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In addition to our fab raffle prizes, we'll have some lovely merchandise on sale including our new T-shirts in GaDaH green (sizes S-XL) £12, Coffee Mugs £7, Doggy Bandana's £4 and Car Stickers £3 plus some Fish4Dogs treat bags. All to raise money for more abandoned dogs in need of our help. 
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 Please be sure to buy tickets at the start of our Give A Dog A Home UK dog walk THIS SATURDAY (3rd Oct), we are running a RAFFLE to raise money for abandoned dogs and there are 5 FABULOUS PRIZES plus each winner will also get the opportunity to name a dog being rescued by us this week from Pallady kill shelter, Romania.
For just £2 per strip (5 tickets per strip) - you could be winning one or all of the following!... Exclusive Artwork ('Dogs with sticks' - beautiful intricate pencil and ink work) kindly donated by Hannah Walker Art, Thurstons Preserves Hamper (Selected Chutney/Jam/Preserves), Confectionery Hamper (in time for Halloween Trick or Treating), Dog Treat Hamper (to soothe over fireworks night!) and a Fresh Fruit Hamper (not shown as being collected same morning - that's why it's called Fresh!)... Don't miss out!  This was our fourth visit and very different to our others temperature wise. Soaring heat in the 40s. I'm not know for coping well in heat so this was a challenge. Fortunately Kostas who helps S had the cleaning regime off to a T, so the majority of our time was spend socialising, lead training and cuddling dogs. This is a very important part of any volunteer visit. The daily work of cleaning leaves little time for these important tasks by S and helpers. These dogs just want cuddles and human attention. Releasing the puppies is quite a moment. All the younger dogs are kept in an area opposite the Orange House. Once it's time to clean their area, the gates are opened into the main run and out come the puppies. Best hold on to your hats! Out they come led by Spike, all wanting to greet you, it's a bit like a whirlwind as they jump and bark looking for attention. You might think,' I might sit save me from being bowled over' - hmmm not always the best idea as you are covered in squirming puppies. This is not your Battersea Dog Home with scrubbed cages and purpose built areas for exercise, this is a put together best as we can with the money we have, shelter by S and a group of volunteers. It's smelly without any mod cons. It has three falling to bits chairs, rats are frequently seen running around the open areas, so not a place for the faint hearted, but oh so rewarding. I remember well the first time I mentioned a visit to the shelter, Stuart's words to me 'you seriously want me to spend my holiday poo picking and swilling pens? Are you crazy?'. Well, guess what every visit since then has been at his suggestion and my suggested visit of once a year has changed to two . The sad dogs, the scared dogs get under your skin, you spend a week trying to get them to come to you and eventually you get that break through, the moment they take that treat from your hand or let you touch them. But then you have to leave, just as you made progress. It makes you want to return to continue the work. Fancy as we arrived was very unsure of humans, standing back as the others came forward for hugs. After a couple of hours with Susi, gently sitting talking to her, enticing her with treats you could see her start to come forward. Day two and Stuart was stroking and sitting with her. These are the things that make the visits so worthwhile. If you can do the smells and the occasional rat, a visit to the shelter is so rewarding. Stuart is already starting his plans to return, probably early next year, if work permits. MarySome of our foster dogs and adopted dogs, took part in Etchingham's Flower and Dog Show. These included, Evie I, Evie II, Morgan, River, Lula, Rocky and Sam to say a few. Rocky picked up a second place in the best puppy category, with his sister River, collecting a Highly Recommend rosette in the same class. Evie I, also collected a Highly Commended rosette, for dog with the loveliest eyes. Well done to all who participated.  Fundraising dog walk held twice a year with all proceeds going to Give A Dog A Home UK (Rescuing Abandoned Dogs).
