TTouch, or Tellington Touch, is a bodywork method designed by Linda Tellington-Jones. It was first designed for bodywork on horses and then later discovered to be helpful to small animals and people.
TTouch is a method of making circular movements on the body, generally in a clockwise manner with light touch. The circles awaken the cells, likened to turning lights on, and help your dog with healing and behavior. Because each circle is complete within itself, there is no need to understand anatomy and even a few minutes a day can help your dog immensely.
The basic method is to make a circle starting at the 6pm position and go around one and a quarter times, to 9pm and then to slide your hand to the next position running down the back of your dog to the sides of his spine. Keep your opposite hand on your dog and alternate from side to side until you get to the base of the tail and then run your hand along his tail to the very tip. The circles help your dog to relax, help speed along healing, build body self-awareness and confidence and help deepen your bond with your dog.
There are many different hand positions and movements with names like Clouded Leopard, Lick of the Cow’s Tongue and Snail’s Tail, amongst others. The names were chosen to help make learning fun and easy to remember.
There is also an ear work technique, called Ear TTouch, which is particularly helpful in the case of an emergency and can help you keep your dog from going into shock. There are many acupressure points at the base of the ear that help with relaxation, digestion and overcoming car sickness.
If you are interested in learning TTouch, there are many books and videos on the subject or you can even take a certification class. At the very least, be sure to watch a few videos and learn the basics. It can make a world of difference for your dog.
