It is the first night of TTouch and as I watch all the dogs and their partners coming into the training facility, I can’t help but think “Wow, what a great mix of dogs and behaviors we are going to get to work with!” We have dogs that come in barking and lunging at other dogs, we have a dog that is very sound sensitive, to even the softest clicker, and was at the point of not wanting to enter the training facility for training and we have a dog that whines and pulls playfully towards other dogs. What do you do with a class of dogs that are so full of stress and anxiety?
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We began to learn patterns of circular movements and lifts that we used all over our dog’s body. It looks a little bit like massage but the intent of TTouch is to work at the cellular level to increase an animal's awareness and enhance his or her ability to learn and focus. Basically, by using light pressure and moving or rolling the skin in a circular pattern we are developing new sensory paths to the nervous system which helps release muscle tension and improves body awareness, coordination and focus. We learned how to help the dogs walk in balance with new leash techniques which helped the dogs concentrate on what they were doing instead of lunging and barking at the other dogs.
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The first week I watched the teams learn a new touch, some of the dogs relaxed and enjoyed it, while other dogs became a little uncomfortable, not sure what was happening to them. However, as the weeks progressed and the teams practiced at home, the dogs began to come into class a little quieter and more relaxed. I am not saying that all the barking had stopped but there was less of it, and when they did bark, the owners could get the dogs to quiet down much faster. Even the dog that was afraid of the building began to walk in more confident and happy to see everyone. Now some might say that after 6 weeks the dogs just got used to being around each other. However, I have spent several months with these dogs prior to TTouch working on curbing some of these behaviors, and while we have made some baby steps toward getting the behavior that we desire, during the TTouch course I saw new, positive behavior that put us another step closer to our goal behavior.
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This is a great program that I would love for all of my clients to experience. TTouch has holistic advantages also. The body wraps are helpful for hip and elbow dysplasia, arthritis, and injury rehab. I am trying this for Glacier’s hip dysplasia and Dodger’s back injury. Another benefit is spending time alone with your dog while practicing TTouch. You are not only helping your dog relieve stress but you are allowing your dog to focus on you and you are focusing on your dog. This is a great exercise to do with your companion before going for that walk. Isn’t focus what we want on a walk? Aren’t we always battling those over the top distractions that cause your dog to bark and pull? Wouldn’t it be great if your dog was totally about you even before you left your house? TTouch is another avenue to achieve this. The answer to "TTouch or Not TTouch" is a resounding YES to TTouch! Watch our website for our upcoming TTouch workshop; we are looking forward to helping you build that special bond with your companion!
Congrats to the graduates of our first TTouch class and THANK YOU Victoria for a job well done!
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| Chris and Happy |
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| Debbie and Luke |
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| Lynda and Keegan |
Congrats also to Jamie and Becky with Cooper. We missed you at graduation!
