Shelter night!

Oh how I LOVE shelter night. The only thing I don't love about it is there are far more dogs needing help than there are hours in the evening.

Right now I'm focusing my efforts on a couple very special dogs, Max & Bullet.

I had difficulty finding Max when I got to the shelter. He was not in the area the computer said he he was in. My heart sank! Had Max done something to get his third strike? It couldn't be. Thankfully he was in a different area and the computer had not been updated.

Max has a little room mate, a white and brown Chihuahua mix. More about him later.

Max was leery of me at first and I could tell he was quite uncomfortable. I took my time with him and did three little Llama touches on his side and it was as if he remembered me from Saturday and allowed me to put he lead on him. Max walked outside with me like a good boy.

It didn't take any time at all to regain the ground we had on Saturday. Look who has learned to sit! Isn't he adorable?

Turns out he is quite the barker when concerned about something. He barked at dogs 50 yards away! He barked at people I could barely see....and he barked at the rabbit guy that uses a walker. Oh how he barked at this guy. Fortunately the rabbit guy was very patient and understanding with him. I was able to get his focus back on me and do TTouches on him to relieve his stress. By the end of our session Max was barely barking at anyone and when he did it wasn't up at the fence, he stayed by me and barked. Much better.

I used a Thundershirt on him and while I liked the effect I did not like what happened when I had to release the Velcro to get it off. Poor Max screamed, cried and ran away. Not the reaction you want with a frightened dog. I was thrilled that he was able to quickly recover and was soon sitting back in my lap getting TTouches and giving kisses. Yeah for Max.

When I put him back in his kennel his roommate was desperate for attention and desperate to get out - it was heartbreaking. Then I saw that he had failed his first behavior test and was pending retest. I'm going to seek out permission to work with him. He doesn't have a mean bone in his little body but he is terrified. I can help him with that.

Tonight Bullet was so funny. I really like that little dog. I thought our boy Marley was into his ball. Marley hates balls compared to Bullet.

We did lots of touches and lots of ball playing tonight. My goal for Bullet is for him to drop his ball when asked. We practiced dropping the ball for another ball, a throw of the ball, zig zag touches or a bite of cooked turkey hearts. He is really catching on.

If anyone is looking for a partner in fly ball or agility I'd like to recommend my buddy, Bullet.

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!

What a difference a week makes!

I'm really happy to say the last of the Chihuahua puppies was adopted at an event today. That is a good thing for lots of reasons....not the least of which is I had really gotten attached to the little guy and Steve didn't like the fact that everyone except him had been adopted! Just what we need is another male dog, lol.

Chachi

And Spunky was adopted last Sunday. Maybe his time spent in the Labyrinth and in the Confidence Course the day before helped with that...only Spunky knows for sure and he isn't telling. :-)

Today was a big one. I got to the shelter about 7:30 am and got all set up and worked with the dogs for 4 horus. I worked with Amanda, Lola, Jerry, and Jewel.

I've already introduced Lola and Amanda but here are Jerry & Jewel. Such sweet hearts.

Jerry came in with a friend named Ben. Ben was adopted and now Jerry is very sad.

Jewel...and she is, too!

After working them in the confidence course I spent some time with Sarah. Isn't her new haircut pretty? Poor thing has the worst ears I've ever seen. They are fused shut. NO holes at all. I'm sure she will feel much better when she gets to have her surgery. Her fund is growing. The volunteers have raised about $1,500 with another $1,000 to go. We'll get there.

One of my friends asked me to work with one of his fave dogs named Milo. He is set to go to Rescue as he has been determined to be unadoptable for some reason I was unable to recognize. I found him to be a darling boy but a tad mouthy. That is easily fixed and I showed his fave volunteer some nice calming strokes and mouth work that can be done on him. We also worked on "Stay on the Ground"....thanks Edie Jane. I like that so much better than "OFF!"




What I did next deserves its own page.....stay tuned!

Kudos to Escondido Humane Society

Escondido Humane Society does not euthanize based on breed, length of stay or space. From time to time a dog comes along that really tests out that policy. Dolly is such a dog.

Dolly is a silly Pit Bull mix (I think mixed with Great Dane!) that likes to dig and is rather particular about her canine companions. Dolly has been at the shelter for close to 500 days! That is close to 17 months!!! Living in the shelter for 17 months!

The shelter and the volunteers never gave up on Dolly. She was taken to adoption events and to special days out where she would proudly strut her stuff in her Orange “Adopt Me” vest.