Entry £5 per dog or can be done as a sponsored walk (email [email protected] for a sponsorship form). Additionally an opportunity to meet Give A Dog A Home UK volunteers and fostered or adopted rescue dogs. We will have a stall table set up (usually in the lower car park) with information and merchandise. We usually request dogs are kept on lead for the walk and that you of course pick up after your dog. There is a dog waste bin at the start of the walk (next to the gate which takes you onto the walk from the lower car park - it is situated on the edge of the adjoining field behind a hedge very close by!) BEACH WALK TRAIL DETAILS It is a relatively easy, flat walk to the beach and back via the easy access trail (approx 1-1.5hrs at gentle pace). View at http://www.sevensisters.org.uk/content/page/779/SSCP_leaflet.pdf HOW TO GET THERE The Seven Sisters Country Park is situated at Exceat on the A259. The car park is pay and display. Trains leave London Victoria for Lewes, where you change for Seaford. From Seaford take the number 12, 12A or 13 bus. MORE INFORMATION Go to http://www.sevensisters.org.uk/  One rainy day in July, sitting on my kitchen floor surrounded by 10 dogs all with bandages around their midriffs, you might have been forgiven for thinking you’d happened upon a first aid course where human volunteers were in short supply!
In fact, I was hosting a Tellington TTouch workshop for Give A Dog A Home Fosterers conducted by Ttouch Practitioner Toni Shelbourne and we were learning about the merits of ‘body wraps’ (more about this later). Tellington TTouch is a unique way of working with animals to help them overcome health and behavioural issues. It comprises both Body Work and Ground Work, the former involving touches such as Circles, Slides and Lifts (a type of doggy massage to the uninitiated!), the latter leading dogs through patterns of poles laid on the ground; over low raised boards and see saws and over different textures to help to improve proprioception* (yes I had to look that one up too!), focus and balance. As torrential rain had descended that day, we focused on the Body Work and a whole arsenal of tools and techniques aimed at reducing anxiety in nervous and fearful dogs in particular. The circular Ttouches are the foundation of the Ttouch technique and are referred to rather mysteriously as the ‘Clouded Leopard’ Ttouch; it transpires that the majority of the Ttouches have been given names of various animals so as the day passed we became familiar with Noah’s March, Zebra, Raccoon and the aforementioned Clouded Leopard plus the more straightforwardly named Ear, Mouth and Tail Ttouches. Ttouch recognizes there is an inextricable link between posture and behaviour and by identifying and releasing tension held in the body can enable dogs to enter a learning state and has been used extensively in the rehabilitation of rescue animals. Ttouch uses a variety of specialist tools including the aforementioned ‘Body wrap’. Body wraps are being used on dogs to bring awareness to their body and away from the source of any fear they experience which could be fireworks or thunder for example. The sense of security given by the wrap also brings confidence, allowing them to release habitual responses and behavioural patterns, allowing them to observe the world around them and respond rather than react to stimuli. For me, one of the most insightful parts of the workshop was the introduction of different textures for Ttouch i.e. fluffy make up / paint brush, sponges, mittens etc which nervous dogs will often accept ahead of any human touch and can be an extension of ones hand in preparation for a dog to be petted or handled. I will never forget the look on the face of one of the attending dogs when he felt the soft bristles of the brush on his face; his taut anxious expression immediately dropped and gave way to the most beautiful expression, one of utter contentment. A very worthwhile day for anyone interested in, owns or works with dogs and highly beneficial for Give A Dog A Home UK. *Proprioception, for those that want to know, is the sense of the relative position of neighbouring parts of the body and strength of effort being employed in movement. For more information on Ttouch and available workshops near to you, please see the following links, the first is a general link and the latter are specifically for Toni Shelbourne and references Ttouch plus her experience and book working with Wolves! Web Address: http://www.ttouchtteam.org.uk (General) Web Address: http://www.tellingtontouch.co.uk (Toni Shelbourne) Facebook: The Truth about Wolves & Dogs Twitter: @tonishelbourne YouTube: The Truth about Wolves & Dogs www.naturallyhappydogs.com/tonishelbourne Toni’s book The Truth about Wolves & Dogs is available direct from www.hubbleandhattie.com or all good online book stores Web Address: www.tonishelbourneandkarenbush.jimdo.com (Co authors Toni Shelbourne and Karen Bush) |
