December 28, 2010

Elmer's Eyes



Today I met Elmer.  He is a small, frightened dog.  Elmer is very different from most of the dogs I work with at the shelter because he is so little....and so shut down.  His eyes look like he has given up on life.  His big brown eyes are haunted.  I don't know what has scared him so badly.  Is it the sights, sounds and smells of the shelter?  Had something bad happened to him before he ended up here?  None of that really matters.  When I work with a dog I address them based on what I see in that moment.  Right now I see a sweet, terrified little guy that wants to remain unnoticed.

Elmer shares his kennel with 3 other small dogs.  When I first saw him he was cowering in the back while the other dogs came to the front to see if I had treats for them.  Upon entering the kennel the 3 other dogs all rushed to check me out and Elmer looked like he hoped I wouldn't see him.  I lifted him up so I could take him outside and he had a very strong urine smell and was trembling.

Not wanting to violate his personal space I put him down at my first opportunity and clipped the lead to his collar.  He froze.  When a dog is this frightened there is no treat in the world that is tempting enough.  He left me little choice but to apologize and scoop him up again.

When I got him out to the play yard I unclipped the lead and he could not get far enough away from me.  His objective was to hide.  Giving him plenty of time to observe me I spread out towels on the ground, sprinkled them liberally with treats and rummaged through my backpack.  Elmer was plastered against the fence on the opposite side of the yard. 

Finally I approached Elmer and put an Extra Small Thundershirt on his shaking body.

I carried Elmer back over to the blanket and I sat behind him doing some very gentle TTouches.  His little body relaxed a bit as I worked on his tiny ears.  This lasted about 3 minutes and I let him go.

My hope was that he would return to me - but he didn't.

Not wanting to overwhelm Elmer I decided he had enough for one day and I removed his Thundershirt and sat him down. 

He ran away from me and nervously ran back and forth just outside my reach.  He would watch me as he ran past.  I gave him no reaction other than to calmly tell him he is such a good boy and deserving of love.

Finally I packed things up to go and Elmer came over to the fence where I was and started pawing at it.  He was about 4 feet from me so I squatted down with my back against the fence and I reached out for  him.  Elmer didn't run and even took a single step toward me.  I scooped Elmer up on my lap and held him against my chest as I talked to him and did more gentle touches on him until the trembling stopped.


Was it my imagination?  At the very end I could swear I felt Elmer's body relax....ever so slightly.

The interesting thing about TTouch is that you don't always see improvement during the session.  Take Neo for example.  The first night I worked with him I thought I'd seen a very tiny bit of improvement, but the next day I was greeted by a completely different dog!  I'm hoping that when I see Elmer next he will be far more relaxed.

December 25, 2010

Merry Christmas from TouchNpaws

See how softly she takes a treat?

Most people use the New Year as a time to reflect.  I kinda do it at Christmas time.  Maybe it is just a good time for me to count my blessings.  Working with these wonderful animals is a blessing to me.  It makes my heart sing to see the changes Tellington TTouch brings to their lives.  Where there was once pain, now it is gone.  Where there were mobility challenges the dog now runs and plays like a little puppy.  Where a dog would cry out in fear they now appreciate the warmth of human touch.


This past week has been one of those times I'm extraordinarily happy to be able to share the gift of TTouch with the animals at the shelter.

Remember Twinkie?  She is doing incredible.  If ever there was a silly, happy and lovable girl it is twinkie.

She loves her Hedgehog

A few days ago I was asked to help with an Australian Shepherd that had failed his first behavior test.  He is polite, walks nice on a leash and is very good at paying attention.  So what was the problem?  He cried out in fear when being touched.  Poor baby had no acceptance of social handling.  But because he won the hearts of those that matter he is being given an opportunity to learn that touch is good.  That is where I come in.

Neo in his Thundershirt

Our first session I saw for myself that he did indeed cry out if you touched anything other than his face, mouth or ears.  I used my wand to touch his body and he did not cry.  At least I could be confident he wasn't in pain.  So I put him in a Thundershirt and used the back of my hand to stroke him.  Sometimes he would cry and other times he did not.  It was clear that Neo wanted affection,  He would move close to me and put his head against my chest or on my lap.


Feeling that his issues are on an emotional level I was thankful that he readily allowed touch on his muzzle and even let me work on his gums.  Emotional issues are closely related to the mouth so I happily stroked his muzzle.

By the end of the session I could gently put my hand under the Thundershirt and do some touches.