Well Tuesday Dolly had her day! She was adopted by a couple with a large yard that said she is welcome to dig to her heart’s content. They recently lost their beloved dog so Dolly will be an only child. Her “Dad” is retired so he will have all day to play with her.

Thank you to EHS for never giving up on this wonderful girl.

Back in the Saddle Again!

Life is beginning to return to normal post surgery!

Although I need to be careful and have help moving the dogs around I can still work on them. I love it!!!

So last night I was at the shelter and had the opportunity to work on a litter of 7 three-month old Chihuahua Mix puppies. I'd visited them before they were "Adoptable" and they were frightened and cowering in their crate. Last night they weren't much different but one by one they allowed me to do touches on them and all but three of them became quite relaxed.


Today I noticed that one of them has been adopted. The great news is that the little ones never last long. I'll bet within a week all will be in forever homes.

Next I spent some time with Spunky. Whoever named this boy was dead on! A friend at the shelter took him out and let him pay really hard to wear him out before I worked with him. I can't imagine what this happy go lucky fella would have been like if I'd seen him fresh out of the kennel.


This weekend I plan to work with Spunky in the Confidence Course. I think he is in need of mental stimulation and a different sort of challenge.

Next was Lola's turn. When I first met Lola a few months ago I was stunned at how beautiful she was. Lately she has developed a bad rash, her coat has lost its sparkle and she is becoming depressed.


Lola and I had a great time and she was so receptive to the touch. At one point we laid down together on my sheet and cuddled and did touches. When Mark came back to transport her back he commented on how happy she looked.

This weekend Lola will get her turn in the confidence course but for a different reason than Spunky. I want to calm Spunky a few notches....and I want to lift Lola's spirits. Isn't it really cool that the same tool can be used to obtain different results?

Lola made my heart sing last night and now its my turn to make hers sing.

Amanda is a hound mix. I should read up on hounds because I really don't know much about that group of dogs. What I do know is Amanda is big! And she is beautiful. Her neck is fascinating, so long and graceful.


Amanda's only issue is she really doesn't care much for her next door kennel neighbor, Tex. Somehow he just rubs her the wrong way. Tex went to his new home today so I expect Amanda is doing the happy dance right about now.

I don't think Amanda will be a long term client. She just needed a bit of TLC and stress relief last night and I was quite happy to be of service.

A Painful Lesson

Today I had a very painful lesson that was totally unexpected. Yesterday the medical staff at the shelter helped Sam (known as Magnum at the shelter) cross the Rainbow Bridge. My friend is gone.

This is part of the message I received:

Magnum was out for a potty break this morning and laid down for the last time, he looked up at Karen and Lani and let them know he was tired and in pain. He has been on pain meds, joint meds, skin care treatment and has been under constant supervision by kennel, treatment and volunteers. However, he lost his will to fight for his life.

This post won't have a lot of beautiful pictures of Sam but will contain my thoughts and some memories. The picture at the top says it all. I'm not holding back so if "graphic" upsets you - stop now. Take a look at his picture and remember him that way.

For myself, I continue.

I remember talking with the Foster Home Coordinator one evening after an adoption event. She told me of this boy that was brought in from the Indian Reservation severely wounded and with a maggot infestation. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. At the time she had hoped to foster him and I asked how soon I could start working with him.

Things changed and she had to foster another but I started working with Sam on my next visit. I was shocked at what I saw. I saw an old dog with wounds covering his entire back, throat and inside his legs. Some so severe they just hung in open pockets. You know what else I saw? I saw a very trusting and loving soul looking back at me with eyes full of hope.

My first thought was "where can I touch him?" I'd spread out my customary sheet in the cool conference room with just natural light. I sat down and Sam laid down and put his head in my lap. From there I found a spot on his body that wasn't too bad (all things considered) and began doing touches a few inches above his body. When I found a spot that didn't have a wound I did very light touches.

Sam just laid in my lap looking at me while I worked on him. My horror melted into love and compassion. I wanted to help this boy become whole again.

When the session was over I was stunned to see I had "pieces of Sam" all over me and the blanket. This poor boy was falling apart right in front of me.

The next day I called upon my TTouch friends to do "distance work" with him. This is one of those things that is difficult to comprehend for many, myself included. But I tried. I put out a call for those that wanted to help me to join in. Many did.

When I saw him 3 days later he was so much better! His wounds were healing. The more superficial ones were closed and others were filling in.

I met Sam a minimum of twice a week and watched him improve every time. The above photo was taken one month to the day from when he came to us.

