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Yorkie TimesYTNR Logo
Newsletter for Yorkie Rescue






September, 2010
In This Issue
Sausha
Sausha 5 years later
Mary Margaret
Gift for Tinker
Donor Recognition
Tellington Touch
Rick Caran
Bill Wynne
Join Our Mailing List!
Quick Links
ytnr@yorkierescue.com

Editor
Julie Gedro

Consulting Editor
Mary Elizabeth Dugmore

Technical Editors
Laura Morrisey, Chris Dugmore
Letter from the Editor
Julie GedroJulie Gedro

Hello Yorkie Fans!

This weekend marks the end of Summer and the Gedro boyz and I wish everyone a fabulous Labor Day, and beginning of September. As I write this, there tongues are hanging out because it is hot and humid in the Fingerlakes. Reminiscent of those hot Atlanta nights.
I'm thinking about seasons, and how they mark our lives. The Summer is generally a time of fun, beach, frivolity, vacation, travel. Fall is when thoughts turn to more serious pursuits, such as school. Winter is -particularly up here where I live-a time of bundling up, enjoying the snow, and having to attend to more intense weather considerations. Spring starts the cycle of renewal all over again. The Byrds sang a song "Turn, Turn, Turn" (which takes the lyrics, actually, from the Book of Ecclesiastes) that says to everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven. I find the message comforting and sense-making. There is a time and a purpose for everything. There is a time to build up and a time to break down. A time to dance, and a time to mourn. We observe markers of seasons in Yorkie Rescue when we share with our friends on the email list that a Yorkie has gone to the Rainbow Bridge, and we also celebrate rescues, adoptions, and anniversaries. These are all parts of the seasons of life. Some are unpleasant. Some are exhilarating. Life in Yorkie Rescue is sweetened by the experiences that we share with each other, and heartache somehow doesn't weigh so heavy when it is shared among caring, understanding and compassionate friends. Folks at school and in the neighborhood shake their heads at me at times and comment that they don't know "how I do it" - particularly when one of my Yorkies passes. My response is standard. Yorkies are part of my world. I know, every time that when I let myself get attached, I am automatically signing up for a lifetime of unknown duration of fun, affection, and deep bonding. Along with that agreement, however, is the certainty that the physical form will, because of the impermanence of earthly life, perish.
Part of the seasons. They come, and then they pass. I just saw a feather on the sidewalk today, which is my symbol for Max (1998-2007). His spirit is always with me.
Have a peaceful, pleasant September everyone, and enjoy the Newsletter. There is, I think, some awesome content this month.
We have a tremendous organization and a noble cause.
Sausha
by Patricia Johnson

Our first Yorkie was an independent little cuss named Sparky who came to live with us in 1982. His son Bruno joined him in 1988. Sparky died in 1998 and Bruno died in 2004. My husband Norm and I both said we never wanted to go through the heartbreak of loss again. And yet deep in my heart I couldn't imagine life without a Yorkie.
I joined a couple of Yorkie groups online in 2004 and enjoyed hearing sharing my memories of Sparky and Bruno as I got to know many people who were as Yorkie-obsessed as I was. Enter Yorkshire Terrier National Rescue. A foster mom who knew of us and our empty home had just rescued a very sweet little 9 year old Yorkie named Sausha. She had been surrendered so she could have surgery for a wicked bladder stone. When she was ready to go to her forever home, the foster mom thought of us. As soon as Norm agreed to meet them, I knew it was going to work.
Our meeting took place less than two weeks before Christmas, and we were feeling festive. When I saw our guests park in front of our house, I opened the front door just in time to see Sausha trotting along the sidewalk without a leash! She turned into our driveway and pranced into the house as if she owned it. It was instant love. Sausha seemed to know she was "home," helping herself to the waterbowl and a comfortable chair. Perhaps she guessed that the pillow she cuddled up to was decorated with the image of Bruno's smiling face. Since then, Sausha has let us know how beautifully she was trained and how gently she was treated. She loves men, women and children, but takes time to warm up to other dogs.
She is a good natured girl who goes along with everything we want to do but at the same time she has subtly trained us to obey her every wish. She is approaching her 13th birthday this year and, thankfully, she is still very active, playful, healthy and very beautiful -- what more could we ask?
Sausha 5 years later

Every time I read a story about Sausha who is a YTNR rescue I have to smile, somehow I find reassuring meaning in the work we are doing on a daily basis.
Norm and Patricia Johnson adopted Sausha just before Christmas in 2006. I started looking for some of the details of her life in the Johnson's home and did a search on Sausha in Pat's YorkieAdventures yahoo group. The results told me that there were over 5000 posts about Sausha and I needed to modify my search. That is pretty impressive in itself! 5000 posts on Sausha in 5 years! Incredible.

