In March 2007, I met Martini, a Boxer/Pit Bull Terrier mix at Animal Ark Shelter in Hastings, WI. My partner from Tellington TTouch® training and I saw Martini bouncing against the kennel gate and barking excitedly. She showed the pet problems of the dog shelter including problem barking dog. This could delay her adoption. When we took her out of the kennel, she dragged my partner across the floor as I tried to keep up. We used the TTouch® method on her for an hour on two different days. The second day she sat calmly as we approached her kennel. When we left, I told her she would find a forever home soon.
When we came back in July 2007, Martini was still there. I walked into her kennel and she sat. She seemed to remember me. This time I had another TTouch partner. We walked her outside and worked with Martini’s pulling and let her learn about her surroundings. As we left, I told her to sit calmly when people come and soon she would have a forever home. I decided I would go back to visit her within the month. The next morning the TTouch instructor received this e-mail:
“I’m a dog walker at Animal Ark on Thursdays. My dogs of choice? The ones who other volunteers don’t usually walk.
Today, they were different dogs. . . . Buster and Martini, who are usually pretty crazed at the beginning of our walks, were beautiful, peaceful little kids who showed that someone gave them so much love – they were able to love themselves.
Usually the toughest of all to walk [is] Martini. She stood around. She did not pull once. Her little head and ears were up. This never happened with her. She knew her beauty.
Today, I walked these two dogs with a collar, harness, two leashes and an Ace [body wrap] around them.
This is a joy. I was ecstatic.
Mickey Short”
A few weeks later I e-mailed Mickey about Martini. This is her response:
” . . .And to add to that story, very shortly after your marvelous work with Martini [the dog], she was adopted. I believe that, with all of us working with her to release that scared little kid inside, she “got it” and she wanted to keep it.
Hopefully, her new home will be full of laughter. She needed tenderness, TTouch, and giggles.
I’m a believer [in TTouch®].”
TTouch® continues to change the behavior of shelter dogs and other dogs to make them wonderful pets!