We will never know exactly what happened to him but because he has no upper or lower front teeth, was ripped to shreds and found in a dump at the Indian Reservation it is quite possible he was a bait dog used for fight training. How anyone could have done this to such a beautiful being is beyond me. I don't know how they sleep at night. I really hope they don't.

So Sam is gone and I'm really quite surprised. I saw him Wednesday and had a great visit and got some nice photos of him. None look sad. None of them look like he was done. I don't understand.

Much of my day was spent behind closed doors at work crying and working. I've had the nicest comments of support from friends and family. I won't lie - my heart is bursting. I'm grateful for the time spent with him and the lessons learned. I know he died knowing love. I really wanted him to be someones dog. To have his own home and hang out on the couch watching TV with someone that loved him. Sam deserved that.

I truly believe my calling with TTouch is with medical dogs and particularly hospice work. As much as I was able to help Sam he also helped me. Sam is teaching me what the pain is like when you lose a dog you have poured everything you have into. He is the first but he will not be the last.

I wanted him to be someones dog so bad.......To me, he was my dog.

Rest well my beloved friend. I miss you so bad already.

Good-Bye for Now

Wednesday was my last night at the shelter for a bit. It is time to focus on getting ready for my trip to North Carolina where I'll be taking my 3rd round of classes~ I'm amazed to think I'm almost at the 1/2 way point! Then when I get back I'm having shoulder surgery and the necessary down time associated with that.

So, Wednesday I wanted to spend time with my extra special ones and say "Good Bye" and enjoy some quality time with them. My hope is that when I return in about 5 weeks they will be happy in a forever home. This may be the last time I see them.




First was My Alfie. Alfie and I sat outside and I told him how much he has taught me about trust. Alfie taught me that trust must be earned and isn't always offered freely.

He taught me that when trust is earned it is all the sweeter.




I don't know if Alfie will be there or not when I return. He is kept in the back and away from the public eye since he likes to "bounce" in his kennel. Such a shame because it is quite adorable when he bounces because he does it with joy and happiness all over his face. How could anyone resist?

Then I spent time with Sam (Magnum).


He has healed up so nicely and really needs to have a foster home.



The shelter is a tough place for a dog that was ripped to shreds by other dogs. Not a pleasant place at all. My hope and prayer for Sam is that he finds a foster home soon where he can work on his confidence and learn that not all dogs are out to hurt him.


I had intentions of visiting with my shy boy, Echo. But Echo was out on a nice walk with a volunteer. He knows he is loved and my guess is he will be in a home before I return.

After saying 'Bye' to Alfie and Sam I needed my heart lifted. What better way to lift the spirits that spend time with puppies?

These two are less than 2 months old and so full of their selves. I played with them in their Kennel and just enjoyed the wild abandon of two very silly pups.



I first met these two on Labor Day. To be honest I'm very surprised these puppies are still in the shelter. But even as babies Pit Bulls suffer from prejudice. Such a shame. A bigger shame is there are still folks breeding more and more Pit Bulls and the shelters are just filled to the brim.

It seems that regardless of how sweet the dogs is they take so much longer to adopt out.

It was time to walk through Adoptables and greet each dog by name. This is something I always do when I go in. "Hello Maggie, you are looking beautiful today", "How's my Dolly Lolly girl?", "Hey Petey has anyone told you how handsome you are yet today?".....and so it goes, kennel by kennel.

Then I looked in this one kennel and look what I saw!



I'm going to interject here.....again. PLEASE spay and neuter your pets!!! These Chihuahua mix puppies are 4 weeks old and were just spayed! OMG, they should still be with their Momma and here they are shaking and scared in a shelter with HUGE dogs all around barking and carrying on.



Of course I couldn't resist stopping and giving them love....and touches.



I wanted so badly to bring these two home with me.



The last thing we need is more dogs. I'm glad Marley is not accepting of all dogs as it keeps me grounded. Otherwise I'd have already adopted Duncan, Alfie & Pumpkin and most likely two little Chi' pups! Thank you Marley :-)



It was so difficult for me to leave. So much can change in 5 weeks. It almost felt like someone had sucked all the breath out of me as I closed the door to DA-1 and walked down the hall to go home....leaving my friends behind to find their way in the world.

Some days you're ON and others you're OFF

Sunday I was off. Funny that "very off" followed "very on".

So you ever wake up and think to yourself that you should change your plans but have no reason why you are thinking that? I woke up that way on Sunday. Nothing was wrong but my gut said not to go to the shelter.

Since time is getting short to where I won't have a choice about going to the shelter.....I went.

