Application of Tellington TTouch in Veterinary Practice
The Tellington TTouch Method offers many simple, practical, yet effective ways to enhance handling practices in a veterinarian clinic setting. The Tellington TTouch (not a typo) method focuses on healing, positive animal training, and communication. In particular, this method helps people relate to animals compassionately to help develop a deeper connection. The method was developed by Linda Tellington-Jones, Ph.D. (Hon) four decades ago. Since inception, the Tellington TTouch method has helped rehabilitate wildlife, zoo animals, guide dogs, and more.
What is it TTouch?
TTouch is a form of touch therapy devised and popularized in 1978 by Linda Tellington Jones, an equestrian with a long-standing interest in massage, training, and rehabilitation therapy techniques. TTouch is a very simple light massage technique, in which a clockwise circular motion of the fingers is used on the skin of the patient. TTouch is marketed as a means of counteracting reflexive adverse behaviors in animals, and was initially developed to facilitate the training of horses. For a fee, one can obtain certification in TTouch animal training approaches through books and specialized TTEAM courses offered by Linda Tellington Jones’ organization at www.tellingtontouch.com.
The specific hand movement described above is considered by Tellington Jones to be a non-habitual stimulus to animals that raises the animal’s awareness of their immediate environment enough that they will cease to respond reflexively to the handler and be more amenable to learning new behaviors and tasks. Developers of TTouch assert that this change of consciousness is produced and attended by a change in brain wave activity, although this claim has not been independently verified in the scientific literature.
TTouch has become popular among certain nurse practitioners as a technique to calm human patients down and promote relaxation. A study has recently been published in the scientific literature showing a statistically significant improvement in blood pressure, heart rate, and the perception of pain in 46 adult humans prior to venipuncture (taking blood from a vein), compared with 47 adult humans receiving no pre-procedural touch therapy. A fourteen-day joint study by Linda Tellington Jones and the K.I. Skyrabin Moscow Veterinary Academy in 1985 is reported to have demonstrated reduced adrenaline secretion in horses receiving TTouch relative to untouched controls. The horses receiving TTouch were later described as demonstrating enduring improvements in training and performance.
What’s the Tellington TTouch method?
Just as the name implies, the Tellington TTouch method helps pet parents communicate with their fur babies through physical touch techniques. Tellington TTouch encourages a gentle, positive approach to forming connections with companion animals. The method is an important part of training sessions because it reinforces mutual trust, cooperation and understanding between the owner and pet.
Over 40 years ago, Linda Tellington-Jones created this method because she recognized the strong connection between mind and body. Tellington TTouch is all about achieving physical, mental and emotional balance in your pet. By stroking animals in specific ways, good physical health can translate into desirable behaviors and better wellbeing.
It’s easy for owners and their pets to get involved. The Tellington TTouch program has over 1,000 certified practitioners teaching courses in 39 countries. Owners can attend in-person or online, with or without their companion animals. These courses teach pet parents how to read body language, calm animals down during stressful situations and correct behavioral problems.
The method is based on circular movements of fingers and hands over the entire body of a companion animal with the goal of activating cellular intelligence. You don’t need to understand the animal’s anatomy to practice the Tellington TTouch method. Instead, the method relies on a combination of specific touches, movement exercises, and lifts aimed at relieving tension and increase body awareness.
The method is also known to alleviate fearful reactions of animals that don’t like being handled, as well as allowing the animals to learn new, improved reactions to replace the bad ones. For example, fearful or aggressive dogs learn new ways to deal with situations.
Tellington TTouch Uses
The method is gentle and positive allowing Tellington TTouch to be used by trainers, breeders, veterinarians, and pet owners for any number of behavioral and health issues, including the following:
- Anxiety, excitability, and general nervousness.
- Chewing on inappropriate items such as shoes, wood furniture, walls, etc.
- Assisting in recovery from surgery or illness.
- Car sickness.
- Pulling on the leash.
- Enhancing the quality of life, especially for older pets who may have age-related difficulties with mobility or psychological challenges.
- Excessive barking.
- Jumping up on people.
- Aggressive behavior or reactivity.
- Fearful and shy dogs, for example, fear biters.
- Due to the emphasis on body touches, it can increase coordination, focus, accepting equipment (as in guide or service dogs), adaptability, confidence, self-control, and distraction.
