Shelter Marathon!

Not being familiar with all the dogs we have in the shelter right now I reached out to a couple friends for recommendations on who would benefit from some TTouch. Can you believe within a very short time I had a list of 13 dogs! Holy Smokes!

So last night I organized my list of (1) Jack Russell, (3) Rottweilers, (2) Shepherd mixes, and (7) Pitbulls. Several of these dogs are overly exuberant and needed both body work and could spend some time in the Confidence Course using their brains to calm them down. A couple lack confidence or are starting to get depressed with shelter life.

This morning I arrived about 7:30 and got all set up and started working with the dogs. My very first "customer" was Jackson, a big, beautiful Pitbull. As soon as I let him off lead he ran over to my TTouch case and pee'd on it. Oh boy, we were off to a good start.









I won't tell you about each and every dog but I do want to share two very interesting ones with you.


Valentine is a Shepherd mix that is gentle and sweet. The problem is just about everything spooks her. I'm told she came from the local Indian Reservation. We see some of the saddest cases come out of there. Valentine is one of them. Fortunately everyone loves Valentine and is helping her learn the world is not so bad.


I had no expectation of taking Valentine through the Confidence Course today but I wanted her to at least experience the equipment on her own terms during her pauses in the body work. She was so brave to walk around the ladder and cones.

Valentine was very receptive to touches all over her body and face. By the end of our session Valentine walked back to her kennel far more relaxed. Yeah for Valentine!


You met Bullet in earlier posts and I worked with him again today. He did great in the Confidence Course and settled in with me far quicker and without the aid of a Thundershirt. It was great he didn't need the shirt today because it was HOT!

While I was working with Bullet the Adoption Manager was working with a 6 month old dog in the interaction area next to Bullet and I. She asked if I'd work with this boy, Max, sometime. Of course I worked on him right after Bullet.

Max came to the shelter as a newborn with his litter and his momma. Mom is a Beagle Mix and we don't know who Dad is. At the tender age of 6 months Max is destined for Rescue rather than adoption. Max has a record....a bite record. In fact Max has been adopted, bitten someone, and returned - not once, but twice.


The first adoption failed because at 10 weeks old he had an accident in the house. During a harsh reprimand he bit and broke skin. Back he came. He also bit on his 2nd adoption and was returned. Fortunately he is slated for rescue rather than euthanasia.

Max has an aversion to being touched. He is afraid and most likely for good reason. It took me about 10 min to get him on a lead so I could bring him back to the interaction area I was working in. I didn't want to frighten him so I took it very slowly. Once he was leashed he happily came with me.

Max is a dog where reading his body language and offering calming signals is very important. When I offered Max Turkey Liver and Turkey Hearts he was not the least interested. Hmmm, STRESS!

My experience with dogs that don't want touched is that if I can get a few very light Llama or Chimp touches on them and then stop it tends to break the ice. That was the case with Max. I worked with him on a 6 foot lead so he could move away from me but not run away. In very short order Max was cuddling next to me and allowing touches everywhere. I was able to work his curled under tail, do Python Lifts on his legs, Raccoon Touches on his feet and Lying Leopards all over his body. Can you believe he also allowed Mouth Touches?

On a hunch I decided to take him through the Confidence Course. He did everything I asked except the ladder. I tried to encourage him with a piece of liver but he still wasn't interested. We took a break for more touches and I tossed treats on the sheet we were sitting on and then didn't look at him. Very slowly he started eating the Turkey. Then he did the funniest thing. He went behind my back and curled around me while laying on his back. When I turned and looked at him he wiggled like a happy puppy offering his belly.

Time for the Confidence Course again. After each piece of equipment I did more touches on him. We got to the ladder and he went through like he had been doing it all his life.....all 6 months of it. I was even able to introduce some clicker training to him.

Max is one of the special dogs I'll work with on a regular basis until he finds his way out of the shelter.

So of my list of 13 dogs today I worked with 9 of them and 1 I hadn't planned on working with. I think 10 dogs on one shelter visit is a record for me.

I really wish I had photos of the dogs going through the Confidence Course but until the day comes I can figure out how to take photos of myself doing that we will just have to imagine what it was like.

I'm really proud of how far little Max came today!