I started off with an easy one. This little guy was clearly unhappy in his crate. He was shaking like a leaf. He didn't have a name on his door so I know very little about him.

This boy shook so hard I had to keep readjusting the plan. The blanket on the grass where I usually work was too scary. There were dogs walking by.......big dogs at that! And of course there was a car pulling into the lot from time to time so that wasn't good.

I put a wrap on him (note to self: Cut down some wraps to "Tiny Size"). He seemed to like that okay but still not secure enough. So we hot footed it over to a secluded area and did some touches. I had him wrapped in the wrap and in a beach towel and did touches on him through the towel at first. Ah, FINALLY something he liked! I knew if I kept trying different things we'd get it. And "get it" we did! He was officially a happy boy.

Never did learn his name for sure. We have one little guy that looks pretty similar to this one that is 4-mos old and named Kit. The other I was considering looked even MORE like this guy but was 8-years old. My little guy seemed more 4-mos old than 8 years, but looked more like the 8-year old and also lifted his leg to pee. Do 4-month old pups lift their leg???

The dogs were wild and wound up! Serious fool around behavior from all of them. What the heck? Even my shy, pancake Maggie found her spunk. Working with fool around dogs is difficult for me. I'm out of my league and need some tools in the tool box for this.

Edie Jane? You out there?

If you are I hope and pray you will teach me what to do with a fool around dog in North Carolina! I need help :-)

So one by one I took out dogs to work on ..... one by one they yanked off my arm and I took 'em back.

The day was not a total loss though.

I had a nice little session with Echo in his kennel. He started off as a shy boy and now is still a bit shy but loves to be touched and cuddled. He likes to bury his head into me and get his touches. A sweet little man.

The other good thing was the 8-year old pup was adopted that day before I could make more comparisons to "My little guy".

So with so many things that were off I have to wonder if it was worth going to the shelter that day. Should I have listened to that little voice and stayed home? I may have to answer that with a "Yes" - however, Echo and the Little One may have a different answer.

Happy Labor Day!

Happy Labor Day!

This is a day to have fun and spend time grilling with friends. That is exactly what we did. Steve and I went to the shelter about 9:30 and began working with the dogs. While I did TTouch Steve walked and bathed dogs and did general clean up to the property.

My day started with Maggie.



She is an adorable Pit Bull girl that has some insecurity issues. Very sweet girl but reminds me of Alfie when I first started working with him. Maggie isn’t as frightened as Alfie was but will “Pancake” on you. I found that she also has a silly side.



Beverly is another Pit Bull girl that is very cautious in the beginning. She is very sweet and loving and wants to sit on your lap. Slow movements around Beverly are best until she is sure you won’t hurt her. It looks like she has either had lots of litters or at least one recently. Beverly won’t be having any more as she was just spayed.



I worked with Hershey the other night and at that time she appeared to be yet another timid Pit Bull girl. Either she has blossomed, the drugs from her spay wore off or she was just feeling really good! Hershey needed a TTouch wrap put on her if we were to get anything done today. She responded quite well to the wrap and I do believe Lavender is a great color on her.



Then there is “Sam”. He is now being called Magnum at the shelter but to so many others and me he will always be Sam. So “Sam” he will remain.



First I have to tell you that in just 3 weeks time he has had such a transformation that words cannot even express the difference.



Sam in an amazing boy that has been through God only knows what and yet he is full of love.



The worst wound of all was the one on the inside of his right back leg. This wound was an open, hanging pocket! You could see things you were not meant to see in a living dog. This wound was not stitched up for reasons not explained to me. Now there is about a ½” opening! All other wounds have healed!

Finally I got to help a tiny Pit Bull puppy. I don’t know the age, nor if it is a girl or boy. There is a litter of abandoned puppies looking for Foster Homes. They were brought out for volunteers to see in hopes of striking a heart string. This one little guy was shaking so hard. Of course it was impossible for me not to come to his aid.



Within a minute I told the young boy holding him that his trembling diminished. A few seconds later the boy told me the puppy wasn’t shaking at all. It made me smile.


I've noticed something and I'm not really sure how to describe it but I'm going to try. When I first started at the shelter I was focused on Elektra. She needed me more than anyone else and I promised her that if I only had time for one, it would be her.

Along came Alfie and he really needed help. I was able to help him but I was committed to Elektra - then she was adopted and it freed up more time to concentrate on Alfie and still help less needy dogs.

Alfie is still at the shelter awaiting his perfect home. I've noticed he really isn't needing me as much any more. What Alfie needs now he needs from another dog. In walk Pumpkin!


