dog & sport international 01/2015

Tellington TTouch
Emotions and physical posture are
deeply entwined. An animal’s
body stressed by injury or excessive
tiredness can become less effective
and more vulnerable to situations
that would not normally concern
him. On the other hand, the posture
of an animal suffering from emotional
trauma is affected by the
tightening of certain muscle groups.
This can become habitual posture
so a vicious circle can develop, the
emotional state feeding the physical
state and visa versa. The light,
non-habitual movement of TTouch
body and groundwork exercises
create the potential for improvement
and change in posture and
emotion.
The Tellington TTouch was founded
and developed by Linda Tellington-
Jones, closely supported and documented
by her sister Robyn Hood. It
was a progression from Linda's study
of the Feldenkrais Technique, a
system of mind-body integration
for humans. This technique increases
an individual’s awareness of
their body and movement, enhancing
their ability to learn how to
achieve their mental and physical
potential. Impressed with the effects
on herself and her riding students,
Linda began to wonder how
this work could be translated into
helping animals who do not have
the human ability to follow complex
verbal direction to the nonhabitual
movements and thought
processes of Dr Feldenkrais' work.
She began to experiment and the
Tellington TTouch was born, breaking
through that communication
barrier to create similar possibilities
for animals by using non-habitual
movements of the skin and slow
groundwork exercises.
How might TTouch apply to Sport
Dogs?
It is well known that although a
fulfilling lifestyle for many working
breeds, the work of a sport
dog can be physically and emotionally
demanding. Periods of waiting
in the van, bursts of physical
activity or long runs, tracks or
searches in difficult conditions and
sometimes inclement weather. In
these special partnerships, the dog
and handler give the best that they
can give, sometimes to the point of
exhaustion.
If a dog has a good awareness of his
body and how to move in balance,
there is greater confidence and ability
to take on board the new tasks
required. TTouch enhances the
dog's agility and ability to move
over obstacles and difficult terrain
safely. The other great bonus is that
TTouch can help to cement a new
partnership and bring close working
co-operation more quickly.
If a dog has suffered a physical injury,
TTouch can be used alongside
veterinary treatment and veterinary
physiotherapy to help with pain
relief and to aid recovery. During
recovery, some dogs learn to move
in a habitual way to 'guard' the old
injury. Stress is put on other parts of
the body, posture is affected and
the dog may lose some emotional
confidence as a result. Body and
groundwork exercises at this stage
can help the dog to return to it's
full physical and emotional
potential.
TTouch Bodywork
TTouch uses light movements of
the skin to influence the nervous
system and is not a deep muscle
massage or manipulation of the
skeleton. The skin is moved in a
clockwise circle and a quarter or
gentle lifts or a combination of the
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