The growl that almost killed....

Wow, there is a lot to be said about Zorro and the love of a few good women that stood by his side and fought for his life! I'm honored to have the opportunity to work with him.

Talk about a misunderstood boy! Zorro could be the poster child for misunderstood boys. Not only was he misunderstood but he was also a victim of both people and circumstances.

Someone cut off his ears right before he arrived at the shelter! Can you imagine! More than likely he was being prepared for a career in fighting. This tactic is used so other dogs can't grab the ears. Can't grab and bite what isn't there! Ugh. People like this destroy my faith in mankind...they really aren't that "kind" sometimes.

After he arrived at the shelter he was neutered and it didn't go well. Burst stitches and infection were next to plague Zorro. Long story short Zorro growled at the wrong person one day and was removed from public view. A well fought battle saved Zorro from being euthanized but he was no longer welcome to stay where he was.

Does this look like a bad boy to you???

I'm amazed that anyone had to fight for this dog's right to live a happy life.
All because he vocalized that he was uncomfortable with a situation.

I'm gonna hop up on a soap box now and say my peace about growling.
FOLKS please don't forbid or condemn a dog for growling!! Think about it for a moment...how else can a dog tell us he isn't happy? Sure there are facial expressions and body language they try to tell us with...but if we aren't "listening" and we don't get it....they need to growl. If that is taken away from them then they have lost a valuable communication tool and they have no choice other than to bite. If we teach a dog not to growl we are, in effect, teaching them to bite.
Okay, getting down from my box now...

Thankfully there are groups like "just a dog" rescue. They specialize in boys like him and he was whisked away to private foster care where he is learning what toys and chewies are for. He has a pretty good appreciation for a tennis ball and a wading pool.

Zorro is getting training and socialization at school on Saturdays and I hear he is a fast learner. But his Foster family wondered if there was something more that TTouch could give him.

Today we had our first session. Zorro is quite the high energy boy! We improvised some course work and weaved in and around plants and navigated stairs and had all sorts of fun. I found out first hand what a quick learner Zorro is! Talk about some serious leash manners. I was impressed.

Our plan for Zorro is to teach him to slow down and smell the flowers...and to enjoy belly rubs . Soon we will set up a full size course and watch him really come into his own!

He is such a lovable boy and he is really making the most of his 2nd chance. People that fight for dogs like Zorro - and rescue groups like "just a dog" that welcome them with open arms - restore my faith in mankind.