly. Trying to get Jenna through doorways was very hard, she must have been dragged by the neck and thrown outside by her preivious owner. She hated Lino flooring and would not step foot on it, suggesting more dragging. She must have been hit with newspapers because she shook with fear if you picked one up. I would also guess she was hit because any clapping or loud smacking noises would send her running. She never has learned how to play with a ball, frisbee or anything like that; she was never played with.
My husband and I surmised that her previous owner never expected a puppy he wanted a full grown well trained dog and had no idea what to expect. If she messed he must have yelled, screamed, dragged her, threw her outside and left her there for hours. He had to have hit her. He neglected her horribly and probably starved her because she bolts her food.
It took a long time for her to get over most of these things; Rudy taught her how to be a dog again but she still has her moments.You know she remembers things and it breaks my heart every time it happens. She is the sweetest, kindest, most loving, devoted dog and for al those things to have happened to her it just seems so unfair.
That is Jenna's story.