A friend works with rescue dogs. Her most recent foster dog spent many years in an outdoor kennel with his litter mate and was surrendered by their person. Morris was a very fearful dog. Now he was living separately from his litter mate – alone for the first time in four years. He cowered when he heard a loud noise, a voice was raised, or any sudden movement near him. Although he spent most of his life in the kennel, he wanted your attention all the time – a real Velcro dog. He put his paw on you, and followed you if you left a room.
To help Morris be more adoptable, I wanted to help him using Healing Touch for Animals® (HTA), an energy medicine similar to Reiki. When I started he was curled in a tight circle on the couch with his rear leg tucked way under his body. I knew I needed to gain his trust and help him relax. As I presented him essential oils, he licked his lips. Then I used a technique for unconditional love and expression of his true self. Morris relaxed and rested his head in my lap. Although I hadn’t planned to work on his past trauma, I decided he trusted me enough to release the trauma. As I worked with him, he relaxed. He moved from the couch to the floor. His breathing slowed and his eyes softened. Then he had a huge exhale with the release of the traumatic energy. Morris then rolled to his side and fell asleep. His Foster Mom never saw him lie on his side and relax! We walked out of the room and he continued to sleep – another first. When her dogs came into the room, he was wagging his tail more than ever before!
When I saw Morris four days later, he was relaxed and wagging his tail. He was content to sit four or five feet from his Foster Mom. He no longer needed to be in the same room as her. Others have commented he was a different dog than they saw before. I am so grateful I could help Morris live a better life!