Next day I saw him again.  To my wonderment I was greeted by a totally different boy!  Neo allowed me to touch him anywhere I wanted and never cried....not one single time.  Over night his brain had an opportunity to process the work we did and he must have decided touch was okay.

The fear has melted away and has been replaced by trust.

I worked with a friend, Eli,  from the shelter that day and Eli was able to do anything with Neo that I did.  It was not a selective acceptance on his part but a general feeling of trust.

Either Eli or I will work with him daily as he will be retested in a week or so.  I will be honest here that during that first session I was thinking "Hmm, this may be tougher than I thought" but I pushed that thought out of my mind and took Edie-Jane's advice to "Just do the work".

I certainly do not agree with all aspects of the standardized behavior tests but my agreement is neither here not there - it is what it is.  Neo must accept a "Dominance Hug" as part of the test.  Today Eli and his wife worked with Neo and Neo accepted a Dominance Hug from his wife!  Talk about a wonderful Christmas gift!

Go Neo!

This little guy doesn't have a name.  I understand they don't name them in the shelter until after they are behavior tested.  For now he is a number.  In my mind I've named him Eddie.  Doesn't he remind you a bit of Eddie Munster?

Puggle-in-a-Box???
Can you believe that a few days ago this little guy was abandoned in a cardboard box!  I'll spare you the vile thoughts that occupy my mind about the type of person that would do this to him.  Suffice it to say that he is better off without them.

When I arrived at the shelter yesterday they were working on integrating him with the 3 other little dogs he would be sharing a kennel with. Yep, enough dogs are "thrown away" on a regular basis that it is necessary for the shelter to house multiple dogs in one kennel.  Better that than in a cardboard box - or being completely turned away because there is no room - but this is the reality folks...sad stuff.

Well a couple of the dogs were being a bit "enthusiastic" with little "Eddie" and he would get scared and growl at them.  Well, this wasn't going to work when they were all housed together.  I asked someone to get me an Extra Small Thundershirt and I wrapped him up, held him and did some TTouch.  The other puppies were taken outside to a play yard and after a bit "Eddie" and I joined them.

When we joined the other dogs outside I put him down and reassured him as he began to interact with his room mates.  The Thundershirt and TTouch helped him withstand the enthusiastic investigation of the other pups and in moments they were off and playing together.  As I left the shelter yesterday I stopped by to wish the 4 pups a Merry Christmas and tell them that NEXT Christmas they would all be in a home with their own families.  All were happily hanging out together.

That brings me to my plan for 2011.

For the past 2 years I have worked with the Adoptable dogs.  Now it is time for me to work "in the back" with those that have not yet been tested or those that have failed but have been offered another opportunity, a make up test if you will.  I feel what I have to offer will benefit these dogs - dogs like Twinkie and Neo - far more than the adoptables that have many, many volunteers available to help them.

My goal for 2011 is to help more and more dogs be comfortable in their skin, teach them to trust, and help them pass a behavior test that involves some things that are considered VERY rude in dog language.  The test is tough and made far more difficult when they are stressed, frightened and in a foreign environment away from everything they have ever know.  I wanna help to level the playing field.

A side effect from my change in direction is that I'll be writing about the good, the bad and the ugly.  I hope to educate people about the wonderful dogs that end up in shelters.  To shed a little light on how tough shelter life is and what over population is doing to innocent dogs.  That sometimes things are unfair and a dog pays the ultimate price.  Maybe one or two people will changes their minds about buying a pet shop puppy or decided to spay or neuter their dog and stop contributing to the problem.

Please keep Neo in your thoughts and prayers - send him positive energy, Reiki and distance TTouch as he studies for his upcoming test. 

December 21, 2010

Can you help me help them?




Did you know that Escondido Humane Society has 617 animals in their care? Some are housed in the shelter and some are in private foster care homes but either way that is a LOT of mouths to feed and needs to care for.








TouchNpaws will be walking in the Paws In The Park Walk-a-Thon to benefit the wonderful animals of Escondido Humane Society on March 27.  This Walk-a-Thon is critical to the shelter’s survival as so much of their daily operating expenses are funded through this walk.





Last year friends and family helped me raise $1,300 for the animals at Escondido Humane Society. Together I believe we should have no problem raising more!  I am asking for your help, donations and company matches again this year. 



How can you help?

• You can join Team TouchNpaws by clicking on the link and and start your own fundraising page, collect donations and walk with us in person or be a "Virtual Walker".

• You can start a “catch all” jar and stash your loose change and spare bills in there and turn them in as a tax deductible donation.

