My Ultimate Challenge

Iggy is a dog with a sorted past - through no fault of his own. Iggy is one of the many Pit Bulls that suffered abuse and violence at Michael Vicks dog fighting compound - all in the name of "sport".

I prepared by watching a video of him and talking with Kathy who worked on Alf, who had similar fear issues as Iggy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bxdg2RPdgQ

I double dog dare ya to watch this video with dry eyes. Kathy is a hero in every sense of the word and I'm blessed that she was my first TTouch Instructor in Portland, Or (March, 2009). What an inspiration her work with Alf is to me. Not only is it an inspiration but she is such a valuable resource for me as I move forward with Iggy.

Back to Iggy......

Knowing he is VERY fearful I armed myself with a ton of tuna fudge, loaded my TTouch suit case with my typical stuff all the while not expecting to use any of it....and my new client folder. My plan was to ignore Iggy and talk with his foster Mom who runs a Pit Bull rescue in San Diego called "just a dog".

We agreed to have Iggy in the back yard where he is most comfortable and able to have lots a room to be as far away from me as he wanted. Nicole and I sat on towels on the grass and reviewed all the info in the folder. Iggy would come close to me an look. I'd ignore him and continue talking with Nicole and toss a treat his direction without looking at him. Within 2-3 minutes he came and sat by me but I still didn't look. He was taking treats from my hand and then would run away.

It wasn't long before I could look at him with soft eyes, offer calming signals and talk to him a little. He would run away and sit under a tree and gather his wits enough to come back. Never making a big deal of him either leaving or joining me. LOTS of treats.

Eventually I decided to teach him "Touch". If he touched my left hand with his nose he got treats out of my right. He thought this was a fun game. During this time Nicole and I talked about my background, her background...her visit to Virginia to help with the Vick dogs...best friends...You name it and we talked about it. Treating Iggy from time to time and him getting braver and braver with me.

Nicole also runs a Pit Bull socialization class and she was asking how to dogs off a prong collar. So we talked about the options for that and decided my next visit I'll demo how I would approach that with the participation and permission of one of her other Pits. We will let Iggy watch and see nothing bad happens. Maybe it will have a positive impact on him.

Eventually Iggy allowed me to do TTouch on his face, ears, head and slowly over his body using the back of my hand. I wondered if he was standing still cuz he liked it or because he was afraid and thought he couldn't leave. So I stopped and talked to Nicole more. Iggy moved in closer to me. I did more touches letting him process from time to time. I was able to do Python Lifts on his legs and little Raccoons on his foot and the bottom of his foot. With that I ended the session with some fun and light Zig Zag touches on his body....I left him while he still wanted more.

Nicole is totally excited about my reaching him and we will get together again next Friday. I have the day off so I'll go over early in the morning so we can take as long as we want and work with all her dogs.

I was amazed that she was as excited about the session as I was and just as excited to be working with me as I was her.

Nope, I didn't get any pictures of him. It wasn't the right thing to do since he is so fearful. It will be a happy day when I can post a few pictures of him because that means he isn't terrified of a camera! Iggy is so fearful that he ran and hid when when Nicole went outside and had a pen in her hand....it was different and different terrifies him. It would have been totally disrespectful to whip out my camera and start shooting pictures.

We will get there.....we will take it very slow and let him watch while we do more advance things with some of his doggie buddies.

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.

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!

Ear Surgery Needed for Sarah

Let me start by apologizing. I never ask for anything like this but Sarah needs help.

This is Sarah and she is at the Escondido Humane Society. She came into the shelter as a stray on September 18th. Sarah is 7 years old and she is battling a chronic ear condition since the moment she got there. Sarah must have come from a place where no one cared for her. She probably has had ear problems her whole life and it has never been taken care of.

She needs expensive surgery on both her ears. There is a surgery that can be done that will allow her to enjoy her life pain free. Problem is the quote from the Vet is $2,500. The shelter cannot afford this amount for one animal and the volunteers are trying their very best to raise the funds to give Sarah a new lease on life. She is such a sweet and loving girl in spite of her pain.

I have created a "Chip-In" site to benefit her. Through my friends at work and online I'd like to raise $1,000 toward her surgery. Once she has her surgery I can help her recouperate using TTouch!

http://painfreesarah.chipin.com/sarahs-ear-surgery Sorry the page isn't pretty but I don't know how to do that and I just wanted to get the word out about Sarah. BTW, Paypal won't let me donate to the site I created. Rest assured my check is in a pile of those I've collected from my office friends!

Please feel free to cross post with other groups that might be willing to help Sarah.

Thanks and I promise not to make a habit of doing this!

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 Step in the Right Direction

Lots has happened since my last post.

I attended my 3rd round of training in North Carolina with Edie Jane. What an amazing woman she is. I love her attention to detail and her way of explaining things. You can bet I'll be taking another session with her before I graduate!




Two friends from FBRN took the classes with me and I got to stay at the home of another. It was a great week on many levels.

This is Journey. She belongs to my friend Peggy and she is a show girl. Seems Journey has trouble eating when away from home and by the 3rd day of refusing food Peggy was seriously thinking of leaving class and taking Journey home.



At the beginning of class I asked if I could work on her. I did mouth work, belly lifts and put a body wrap on her. It was just what Journey needed to get eating again! I hand fed her deli Turkey and then she enjoyed some tofu for lunch! Journey continued to eat normally for the rest of the trip.

After class one night Sandy's sister, Deb came over and asked me to work on Mishka. Mishka is a beautiful 3 yr old Samoyed Husky. Seems Mishka has trouble with her tummy and the vets are not quite sure what has been going on with her this past year or so. She tends to vomit several hours after a meal. IBD is one thing they have considered.



I was happy to see if TTouch would help her and I did some touches, belly lifts and put her in a wrap. Last I heard Mishka was doing great.

This is Summer! Summer is the sweetest little French Bulldog you could hope to meet. She is very shy and spent her early years in a puppy mill making babies. It was my pleasure to show Summer that not all people want something from her. Some of us just want her to feel good and loved!



I flew home on a Tuesday and went back to work Wednesday and Thursday and then went in for shoulder surgery on Friday, October 9th! Talk about a busy week!!

Everything went fantastic with the surgery. I was still under the "block" when I began doing Raccoon touches to my shoulder and arm.



I never have had any real pain and quickly backed off the heavy narcotic pain pills to something much lighter. I've also been very good about doing my stretches.

Today I had my 1 week check up and got my stitches out. My Doctor was amazed at my lack of pain and the range of motion that I have already regained!



I'm even able to put my arm behind my back and that is very unusual for this point in the game.



Tomorrow I begin my official Physical Therapy and will drive there by myself!

I'm on a mission.....there isn't time to sit around in pain with an arm that won't work. I have things to do! There are shelter animals waiting for love and attention and there are case studies to do! After all, I plan on taking my 4th round of training in early Spring! No time for moss to grow under these feet :-)

BTW, did I mention I'm 1/2 way finished with my certification program?