While the effectiveness of the Tellington TTouch method has been proven over the past four decades, but may not be for everyone or their pet. Always keep what’s best for your pet in mind when seeking treatment options and purchase dog insurance to ensure you can afford the best care.
How Tellington TTouch is different
The Tellington TTouch method isn’t just about obedience. Unlike other forms of training, Tellington TTouch doesn’t give owners a dominant role over their pets. The method fosters an equal partnership, where animals and humans work together to achieve a certain outcome. Rather than forcing a pet into submission, owners show respect with their touch and tone of voice to encourage positive behaviors.
Standard obedience training usually gives owners the freedom to command their pets. In this teaching style, owners place full responsibility on the animal to execute the desired action. If they fail to complete the task, pets are treated as if it’s their fault. By contrast, the Tellington TTouch method believes obedience is a collaborative effort between owner and pet. Owners coax their companions in the right direction without blame or punishment.
Additionally, most types of obedience training teach pets how to react in certain situations. They observe a noise or hand gesture, then respond accordingly. However, this means the animal only gives the appropriate response when they’re presented with a specific set of stimuli. The Tellington TTouch method helps animals gain self-control, allowing them to adapt to different environments. Tellington TTouch is proactive, not reactive.
Tellington TTouch completely redefines what behavior means in a pet. Most owners view behavior as either “good” or “bad.” They assume pets react poorly out of spite or revenge. Practitioners of Tellington TTouch believe owners shouldn’t use a pet’s behavior to assess their personality. Instead, owners should view behavior as a form of communication. If the pet displays unwanted behavior, it’s their way of saying something’s not right.
Benefits of Tellington TTouch for pets
Pet parents can incorporate the Tellington TTouch method into any training regimen. The touch techniques add a whole new layer of meaning to obedience sessions, offering physical, mental and emotional benefits for pets.
Here’s what your pet might gain by using the Tellington TTouch method.
- Improved quality of life:Many dogs who’ve completed Tellington TTouch training used to pull the leash, hide behind their owners or pick fights with other animals. Tellington TTouch shows dogs how to respond to stressful situations without fear, excitability or aggression. Learning a more positive response helps pets tackle challenges head on and achieve a better sense of happiness.
- Pain relief and relaxation: Stress manifests in the body via muscle tension. Dogs in a prolonged state of anxiety might suffer from chronic stiffness and pain. Tellington TTouch uses gentle circular motions to loosen muscles and increase blood circulation to painful areas. When the body relaxes, the dog’s behavior tends to relax, as well.
- A greater sense of trust: Pets who benefit the most are ones that struggle to trust humans. The Tellington TTouch method allows pets to bond with their owners in a calming, safe environment. It helps pets realize their owners are capable of showing love, kindness and respect.
Pets deserve a positive experience in their training sessions. The Tellington TTouch method might be just what you need to achieve a major breakthrough with your four-legged companion. Practitioners of this method believe pets serve a greater purpose beyond obeying the owner’s commands. Tellington TTouch can open the door to full-body wellness for pets and humans alike.
On which species of animals is TTouch practiced regularly?
TTouch was originally developed to address equine behavior and training problems, but has been applied to many other species, including dogs, cats, and humans. It has also been explored for use in zoo animals.
Who practices TTouch and do I need a referral?
Veterinarians and lay people trained in TTouch offer this therapy. TTouch practitioners are certified through a specialized course offered only through Tellington Jones, known as TTEAM.
What conditions are most often treated with TTouch?
Any behavior problem can be considered a candidate for TTouch.The technique is especially designed to address anxieties, phobias, fear aggression, aversion to touch, and any other conditioned fear response. When TTouch is effective, a pet may be expected to be more tolerant of stressful but normally painless handling procedures, such as nail trimming.
How successful is TTouch?
Effectiveness of TTouch varies depending on the training of the practitioner, the animal receiving treatment, the condition that is being treated, and the regularity and consistency with which TTouch is applied. When the circumstances of training are ideal, veterinarians claim that TTouch is very successful in relieving anxiety in most pets.
How safe is TTouch?
TTouch is very safe. There are no known side effects.
Can TTouch be combined with traditional or other forms of alternative veterinary medicine?
TTouch can be combined with any other alternative veterinary therapy used to assist in the management of anxiety related disorders in animals.
Compiled & Shared by- Team, LITD (Livestock Institute of Training & Development)
Image-Courtesy-Google
Reference-On Request.