• Speaking of “Taxes” - There are 9 days left to make a nice donation for the animals and have it count toward your 2010 taxes!


Thank you for supporting us!

How can you make a donation?

Visit my fundraising page! 

CLICK here!


No amount is too small or too LARGE

 
Can we count on your support?



December 19, 2010

Twinkie and Krystal

A few days ago I was asked to work with a dog named Twinkie.  Twinkie is at the shelter and has not yet passed her behavior test so she can move into the adoptions area.  It would seem that she does not care for any one to get near her mouth.

Twinkie

Friday night I stopped by to introduce myself to Twinkie and to get a feel for where we would need to begin on Saturday morning.  I had made several different plans on what I might do to gain Twinkie's trust and get her to allow me to do some gentle touches on the outside of her muzzle.

When I met Twinkie she was very friendly.  I did a few basic introductory touches as I offered her treats.  Never did she show any signs of discomfort.  It was only a matter of minutes before I stroked her muzzle with the back of my hand.  Twinkie was fine with this.  We alternated play with TTouch.  We'd do some TTouches and then play.  Then we'd play some more and do some TTouches.   Twinkie wasn't the least bit concerned when I lifted her flew and stroked the inside of her lip area.  I was able to do circle TTouches on her gums, even if she had a toy or treat in her mouth!  No sign of protecting her mouth at all.

I didn't have any clicker equipment with me but I used my word marker "yep" to do some very basic clicker training with her.  We worked on "Sit" and "Look At Me" quite a bit.  What a smart girl she is.

Saturday I spent an hour with her doing more TTouches as she crawled onto my lap and cuddled with me as I worked on her.  Knowing how well she responded to my modified clicker training the night before I came prepared!  We worked on "Sit", "Stay", "Look At Me", "Touch", "Come" and even loose leash walking.  Again I was able to do any mouth work on her that I wanted to.


One of the most fun things we did was work on "Sit" and "Stay" while I threw her stuffed Hedge Hog for her.  Then she would run and retrieve it for me.  When Twinkie would return with her stuffy I was able to take it from her without any protest.  She would willingly trade the toy for a treat or allow me to gently remove it from her.  Of course she wanted something in return so I'd always offer her a treat or some TTouches.  Either were fine with Miss Twinkie.


My guess is she should be moving to Adoptions very soon!  She is going to make someone a wonderful companion.


Krystal the Beauty

Krystal is another dog I was asked to see if I could help.  Isn't she a beauty?

Owieeeee baby!
Turns out this lovely little girl has a horrendous case of Demodex Mange!  Demodex is not contagious but it sure can get pretty raw and sore.  Knowing how painful the lesions can be I decided to do distance TTouches on her back end.  With my hand a couple inches over her sore area I did TTouches that would help reduce pain and inflammation.

Sandy, a friend from French Bulldog Rescue Network has had wonderful results with a specific home cooked diet that has worked miracles on Demodex dogs.

While at my training in Portland in November there was a dog with very bad Demodex.  One of the students, that later adopted the dog, made a strong chamomile tea and when it cooled used it as a compress for the sore and inf lammed skin.  I shared both of these tips with the shelter to see what might be incorporated into her routine and speed up her healing.

Poor Krystal was turning to her back end and chewing on the open sores.  Obviously they itch and hurt but allowing her to do this will only hamper her healing.  I recommended a soft donut type collar for her so it could prevent her from chewing without the rough edge of an Elizabethan Collar roughing her up every time she turned her head that way.

This particular shelter has very dedicated volunteers and one would her her collar right away.

I've been told that as bad as Krystal looks in this photo she was far worse upon intake a week or two ago.  Demodex is an amazing malady for a dog to have.  Mites that are normally on the skin get out of control in stressful situations and eating the skin results in these sores.  I have seen dogs with horrible Demodex that is so bad you really aren't 100% even what breed they are.  Recovery with the right treatment and care can be swift and very dramatic.  Let's hope this is the result we see for darling Krystal.

December 10, 2010

A Year Ago Today



A year ago today our Marley was paralyzed and in tremendous pain.  This very minute last year Steve and I were frantic waiting for the call that he made it through his surgery.....we still had another hour and a half to wait.

It is amazing that the pain and emotions are still so close to the surface.  Even with the wonderful outcome we have had it is still very emotional to look back on it.




A huge Thank You to his Neuro Surgeon Dr. Tammy Stevenson who was able to clean out all the debris that blew into his spinal cord. 







