Tellington Touch - Sarah Fisher

Getting in TTouch with Dogs
The Forward Thinking Approach to Training,
Handling and Rehabilitation
Photographs copyright Bob Atkins, David and Charles Ltd, Sarah Fisher, Merck Manuals
Videos copyright Karen Walsh, Tiger Aspect, BBC, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home
Everyone is a trainer
• Training does not only occur when we pick up
a clicker or attend a class
• Dogs learn and process information all the
time
• Everyone that interacts with a dog is training
that dog
• Even when we think we are teaching a specific
skill, the dog may be learning something else
Posture and mood
• Amy Cuddy has carried out research in
humans revealing that we can change other
people’s perceptions, and our own body
chemistry by changing body position
• Our anatomy and nervous system is not that
dissimilar to that of our canine friends
The nervous system
The nervous system is a wonderful network of
nerve fibres and cells that co-ordinates
voluntary and involuntary actions, and transmits
information to different parts of the body
It is divided (and sub divided) into many
connected parts including the central,
peripheral, autonomic, somatic, sympathetic,
and parasympathetic nervous system
Central nervous system
• The CNS is the centre of the body’s
communication system
• Brain and spinal cord
• Processes and integrates information received
from all parts of the body
• Controls and co-ordinates movement, action,
decision making and responses to the
environment
CNS
Peripheral nervous system
• The PNS is comprised of nerves leading to and
from the central nervous system
• Relays information to and from the central
nervous system through this effective network
• Controls movements, posture and reflexes
• Processes sensory information
Parts of the PNS
• Somatic nervous system (SoNS) associated
with voluntary movement of the body such as
walking, turning the head and so on,
processes sensory information
• Autonomic nervous system (ANS) associated
with involuntary movement such as beating of
the heart, digestion and so on
ANS
• The autonomic nervous system can be subdivided into two parts
• Parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS)
Rest and digest
• Sympathetic nervous system
Flight or fight
Endocrine system
• System of hormone production and secretion
• Hormones are naturally occurring chemicals
that influence mood, behaviour, development
• Can be compared to the PNS as both coordinate and control internal function
• Can be affected by stress including physical
stress
Adrenaline
• Adrenaline is a hormone secreted by the
adrenal glands
• It increases rates of blood circulation and
influences respiration
• It prepares muscle for exertion
• Adrenaline is produced in high stress or
exhilarating situations
• It can increase strength, block pain and
heighten senses
Visual information
• We cannot know what is happening inside a
dog or what they are thinking
• We have to rely on visual observations
• We need to keep an open mind and do our
best not to be influenced by our own or
someone else’s belief
• The more we look, the more that we can see
Observations
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Behaviour and reactions to stimuli
Body language/nervous system responses
Posture and muscle development
Colour of skin, membranes
Habits
Movement
Quality of coat
Muscle development
• Nothing in nature is symmetrical
• Uneven muscle development will be
exacerbated through inappropriate training/
handling/equipment, soft tissue damage
• An uneven posture can affect both
performance and behaviour, and may limit an
animal’s ability to learn
• Posture can have a positive or detrimental
effect on the nervous system
Compensation/adaptation
• For every action, there is an equal and
opposite reaction
• Nothing happens in isolation
• A unique dance is happening all the time
• The nervous system is responding and
processing information
• If movement is inhibited in one part of the
body, another area will work harder
• Habits are formed
The head and neck
• Head positioning is crucial for a wide range of
activities including vestibular function, vision,
hearing and so on
• There are important anatomical structures in
the neck
• Restricted movement through any part of the
neck can have an impact on balance, and
movement through the entire body
The back
• Many dogs lack core strength
• A strong, evenly developed top line is crucial
for well being
• Many dogs are sensitive to contact on the
back
• Soft tissue injuries and skeletal problems are
often present in dogs that are wary about
contact on the back
Beliefs
• A belief is an acceptance that something exists
or is true
• Beliefs may be based on personal
experience/learning
• The stronger the belief, the more evidence can
be found to support that belief
• Beliefs shape behaviour
• They may be formed unconsciously and may
be limiting
Common beliefs
• A well socialised dog will not develop problem
behaviour