Pumpkin is teaching Alfie how to be a dog and how to play. They love each other and are the best of friends. Last Saturday Pumpkin was adopted. This week she was returned. I guess her work with Alfie was not complete. Or maybe I needed to be replaced with another girl to free up more time for Sam!


Isn't it kinda funny how this all works out?


And how was YOUR day?

"Chico"

UPDATE: Its official now............this little guy has been named Chico!

Okay so his name isn't "Chico"....in fact he doesn't have a name yet and is simply known by 40895. But I can't stand seeing a little guy like ths being called a number.

I don't know his story but this shelter only takes strays.....so either he was dumped here or born at the shelter. I'm thinking dumped because I discovered him on the website in the "found" section a couple weeks ago and have been waiting for him to be available to spend time with.

Last night I saw him! There he was all tiny and cute. He must not even weigh 2# and is only about 8 weeks old.

As for our actual TTouch session I'd have to rate it a 1 on a scale of 1-10. He had just been neutered and should be resting. So I taked to him outside his crate. He seemed to be just fine with that and curious. Slowly I opened his door to touch him and all of a sudden he sprang alive! Boy those little ones are FAST! I caught him mid air as he lept from his cage.......he was supposed to be resting up. Well, I guess he was before I bothered him :-(

Oh well, no harm done. I sat on the floor and cradled this little wiggle worm in my arms while trying to do calming touches. All he wanted to do was bite me, lol. Teething baby puppy, wiggling and squirming, and supposed to be resting....I did the right thing and put him back. I really did not want this little live wire busting a stitch on my watch!

All this time I've been watching him and wanting to hold him. But the timing was off so it was a huge let down.

Who woulda thought that the BIG dogs would be so much easier to work with, lol.

Friends from the Shelter

I am honored and blessed to encounter so many special friends at the shelter. There have been so many in such a short time.

Today I worked with Dolly who has been there more than a year. What stands in the way of a sweet girl like Dolly getting adopted? I just don't get it. We took her to the Big Dog Adoption event and she didn't even get a 2nd look. But Dolly has many friends at the shelter and she is a happy girl. As my friend Kate always says......"There's a lid for every pot". I hope and pray we find Dolly's lid.

Dolly

Dolly tends to be very submissive and will even do submissive urination from time to time. I am careful not to do TTouch on her when she is on her back. I wait. Sometimes that means we don't get any touches in because as soon as I reach for her she rolls over on her back. Today was different. Today Dolly was all about her TTouch session and was very happy to play by my rules. :-)

After Dolly I had the opportunity to work with Natasha. She is a year old pit bull mix and as precious as they come.

Natasha

Her picture is a little funny because she just wanted to sit in my lap and get touches. I couldn't get far enough away from her to get a decent shot. We had a nice session. She had been barking and was unsettled in her crate. I worked on her and she relaxed. Such a funny peanut. Anytime I asked her to sit she would sit on my lap! Soon "medical" came for her as today was her "Spay Day". I was told someone was seriously looking at her yesterday. By the time I had gotten home she was no longer on the website. Looks like she has her new home. I'm happy she will not be a long-term resident like Dolly.

No shelter visit is complete without working on "My Alfie". He has been on my mind a lot this week. Maybe I feel our time is coming to an end soon. Alfie is one of those dogs, like Elektra and Duncan, that will always reside in my heart.

"My Alfie"

Buster is one of those dogs that really needs TTouch but I have trouble working with him. He is very wild and strong. 100% fool around. Because I'm not allowed to walk him, and I really don't want to, I worked with him in his out door enclosure. He isn't a bad dog....he is just a strong and unruly puppy. I tried my best but once again Buster got the better of me. Covered in mud from his jumping on me I gave up. What does one do with a boy like him? Must find out.

Buster

I was able to spend time with Sam today and was thrilled at how good his wounds are healing. His back is completely scabbed over and the hole has filled in. A week and a half ago we were looking at a huge infected hole left by a chunk of missing "Sam". The worst of the worst.....the inner back leg is also coming along nicely but obviously needs more time.

Soon he will be going into foster care. I'm not sure if the new foster home will welcome my assistance but it is offered.

Sam

Tomorrow I go talk to the surgeon about my upcoming shoulder surgery. I'm really torn about it because it needs to be done. If I'm to pursue working with dogs I need good arms to do it with. But the timing is just awful - I will be away from the shelter for quite some time while I heal and rehab. The other thing bothering me is the surgery interfering with my TTouch Training.

This time tomorrow I should have a better idea what is going to happen.