To his Rehab Veterinarian Dr. Clair Sosna for her physical therapy and nutrition counseling. 



And to Linda Tellington Jones for giving me the ability to help my boy walk again. 

And the biggest Thank You to God for answering our prayers and giving us our boy back the same way he was.  It has been a heck of a journey.


Marley is the same happy, fun loving boy he always was.  He runs, plays and jumps (giving me a heart attack) - I doubt he even remembers the ordeal.  Steve and I will never forget and we tear up just watching him chase a tennis ball at times

November 24, 2010

Exciting Times


With folks in the holiday spirit and engaging in the hustle and bustle of the season things have been a bit quiet on the blog.

That does not mean things aren't happnin' here at TouchNpaws.  My Tellington TTouch training is about to wrap up.  We are holding a 6-day training session here in San Diego in February, 2011 and this will be my final group of classes. 

TTouch has ignited a fire within me and there are other modalities to embrace and learn.  First on the list is Aromatherapy and Essential Oils.  Because I feel this will be a fantastic fit with the Tellington TTouch work I've enrolled in a Certification Program to become an Advanced Aromatherapist.  This training will leave me skilled in helping both animals and their people...well that is if I ever get this Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology figured out  :-)  I feel like I'm studying to be a Veterinarian!

When March rolls around I'll be putting the Aromatherapy training on a back burner for a month and a half while I concentrate on Reiki.

My vision is to help sick, injured and hospice animals and their people.  Tellington TTouch, Aromatherapy and Reiki will be a wonderful foundation.

Of course other modalities are waiting for me as soon as I finish the next two.

At this time of Thanksgiving I can't help but be thankful for Linda Tellington-Jones and her marvelous gift of TTouch.  Because of her and her work I've found the reason I was born.

November 15, 2010

Tellington TTouch 6-Day Training Comes to San Diego!

Those of you that have been reading my blog - Thank You!  You have seen example after example of what this wonderful, gentle method can do for our animal friends...and ourselves.

February 2011 will be a very exciting month.  Tellington TTouch 6-Day Training, taught by Kathy Cascade, will be coming to San Diego Humane Society February 19-24! 


Tellington TTouch can help in cases of

*  Car Sickness
*  Conditions Associated With Aging
*  Provide Supportive and Comfort Care During Illness, Injury and to Hospice Patients
*  Excessive Barking and Chewing
*  Leash Pulling
*  Jumping Up
*  Aggressive Behavior
*  Extreme Fear and Shyness
*  Resistance to Grooming
*  Excitability and Nervousness

San Diego's winters are very mild and there is so much to do here.  I hope some of you will head this way to either continue working on your certification or just come for a visit and learn more to help your animal friends in 6 days than you ever imagined.

I'm super excited about the training behing held in San Diego for a couple reasons.  Most importantly I've wanted Marley and Pierre to be able to enjoy the benefits of spending some time in a TTouch Session.  Now they can!

Finally, I will be graduating in my home town and my very supportive husband, Steve, will be able to watch me get my final certificate.  I hope you will consider attending and maybe discover a new passion in your life, like I did.

Pleae contact the office at http://www.ttouch.com/ to register....contact me directly if I can answer any questions for you or if you would like me to send you a flyer.

November 13, 2010

Busy day!

It has been awhile since I've had an opportunity to get to the shelter.  Today was the day!  Oh, and I also had 2 private appointments on the books as well.

Molly, the Adorable


Meet Buster.  

He is a precious Rottie/Pit mix puppy.  He is a "Singleton" meaning he has no siblings.  One problem we see with singletons is they don't learn bit inhibition very well.  That is where we are with Buster.  He has been too mouthy with some and has reportedly growled over food.  Not a good thing in a shelter environment.  Even though he is only 8 weeks old there is little tolerance for a mouthy and pushy puppy.

Buster and I had a great time doing TTouch, playing and some clicker training.  Because he has some concerns related to food I held a treat closed in my hand and clicked and treated as soon as he backed away from pawing, or licking my hand.

Please say a prayer and think good thoughts for Buster and I as we work together to improve his manners and give him a sense of security.  He needs to make progress quickly before it is too late for him.


Then there is Molly.

Almost a month ago I saw this picture of Molly and was dying to work with her.  I asked around but nothing came of it.  I continued to look at her picture on the website and send TTouches her way.  Well today I finally got to meet this little one.

I don't know how old Molly is but she is just a baby pittie girl.  Molly was hit by a car and has much of the same neurological issues as Aurora.  Just like Aurora she spins to the left.