• There is no such thing as a bad dog, only a bad
owner
• If children are supervised when interacting
with a dog, the child will be safe
• Dogs that do not like to be touched on the
back and/or neck are dominant
• A wagging tail is the sign of a friendly dog
Labels
• Humans have a tendency to attach labels to
people, dogs, behaviour and so on
• Many labels stem from belief
• The same label may have a different meaning
to each individual
• Labels can be limiting and may define the dog
• Word use can influence how we feel, how we
behave and what we think
Sensory integration
• Sensory integration is the ability to take in and
process information from the senses
• This information includes sensation from the
body and the environment
• Some animals considered to be anti-social or
with reactive behaviours to visual, tactile and
sound stimulus may have poor sensory
integration
The senses
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Proprioception
Vestibular balance
Sight
Sound
Smell
Taste
Tactile stimulation (touch)
Ram
Deaf puppies
Colin Clip
Tellington TTouch
• TTouch was developed over 40 years ago by
Linda Tellington Jones
• TTouch recognises a link between physical,
mental and emotional well being
• TTouch influences the nervous system in a
passive but highly potent way
• This unique method can be applied to all
animals regardless of their age
Benefits of TTouch
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Reduces stress
Improves posture
Influences behaviour
Develops trust and understanding
Changes an animals expectation of what
human contact may mean
• Influences the sensory aspect of the nervous
system including proprioception and
vestibular balance
Components of TTouch
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Observations
Approach and handling
Handling assessment
Equipment
Body Work
Ground Work
Handler posture
Balance
• Postural traits are formed at a very early age
• A high proportion of dogs load the left fore
limb
• Leading a dog from his right side reinforces
this imbalance
• Mobility through the right hind leg may be
impaired
Posture and behaviour
• TTouch recognises an inextricable connection
between posture and behaviour
• As tension is released from the body
unwanted behaviours diminish
• Self carriage, self control and self confidence
are often linked
Postural changes
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Frustration and/or stress
Poor management or poor breeding (genetics)
Fear and/or trauma
Injury as the result of an accident/rough play
or at birth
• Disease and/or a reaction to drugs
• Equipment
• Diet including nutritional deficiencies
Pain and aggression
• Those working with behavioural problems have
known for years that pain is one of the primary
causes of aggression
• This has been proven in a recent study by the
Autonomous University of Barcelona Spain
• Focusing on sudden increases in aggression,
researchers studied 12 dogs: Giant Schnauzer,
Irish Setter, Pit Bull, Dalmation, two GSDs,
Neopolitan Mastiff, Shih-tzu, OES, Catalan Sheep
Dog, Chow Chow and Doberman
Findings
• The owners were asked the details of the dogs
behaviour
• They identified the most frequent circumstances in
which the dogs were aggressive
• The most frequent target of attacks was the owner
• All dogs (eleven male/one female) were diagnosed as
having aggression caused by pain
• Eight of the dogs had hip dysplasia
Hip dysplasia
• A hip dysplasia control programme in Sweden
found that:
• Normal to normal matings produced 18%
dysplastic off spring
• Normal to dysplastic produced 59%
• Dysplastic to dysplastic produced 87%
Extremities
• Many animals are fearful of being touched on
the feet, around the muzzle, and on the tail
• Timid dogs may have cooler extremities
• Bony structures are closer to the skin
• Outer surface of all bones are covered in a
membrane called periosteum
• Mouth and tail often mirror each other
Feet
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Flatter shinier pads
Scuffed, shorter or longer nails
Splayed toes
Raised toes
Angle of the pastern
Paw placement when moving and at rest
Coat and skin
• The coat and skin combined are the largest
sensory organs
• Variety of TTouches and textures will influence
the nervous system in different ways
• The outer layer of the skin forms the largest
piece of connective tissue
• Changes to the soft tissue and skeleton will
affect the texture and appearance of the coat,
and the mobility and temperature of the skin
Tortoise
Coat
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Colour changes – light and dark
Coarse, rough, dry or greasy hair
Dandruff
Bald patches
Swirls and curls
Areas that are slow to shed
Tension patterns
• Better observations can aid when interacting
with dogs based on posture, coat changes,
movement and muscle development
• There is a pattern to both posture and
behaviour
• For example many dogs that are noise
sensitive carry tension through the
hindquarters
Nature or nurture?
