Elvis

Elvis at 1 yr of age

Elvis is my own "uber-hound" of exceptional size. He is a Treeing Walker Coonhound, weighing in at 125 pounds, give or take. When we think of dogs growing exceptionally fast, he is it. If growth made noise, it would have been a spectacular and noisy first year for him! Elvis is now 7 years old and diabetic. He has issues with feeling comfortable in his own body, tension, and sensitivity around his rear as well as his feet. I have not been able to trim his toenails since puppyhood (the vet does it); and I am reluctant to walk him due to his size and the danger of pulling which would damage my hands. He is at his core, a very sweet, cuddly animal who enjoys all creatures.

His first session (Sept. 25) with Ttouch was brief, but more so than he'd tolerated in the past. After a few hours of letting him process the Ttouch, I had another session (the same day) with him where I used a body wrap and balance lead configuration to go on a walk around the yard. He responded favorably to this experience, relaxing within a matter of minutes and walking calmly.

A week later (Saturday Oct. 2), we had another Ttouch session. This time Elvis calmed considerably and relaxed at a deeper level than I've ever seen. Our Ttouch session included mouth work, and increased comfort and acceptance of Ttouches on his hindquarters. The next day (yesterday), I applied a body wrap, harness & balance lead while we did some ground work in the driveway. He negotiated the labyrinth, ladder and star with increased comfort and ability during each pass....in between the obstacles we would take a walk where he would smile, shake, lick and yawn. By the end of the session he was quite relaxed and walking on a loose lead with confidence and balance.

So far I've observed an increased comfort and relaxation on Elvis's part. He is more relaxed about having his posterior handled. He is more relaxed with having his legs & feet handled. His fidgets while being petted are all but gone completely. His gate involves his whole body now....the rear end is no longer "just along for the ride".