Molly was amazing as soon as I put a body wrap on her.  All of a sudden she was walking straighter and with purpose.  She still spun a bit but not even close to what she had done prior.  We spent an hour doing TTouch, playing, more TTouch, cuddling and more TTouch.  I just adore this little girl.



Next I worked with a dog named Ned.  Ned's "parents" are so giving to dogs in need that when I heard their boy Ned had a bum leg I wanted to see if there was something TTouch could do to help. 

We did some touches, belly lifts and practiced the balance lead so Ned won't pull so much causing more stress and damage to his leg. 

Pete and Jennifer were surprised that Ned would take treats from me.  He never takes treats from other people.  Because of the way TTouch builds trust and reduces stress I wasn't very surprised at all  :-)

November 7, 2010

Back from Portland!

Buster!
 
TTouch Training in Portland was so much more than I dared to dream.  So many loose ends were tied up for me and I'm feeling renewed and ready to hit the ground running!

Edie Jane and Spirit Dog, Barney



Edie Jane was our instructor and simply fabulous!!!  No two ways about it.  I love the way Edie Jane is so detailed and helps really refine our technique and understand the reasons we choose to use specific tools. 








Lauren McCall did a fantastic demo on a Bunny Rabbit.  Bunnies are so delicate within their digestive system and sensitivities to heat that I'm amaze the rabbits I had as a kid even survived! 

Here Lauren is putting a body wrap on this little bunny.





My new friend Chuck and I worked on Mr. Whiskers.  He was adopted out before we had a chance to work with him a second time.  Yeah, Mr Whiskers!!!



Client day is always a favorite of mine.  I was thrilled to find out my client was a 7 year old American Bulldog x Pit Bull.  Buster has severe arthritis and luxating patellas. Turns out he is quite fearful in public.  That was the main concern we addressed.

First time Buster lays down in a public place

On the first day of class we all selected a dog we wanted to visit several times during the week.  I picked Bella, part of a bonded pair.  As my new friend Brigid and I stood before the dogs I selected Bella because of her strong resemblance to Alfie.  Oh my was she a handful the first day. 

Bella, the Beautiful
Bella is strongly bonded to her friend, Buddy.  Bella also is very "forward" on a leash....in other words she dang near ripped my arms off  :-)

The second time I saw her was during a visit with my friend, Dennis.  Dennis did a full observation of any tension patterns she may have had and this time she was much more at ease and would even leave Buddy for a short time to investigate something and come back.  Very nice!

Love Buddy's freckles

Finally on the last day I put her in a body wrap and a harness and took her outside without Buddy.  Through some more advanced leash work, and a few helpers, we helped Bella find her balance!  She was walking beautifully in a configuration we call a Homing Pigeon.  This has been a technique I've struggled with since day one.....not any more.  Thanks to the beautiful Bella I've got it!

When the final class was over I paid them a visit in an interaction area.  I thanked both of them for all they had taught me.  A woman in Adoptions told me that a very nice lady spent time with them and placed a hold on them.  I do hope this lovely pair of dogs finds their forever home soon!


Wishing you well, little Bella

October 28, 2010

Session 5 - Portland, Oregon

Things have been a bit quiet on the blog lately.  Lots has been going on but I'm a bit more comfortable writing about my volunteer work than my paying clients  :-)

Reader's Diegest version: 

I've worked with a Great Pyreneese mix that had back issues.  Her muscle spasems were so severe they could not do her Acupuncture. We did 3 sessions for her in one week.  When she went back for her Acupuncture the Vet said it wasn't needed and there was no sign of a back problem!  Yeah!!





Then there was the Doxie Duo, Phoebe and Beau.  Phoebe has a tendency to bark a lot and Beau is hesitant to let his Momma share her attention and affections with Phoebe.  Both had a quick change of heart (and behavior) after getting their own Thundershirts, some calming TTouch and simple behavior modification tools.



Now it is time for me to focus my attention on Session 5 of my training in Portland, Oregon with Edie-Jane Eaton!  Portland is where I had my first training and a whole new world was opened up to me.  I'm excited to go back.  This will be my 5th session and one of my friends final session!  Big Congrats to Dennis Fehling of Friends for Life Dog Training.

There are bound to be updates from Portland!  Stay tuned.