I inched my way back through 86500+ emails archived to December of 2006 where Pat has a Big Announcement! "If my Christmas cards are late, this is why....
Sausha Xmas
She's come to live at our house--9 years old and 8 lbs of sweetness. Norm is in love -- he's a big sap.


Norm with Sausha

There was a flurry of congratulations and questions from her friends that were followed with this from Pat, "no one is completely sure, but she ended up in a shelter because she needed expensive surgery to remove bladder stones. Beverly Edmonds, a rescuer, pulled her from the shelter the night before she was to be PTS!! She has had her surgery, recovered beautifully, and is just a very sweet lady. Her story is sad, but the rest of it is going to be wonderful for her, we will see to it that.


Patricia with Sausha

There have been so many love filled stories shared about Sausha since I first joined Pat's forum that I wanted to share this very happy ending for Sausha and her Forever Home. Pat and Norm you are the perfect example of the kind of love and forever homes that our volunteers are looking for when we are placing these darling little yorkies. Thank you for being there for Sausha and thank you for your never ending love for her.


Norm, Pat and Sausha here

www.YorkieRescue.com

Neeko's Joke
Neeko and friendWhen the mother returned from the grocery store, her small son pulled out the box of animal crackers he had begged for. Then he spread the animal-shaped crackers all over the kitchen counter.

"What are you doing?" his mom asked.

"The box says you can't eat them if the seal is broken," the boy explained. "I'm looking for the seal."
Mary Margaret -Squirrel = 1; Cailin = 0 (Referee = MMOB)
Mary Margaret
Mary-Margaret O'Brien

Yesterday afternoon when we got home from Target, after we put the groceries away (I supervised), Cailin took me for a before-dinner walk. We go out our back slider and go west across our back yard and then north toward the street. About half-way down our side yard (which is a grassy slope) there's a retaining "wall" made out of boulders and rocks. I'm intrigued. There always sounds like there's a party going on in there and I would like to see what's happening.

We get closer to the rocks and I hear a little scream. Aaaack. There's a baby squirrel in the grass and Cailin accidently stepped on him. I try to talk to the little thing and it's pretty darn mad. As it's telling me exactly how it feels about the situation, Cailin thinks I'm in danger and tries to shoo the squirrel away. The squirrel is highly offended at her gesture and, instead of backing off like a good squirrel, it charges at me.

What the heck? (I say) I back up a bit and Cailin waves her hand at it again for it to back up and leave ME alone. That did it for the squirrel. It said "You are NOT the boss of me!" and nipped Cailin on the pointer finger. "YOW!", she said and we walked quickly back to the house.

We got my mom (Cailin's grandma) and went back to see if the squirrel was still there but it was gone. Then my mom starts trying to find an Urgent Care around here and I guess people don't get hurt a whole lot in this county, or if they do they can take a 30 mile drive to Reading for treatment. Then my mom calls Cailin's mom, my Auntie "C", and she calls Cailin's "primary care provider". Remember when they used to be called "doctors"?? Anyway, he says to wash it really good with soap and water, and put a band-aid on it. Mom added some Neo-sporin, too. He says to watch it for redness or swelling for the next couple of days.

By bedtime last night it had stopped hurting and Cailin even sort of forgot about her brief encounter with nature. On the bright side, I suppose we should be grateful that it was only a small squirrel and not the bear that Matt saw in his yard a few days ago.

