Tellington Touch

[Pippin's person]

I've been looking into the Tellington Touch technique and can't tell if this is something that really works on its principle OR if it's the case of a truly specialized technique that needs to be administered by a specialist to be effective (if it is actually effective).

 

There isn't a lot of detail about how to do it in the book I've seen or the stuff I've seen on-line, and so I can't figure out if it's something that you can learn on your own.

 

If you have experience with this technique, what do you see as the real benefits. What are the potential pitfalls? Did it work as you hoped it would?

[desertranger]

T-touch has gotten a lot of publicity over the years with little detail to accompany it. While I've used the parts I know on my dogs I don't find a difference between that and just giving them a belly rub or massage.

[juliepoudrier]

Robin,

I don't have experience, but back when Tellington Touch first became popular, I do know that people were offering clinics on the technique, which would imply that anyone could learn to do it. It may be that they don't give their "secrets" away in books and that you have to actually pay a certified (or whatever) Tellington person to learn it. I've never tried it so can't speak to whether it works.

 

J.

[timberviewfarm]

I have a book on how to administer this to horses. It works on some, not on others, I have used it alot on horses that are flighty or sensative to touch though i'm not an expert. Its a modified touch in certain places, in certain ways to achieve results. Almost like a light touch massage. I know nothing of it on dogs though.

[Ms.DaisyDuke]

Which book do you have or have seen? I have this one;

 

http://www.ttouch.com/shop/index.php?productID=171

 

and found it a pretty good instruction book, with diagrams on how you hand should be sitting on the animal, which touches work best for what issues etc.

 

There is one that I do on my reactive dogs ears that calms her quite a bit, don't remember which touch it is. I also used TTouch on my semi-feral foster dog. It helped him appreciate human touch in a very non-obtrusive way. That being said, I haven't used it enough to be really good at it. The book above gave me enough info to try various touches and the ones I've tried worked (helped) to one degree or another. If you have the time to train yourself, it's not something you need a professional for. It's more concentration on your part, to be calm, breath properly and to apply the right amount of pressure to the animal. Weather it works on every animal? Who knows, but I can guarantee you that they'll at least enjoy it. Who wouldn't like a massage?

 

When I have more time, I'm going to work on using it on my boys leg. It was mangled by a trap (pre-rescue) and is arthritic now. I'm hoping it will help a bit with the preventative measures I'm currently using.

[rushdoggie]

I'll tell you next week, I signed up for a 4 week class...I don't know that much about it but it sounded interesting.

[nancy in AZ]

In the past I've used it with good success on both horses and dogs under stressful conditions. I have a very old Tellington video on dogs, and I've seen one or two for horses. I don't use it with any regularity, but did learn the calming effects (both dogs and horses) of the ear stretch.

[Root Beer]

I was introduced to it at a short workshop and I have the book. Aside from the double leash exercise (which we use on dogs in my training classes sometimes), I've never found TTouch to do my dogs much good. I have no idea if that's because I'm not doing something important or if it is the practice itself.

 

I have done a lot with regular massage and gotten great results, but I just haven't gotten a handle on TTouch. I can't say I've really tried very hard to get a handle on it, though.

[mum24dog]

I was introduced to it at a short workshop and I have the book. Aside from the double leash exercise (which we use on dogs in my training classes sometimes), I've never found TTouch to do my dogs much good. I have no idea if that's because I'm not doing something important or if it is the practice itself.

 

I have done a lot with regular massage and gotten great results, but I just haven't gotten a handle on TTouch. I can't say I've really tried very hard to get a handle on it, though.

 

I've done a couple of workshops and can't say it's had any noticeable effect on any of my dogs, except the one that hated it.

 

Pam

[Bordercentrics]

I took a TTouch workshop a number of years ago given by a certified TTouch instructor. I mainly use it on frightened shelter dogs. Most of them calm right down when I do it. I have also seen it used successfully on an injured dog who immediately stopped limping after the TTouch treatment. I think there are some dogs that it will not help, just as there are some dog that cannot be massaged or have accupuncture. It is worth a try as it is non-invasive.