And if you have ever considered giving TTouch a try you may want to consider attending a 6-day session in San Diego!  It is unheard of to have trainings offered in San Diego but it is going to happen!  Kathy Cascade will be teaching my 6th and final session right here in San Diego, February 19-25, 2011.  (Check out the work Kathy did with Alf, one of the Michael Vick dogs.)  If this is your first 6-day session you can attend for the discounted price of $600 for the entire training!  You will walk away with plenty of new skills to help your own pets, friends animals or our shelter friends that need you so badly.  Or, like me.......you could find your life will never be the same again.  Contact me for more information.  I'd love to see you there at my graduation and watch you discover something spectacular.

October 10, 2010

Aurora's Time Line - Not Mine

Animals are my teachers and Aurora is quite the Professor!  She has been doing so well and exceeding our hopes for her that I decided I'd try to raise the bar for her.  As I thought about her next steps along her journey I planned to fit her in a Step-In Harness and using the Super Balance Leash I'd lay out some poles for her to walk through.  I expected to lay them out rather wide and start trying some ground work with her.

Today it was 92 degrees by 9:30 am and Miss Aurora really wasn't too interested in working.  She was interested in lovin' (TTouches) and kisses.



I fit Aurora into a pretty green harness and hooked up the Super Balance Leash.  As soon as I had her all set up she began to spin wildly. 

We regrouped and tried again.  The funny thing is that she would spin if we held the lead properly.  Guiding her with the wand and holding the lead like shown here she did reasonably well.

Mostly Aurora wanted to be loved on.  There could have been a few reasons for this.  It could be that she was more interested in having having fun since she IS a Lab Puppy!  It could have been that it was hotter than the blazes today.  Or it could have been because Aurora is very sensitive in the body and that the new harness and new leash configuration were a bit too much for her. Whatever the reason we switched gears.

When working with dogs sometimes you have to "chunk it down" into smaller steps.  If the entire set up is too much (which is my best guess) then we break it down and get her used to the new harness first.

If the Lab Puppy wants to play then play we will.

Using a beloved squeaky toy I would get her to chase me in a pattern around the cones.  Aurora was able to play this game and follow me in a pretty straight line.

She has the most adorable way of walking.  She prances like a Lipizzaner Stallion.  Aurora can really lift those feet.  I'm thinking that will come in handy when we are able to progress to some ground work.



One thing the shelter would like Aurora to learn is how to be happy in a crate.  So far she hasn't gotten to the part in the "How to be a Dog" manual that talks about a crate being their safe place and their den. 

Given what you have heard about Aurora - her desire to be with her people and her love of PLAY I would appreciate ideas from all you readers!  What fun, game-like ways can you come up with to teach Aurora to love her crate? 

Elizabeth and I would love your input and I encourage you to post a comment with a suggestion for this little girl.

October 9, 2010

Boston Tea Party, 2010!


TouchNpaws was invited to participate in Boston Buddies - Southern California Boston Terrier Rescue's largest fundraiser of the year!   I have found that I absolutely love doing events and talking to people about the power of Tellington TTouch and was very excited to be a sponsor.  Events are fun in and of themselves but when one benefits rescue that is all the better.

This is a young puppy that has the typical excited terrier personality and really isn't connected with his back feet.  I showed his owners how adding scrunchies to his legs would remind him they were there.  He tends to lunge forward with purpose and excitement to get where he wants to go.  I demonstrated the "Balance Leash Plus" using his own leash.  The family walked away with new skills they could put into practice right then and there.


 
I also had the pleasure of working with a service dog.  This little guy helps his human with balance concerns.  The problem is sometimes the dog will jump up or get overly excited.  I fitted him with a Thundershirt and the calming effect was immediate.    Using my demo dog "Jake" I showed how the "Super Balance Leash" would help bring the dog into balance and help with his jumping up.
 



Being that terriers are by nature high energy dogs and some suffer from stress and anxiety the Thundershirts were a big hit.  Here is one little dog that is trying on a Thundershirt for the first time.  You can see the concern on his face but he quickly adapted to the shirt and became quite relaxed.


The attendees were very interested in hearing how Tellington TTouch could help their specific dog's situation.  Many times there was actually a line of folks waiting their turn to ask questions.  Many, many dogs walked away with Thundershirts, a new harness, a lead or all of the above!  






What TTouch demo would be complete without....well, TTouches!  Here is an adorable French Bulldog that stopped by for some relaxing TTouches.

We had a great day teaching people how they can help their dogs physical and emotional balance and well being.  Thank you to each and everyone that shared their day and their dog with me. 

Boston Buddies will receive a percentage of today's sales!