Today I'm staying home by myself for a few hours while Mom and Cailin go down into a coal mine in Ashland, PA. I was hoping I might go but some places are definitely not for me.
Gift for Tinker
Dear Ms Ellie,
My mama told me I could send this letter to you and you would be sure Miss Ellie received it. Guess what? I got my first gift this morning! It was a beautiful blanket just for me. I liked it sooo much I jumped on it and laid down for a nap. But then my mama took a picture and I had to wake up. I'm going to send you the pictures my mama took of me. You can tell, I just went to the beauty shop and they put a bow in my hair. Don't they know I'm a boy!!
Anyway, I REALLY like it here. I have friends to play with, a great big bed to sleep in with mom and dad, a yard to romp around in, and I even get to go places with mom and dad. I have already been out to breakfast with them, and to the pet store. I really like going there because I get treats and lots of attention. People say I am really cute. Something about my eyes or something. My parents are taking me shopping today as soon as my foster sister gets home from the hospital. She is real sick and I am worried about her.
I just wanted you to know that I am the happiest I have ever been in my new forever home, and I want to thank you Ms Corrine, for letting me stay here. My mom and dad say I am the best thing that has ever happened to them.
Love,
Tinker Wolfe
Special Thanks to this months Donors
We couldn't do it without you...

Meet Brooklyn she came to YTNR April 6, 2009 at 1 year of age. She had already been in 2 homes, neither family wanted her because they could not potty break her. Brooklyn was in foster for a little over a month before she was adopted to another family. About 1 month after her adoption Avid called and said Brooklyn was in a shelter. We called the adopting family and were told they gave her to another family because it was not working out. We contacted the person who she was given to and she said she didn't want her; so she came back to another YTNR foster home. Brooklyn was still not potty trained but was showing progress in her foster home.

In July of 2009 she was adopted to another family. They knew of the problem with potty training, and that she had been in several homes because of it, and they knew we wanted this placement to be permanent. We were told she had a home no matter what.

In August we got a call from the last family who adopted Brooklyn wanting to give her back to YTNR because they could not potty break her and were tried of cleaning up after her. While in this home Brooklyn was treated for urinary track infections several times, in March of this year their vet suggested a bile acid test that was never given. The vet had found crystals in her urine, she was put on special food. YTNR took her back and this time we sent her blood test results to Dr Tobias at University of Tennessee (UT) and she advised that we run a pre and post bile acids test on her. Both pre and post numbers were over 200 +. She is scheduled for surgery at the UT on September 7th.

Brooklyn is 2 years old now; we need your help so Brooklyn can have her surgery and finally get the forever home she deserves.

Terry Martin
Carlyn Clement
Mary Schmidt
Kathryn Schuller
Karen Simone
Helen Marlowe
Rosemarie Cunningham
Lisa Bridgewater


August Donations
Carla York
Mario Dominguez
Betty Frenkiewicz
MaryJane Hoisington
Shelly Wonders
Donald Scott, in loving memory of our Natalie
Dawn Dickenson
Sharon Hansen
Jackie Wolfe
Hector Lopez
Kimela & Gregory Shealy
Mark Walters

The Yorkshire Terrier National Rescue Inc. is run solely on private donations and fund raising efforts made by people like you who love this Breed. We appreciate your support
Yorkshire Terrier National Rescue Donations
We are a 501 (c) (3) organization, your donation is 100% tax deductible.

Tellington Touch

The limbic system is a part of the brain that supports emotion, behavior, long term memory, sense of smell, learning and more. It is the source of instinctual behaviors, including the fight or flight response to intense stress. The limbic system is where emotion connects with memory, which can strongly influence behavior.
Say, for example, a dog is walking calmly down a hall, passing open doors on the way. Suddenly, without warning, a loud, angry person runs out a door into the hall, accidentally kicking the dog in the process.. The dog is startled, probably frightened, and also hurt. Next time he walks down the hall, the dog may remember that particular door as dangerous, and do everything possible to avoid passing the door. That behavior may even extend to other doors, or, in an extreme case, all doors.

Tellington Ttouch works with the entire nervous system to support change by releasing negative energy on a cellular level. TT creators and practitioners "knew" for years something like that was happening, but couldn't say how or why. Then, in 1999, that dynamic was scientifically explained and validated by studies reported in the book Molecules of Emotion: The Science Behind Mind-Body Medicine by Candace B. Pert.