 

The book I have, which was recommended by the instructor, is "Getting In TTouch With Your Dog" by Linda Tellington-Jones. The subtitle is "A Gentle Approach to Influencing Behavior, Health, and Performance."

 

Kathy Robbins

[Pippin's person]

Thanks for the input. Kathy, the book you recommend is the one I have. I may give it a try and see how it goes--if nothing else,it'll be nice to have another excuse to have my hands on the dogs.....

[ejano]

I wish I know more about this as well....I give Robin a "rub down" every night and some nights he just turns into a soft plushy pile of fur...you can visably watch him relax...other nights, not so much...I've wondered what I'm doing right and and not so right...because he aways enjoys it, it's just that some nights it's just a tummy rub and others it's got a serious calming effect....something to do with the order in which I work from his ears down his spine to his tail and legs...other nights he just flops over for a good old fashioned tummy rub.

 

At any rate, please share what you learn!

 

Liz

[Root Beer]

I wish they would make a new video to correlate with that book "Getting in TTouch With Your Dog". I saw the old video and found it difficult to follow.

[martySQ]

Which book do you have or have seen? I have this one;

 

http://www.ttouch.com/shop/index.php?productID=171

 

and found it a pretty good instruction book, with diagrams on how you hand should be sitting on the animal, which touches work best for what issues etc.

 

There is one that I do on my reactive dogs ears that calms her quite a bit, don't remember which touch it is. I also used TTouch on my semi-feral foster dog. It helped him appreciate human touch in a very non-obtrusive way. That being said, I haven't used it enough to be really good at it. The book above gave me enough info to try various touches and the ones I've tried worked (helped) to one degree or another. If you have the time to train yourself, it's not something you need a professional for. It's more concentration on your part, to be calm, breath properly and to apply the right amount of pressure to the animal. Weather it works on every animal? Who knows, but I can guarantee you that they'll at least enjoy it. Who wouldn't like a massage?

 

When I have more time, I'm going to work on using it on my boys leg. It was mangled by a trap (pre-rescue) and is arthritic now. I'm hoping it will help a bit with the preventative measures I'm currently using.

 

Well...actually, you might be surprised at how many people won't even try a massage... my boss has never had one, doesn't ever want one... I know several others also... they really just do not know what they are missing.

[JMack]

Tellington Touch had an extraordinary effect on my dog, when I first rescued her. She was very fearful, sat rigidly (when she wasn't hiding under something), never relaxed. On day 4 or 5 I was browsing the library for dog books & saw the TT video. I brought it home, watched it (D & I were sitting on the floor in front of the TV) and began doing it. She uncoiled. I think that's the best way to describe it. By the time I was finished she was on her back.

The next morning when I came downstairs to get her out of her crate, she wagged her tail at me for the first time.

I can't recommend it enough.

 

And it isn't 'just a massage.' The movements are specific and (to me, anyway) counter-intuitive.

 

 

 

I've been looking into the Tellington Touch technique and can't tell if this is something that really works on its principle OR if it's the case of a truly specialized technique that needs to be administered by a specialist to be effective (if it is actually effective).

 

There isn't a lot of detail about how to do it in the book I've seen or the stuff I've seen on-line, and so I can't figure out if it's something that you can learn on your own.

 

If you have experience with this technique, what do you see as the real benefits. What are the potential pitfalls? Did it work as you hoped it would?

[rushdoggie]

 

Well...actually, you might be surprised at how many people won't even try a massage... my boss has never had one, doesn't ever want one... I know several others also... they really just do not know what they are missing.

 

Humans have different touch tolerance. Some people enjoy touch and hugging and holding hands while others really feel uncomfortable with it. I know a couple of people who don't like massage because the feeling of being touched in that way is unpleasant to them.

 

Some people enjoy light touch amd some enjoy a deeper touch. I know that my husband had his 1st ever massage with me (it was a couples thing) and he didn't enjoy it until the massage therapist asked if she was using too much pressure and he admitted she was. He said later he felt kind of embarrassed about that especially since I seemed to like the deep pressure. Once she adjusted her pressure then he relaxed and really enjoyed it.

 

I would guess that dogs are the same way, some enjoy the hands on and some don't, nd some probably like a lot less pressure than we think they would while others love to be thumped.