Alexstory

Alex is success story. He was a very beautiful, but very shy show dog who couldn't be shown and who couldn't leave the house because of his fear of strange places. I tried everything, from rescue remedy (Bach flower essences) to different trainers all telling me I was not being "boss" or "alpha" enough. I was supposed to demand that he stand for exam! Not only didn't it work., it made matters worse.

As a last resort, and I really do mean last resort, I contacted Pam Wanveer, a "Tellington Touch" practitioner located in Silver Spring, Maryland. We scheduled our first visit in March 2001. That first visit lasted about 20 minutes because Pam didn't want to overtire Alex, but even in that short time I knew I had come to the right place. Her backyard was lovely, with mature trees and spring flowers blooming. It was so peaceful and Pam so quiet and positive, that I knew, just felt, that everything would be okay.

Over the next few months we visited four more times. One day we did nothing but the touches, one day we did the body wrap and obstacle course after the touches, one day we did standing on a table having each leg lifted in turn. On our last visit, Alex marched over a ladder that had been stretched along the ground and it was one of the happiest moments of my life! He was so confident and so proud of himself that you could feel his accomplishment. Pam showed me how to continue building Alex's confidence with the touches and with the use of calming signals, how to accept them from your dog and how to give them in return. It was and still is an education.

Alex has since gone on to a winning show career, easily finishing his championship. More than that, he is a happy well-adjusted pet. We owe it all to Pam and Linda Tellington Jones and "T" Touch.

We were approached by acclaimed author Deborah Wood who interviewed us for an article to be titled "Terrified To Terrific." Read Alex's story and more about shy show dogs in the April 2003 AKC Gazette.