Over time it's become clear that Ttouching the lips and inside the mouth specifically influences the limbic system. That means Mouth Ttouch is helpful for fearful, stressed, nervous, and hyperactive dogs. It's also helpful for barkers, and has often enabled dog aggressive animals change their behavior for the better. In the example above, Mouth Ttouch may erase the negative memory associated with the door, and allow the dog to walk comfortably by that door, and all doors.

TTOUCHING YOUR DOG'S MOUTH

You'll want clean hands with smooth fingernails for this Ttouch. Animals, like humans, sometimes have 'cotton mouth', and rubbing a finger over dry gums does not feel good. I have a small bowl of water within reach to wet my fingers if needed. As always, breathe deeply, exhale through the bottoms of your feet to help ground yourself. Focus on your dog. As you Ttouch, bring your attention to your fingers, see what they tell you about your dog. Imagine your Ttouches are turning on lights in your dog's cells. Smile.

Hold your dog on your lap or at your side so you can comfortably put one hand on each side of his face. You can also be at the dog's shoulder, hooking one thumb in her collar if needed to contain her. Gently support the dog's head with one hand, and use the fingertips of the other hand to make small, light clockwise circles all over the dog's lips and chin.

Next, gently slip your thumb under the lip and do circular Ttouches on the gums. With Yorkies and other small dogs, I sometimes use my little finger for this. I've also used a wet Q Tip when the dog's mouth was too small, or too tight, for my finger. Your dog may resist at first, but most dogs quickly grow to enjoy this experience. As a dog becomes more accepting, I give the lips a gentle stretch, and may tap on the tongue briefly, and on the roof of the mouth.

Mouth Ttouch is not a specific form, but rather Raccoon Ttouch and and other small Ttouches discussed in previous columns. It can be tight inside a mouth, leaving little room for circles. When that's the case, be sure the mouth is wet, and rub lightly where you can, taking care to touch all the way back along the gums and inside the cheeks.

Keep your sessions short, and take a break every couple of minutes.. Notice how the lips feel in the beginning. Are they tight? Floppy? Is there any difference at the end of the session? Talking quietly as you work, giving lots of praise, helps the dog relax and keeps you breathing. We tend to hold our breath in stressful situations, including when we are first doing something new. Dogs will often mirror us by holding their own breath. Nobody's breathing, and the tension level is going up. Talking keeps us all breathing! I find praising the dog a lot keeps me in a positive frame of mind, which adds to the quality of the Ttouch session.

An interesting exploration is to Ttouch your own mouth. I've done considerable mouth work on myself, with very useful results. I do circles all over my gums and inside cheeks, and stretch my lips and cheeks every way I can. A few minutes of mouth Ttouching can change my mood, relax me, shift my perspective from grim to bright, and---- it feels really good!! We can all use TTouch to help ourselves and our animals in life enhancing ways.

Till next time,
Heart Hugs,

Penny Case
Guild Certified Tellington Ttouch Practitioner
star9fish@aol.com
Western New York Social Gathering
Danny and I were so happy to be part of one of these Western NY Dinner Party's at Mario's.
Left to right Mary and Charlie Schmidt, Dave and Diane Ross, Elaine Leshnower, MaryElizabeth,
Maria's mother, Rosa, Maria's husband, Jimmy, Maria Boyle and Dan Dugmore. Thanks to everyone for making us feel so welcome and so special. Western New York is beautiful and I hope to return some day to see more of it. Love....
Rick Caran and Jilli Dog
Rick
Hello All our wonderful YTNR family! Hope that you're summer has been great, and remember that even though the calendar says September, it's still SUMMER for a couple weeks!!! And Fall is a wonderful season too! Winter, is individual tastes! haha! (I am looking forward to trying out my new snow blower though!-)

We just returned from a Jilli Dog Mid West tour, with all three pups, and had a wonderful time. We traveled through Ohio, Chicago, and Indiana! We did some performances and did several party/seminars along the way! Some of them were word of mouth from parties that we were doing in the neighborhood! I love that! All that's necessary is a living room,some friends, and a couple hours!

We always try to do some therapy visits, which I love to do, and I swear that the dogs seem to love it too... I think all 'gentle' dogs have the capacity to do therapy visits. We will sometimes do a little show, but in reality, just walking around with a well behaved dog, visiting each person, is very appreciated by all! It always seems that when we greet each person, that many say "I used to have a dog"... which is where I got the theme for my children's book (Almost completed)...