• Some reactive tendencies can be genetic
• Health problems can be genetic too
• Many reactive behaviours may be
created/increased by a lack of awareness and
poor understanding of the dog’s needs
• Problem canine behaviour may not always be
the fault of the owner/guardian
• But it is the responsibility of that owner/
guardian to help the dog
Skipper
Bodywork
• The bodywork TTouches break down into
three groups
• They comprise of circles, slides and lifts on,
and with, the animal’s body
• Non-threating contact can increase oxytocin
• Oxytocin over rides the flight/fight response
• Learning just a few TTouches can make a
difference to an animal’s life
Contact reinforces behaviour?
• Depends on the type of contact
• Slow gentle contact over rides flight/fight
reflex
• Non-threatening contact can boost immune
system
• Mindful contact can change behaviour by
influencing the nervous system
Flame
Ground work
• Slow twitch muscle fibres trigger the ‘feel good
factor’ (dopamine/serotonin)
• Improves self control, self confidence, flexibility
and co-ordination
• Encourages focus, concentration and greater
mind/body awareness
• Provides a vital step in rehabilitation including
handling issues
• Provides a foundation for agility training and other
competitive work
TTouch for puppies
• It is never too early to TTouch a puppy
• Many postural and behaviour traits are in
place at an early age
• Investing even a small amount of time can
help a young animal learn, and feel safe
• Hopefully this will reduce the chances of
problems developing later on
Handling
• Forceful handling triggers panic
• If a young animal is fearful of contact, this fear
is likely to grow as the animal matures
• Sensitivity in the body caused by physical
problems can be one of the reasons that an
animal becomes defensive around people and
other animals
• All interactions should be positive and above
all, safe
Containment
• Many puppies do not like to be touched
• A puppy that is born with tension in his/her
body is likely to be more vocal than a relaxed
puppy
• He/she may be more mouthy
• Panic when picked up
• Reluctant to play a shared game
Fear of the known/unknown
• Some puppies may have been poorly handled
• Other puppies may not have been handled at
all
• Many puppies that have problems are
confused, stressed, fearful, frustrated or bored
• Early warning signs that a puppy had problems
may have been over looked or ignore
Cookie video
TTouch as a training tool
• TTouch puppies are often more mature on a
physical, mental and emotional level
• They are easier to handle and to train
• They are more adaptive to new situations
• TTouch gives owners/guardians new ways of
interacting with their canine companions
• The techniques can be easily combined with
other training modalities
Less is more
• Think of the nervous system like pervious rock
• Drip feed that information in a little at a time
• Remember to give the dog plenty of breaks
regardless of its age
• The nervous system is processing information
all the time
• Utilise all the senses
• Make sure water is available at all times
Win, win
• Any teaching should be fun for all concerned
• Remember dogs are learning all the time
• Be creative and make a plan but be flexible
with that plan
• Help each dog be the best that he can be,
whether he is destined to be a winner in the
show ring, or the Champion of someone’s
heart
Cookie Dough Dynamo
Denzil
Respect
• Think of this word in terms of what it might
mean
• Re is a prefix meaning ‘again’
• Spect is used to describe the act of seeing
(spectator/spectacle etc)
• In short, keep looking!
Hope
• TTouch has saved and enhanced the lives of
many animals whose behaviour was deemed
to be dangerous and out of control
• TTouch offers choices, and choices offer hope
• Educate, educate, educate
• Learn from one another and from every dog
we meet
• As Xenophon stated so wisely in 400 BC…….
‘Where knowledge ends, violence begins’
Thank you for getting in TTOUCH
www.ttouch.co.uk