Two Jilli Dog Public Appearances, COMING SOON!

"LONG ISLAND PET EXPO IN THE PARK": Sat and Sun, Sept 18-19... This is a wonderful event, joined wioth the Long Island Family Festival, right on the water in Babylon Township! Info, go to LI Pet Expo Page. http://www.horseandpetexpo.com/

"DOG DAYS AT OLD WESTBURY GARDENS", Sun, Oct 24 ... A wonderful show at this historic, beautiful estate!

I will fill you in on the rest of the trip, in the next newsletter, but I wanted to get this out before the deadline of the current issue!-)

Best regards and much love, Rick, Jilli Dog, Spidey Chi, and Ruby Dog!

Editor's Note: Rick, the deadline for the October Newsletter is September 20th.
Something Different

By Bill Wynne
Sadie is a new girl. Smoky Too wants to help. This notice will be posted later on my web site with a video of Deb Gatchell working with her fine trained Rafferty and Sadie. Raf and Sadie got along just wonderfully. No wonder, as Sadie loves everything and everybody.
I am proud to announce to everyone that my new Yorkie, Sadie has spent 28 days in Fort Wayne Indiana with Deb Gatchell a top trainer and member of the Yorkshire Terrier Club of America whom I originally met at a YTCA specialty some years ago. Although it would have been better to have Sadie stay longer with Deb, Sadie has been trained in record time in Obedience trials and several other aspects of training to assist me in my needs to train Sadie further for limited public appearances. At my age 88, it is most difficult to make the hundreds of bending overs one has to do in training a yorkie in obedience. I knew Sadie was trainable even though when I acquired her at 16 months she was a really a Lab puppy disguised in a Yorkie uniform . A lovable, sailing high flyer and tissue killer retrieving them from where they didn't exist. She was not house broken. Deb's diligent work shows so much in Sadie. Such training adds maturity and brings out a very personable wisdom from within a dog. Sadie, still equally spirited, is now controllable, and eager to please. I can't thank Deb enough. I asked Deb to relate her experience. For anyone considering professional training of their dogs I highly recommend Deb to help you bring out the best in your companion.
Bill Wynne
Here are Deb Gatchell's credentials.
I don't really have a "training school" or established business. Most people approach me after they have seen one of my dogs compete at a show or when they see one of my students show their dog. Several years ago I graduated from an Equestrian College where I majored in English riding. I loved training and showing in Dressage and carried that over into Freestyle Dance with Dogs. I trained several dogs in Obedience at the stables where I worked.
I got my first Yorkie in 1983, Huggy, and I trained him to an AKC UD. He was also the first Yorkie to attain a Utility Dog title in the United Kennel Club. Huggy was a WONDERFUL registered Therapy Dog. AKC hadn't started the UDX title yet so I retired him.
Raney was the third Yorkie to become a AKC Obedience Trial Champion (OTCH) and the first Yorkie OTCH to have Rally and Agility titles. He was the YTCA's Obedience Dog of the Year for Four years in a row. He was a top ranked Yorkie and Toy Breed dog in the rating systems for every year he showed including being the #2 Toy Breed in Obedience for 2004. He had multiple Yorkie Specialty, Toy Breed Specialty and All-Breed High in Trials and High Combines. He performed his Freestyle routine at four Yorkshire Terrier Roving National Specialties and he danced his heart out for me each and every time! Raney also loved Agility and had several titles in both AKC and UKC. He also excelled in the Rally ring.
Rafferty, who is Raney's great nephew, went High In Trial at a Yorkie Specialty his first time in the ring. He also went High In Trial at 4 All-Breed obedience trials at age 3. He also has Rally and Agility titles. He is currently training for the Open and Utility levels as well learning his Freestyle steps.
I have trained various breeds of dogs but I really enjoy working with the Toy Breeds in particular. I have a special fondness for Yorkies. I am always happy to help someone with their dog's behavior problems as well as training dogs and their people in Obedience, Rally, Agility or Freestyle. I can be contacted at DKG303@msn.com or 1-260-615-9853.