Costs for a one to one session at Tilley Farm and in the Bath/Bristol area, for companion animals and horses, by arrangement. Travelling costs may be added if the animal is unable to come to Tilley Farm and lives outside a 10 mile radius from the farm.

Workshops

You could also attend a workshop. Practitioners qualified to Level 1 and above teach one day workshops and those qualified to Practitioner Level 2 teach two day workshops. Costs vary depending on the skill level of the Practitioner and the area. Many people who attend our workshops go on to train as Practitioners.

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What is The Tellington TTouch?

The Tellington TTouch is a teaching method for dogs and other animals that incorporates body work, and ground exercises where appropriate to improve co-ordination, balance, and athletic ability whilst deepening further communication and understanding between the animal and its owner/carer

TTouch helps increase levels of self confidence and self-control.

TTouch is widely used around the world by animal lovers and people who work with animals. It is not necessary to learn the whole TTouch approach to help the animals in your care. Learning just a few of the body TTouches by working with a trained Practitioner or attending a workshop can make a difference to an animal's life.

Observations and Assessments

Visual observations and flat hand explorations finds areas in the animal's body that indicate tension, fear of contact, memory of pain or discomfort.

Body Work

Specific movements and TTouches are used to improve circulation, release tension and promote a greater sense of well being.

Ground Exercises for Dogs

Leading exercises enable the dog to override old patterns of movement and behaviour without the use of fear or force. The ground work improves co-ordination, confidence, focus, self control, balance and co-operation.

TTouch in Rescue and Rehabilitation

Many of our Practitioners work closely with local animal shelters. Staff workshops are taught in several national re-homing shelters. If you would like to arrange for a Tellington TTouch talk/workshop at your animal home please contact the U.K. office.

The Tellington TTouch is a valuable tool that can help animals overcome a variety of problems including:

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What Makes TTouch Different and Isn't Stroking my Companion Animal Going to Calm him Down Anyhow?

By Sarah Fisher

There are many overlaps in a wide variety of techniques and it is great that so many people are now recognising the benefits of bodywork for animals in whatever guise for inducing calm and releasing tension. Whether you are working with a canine, feline or equine touch can be a very valuable tool.

The Tellington TTouch started as a training technique for horses and Linda recognised a link between posture, behaviour and performance over 30 years ago. As she was working with the light skin movements (this is where it differs from the majority of massage techniques as we are not working purely with muscle) she noticed that the 'problem' horses that she was working with were not only more consistent in their performance but also became easier to handle in their day to day life. Unwanted behaviours such as bucking, biting, napping, bolting diminished without the need to 'train' each behaviour out of the horse. When these techniques were then applied to other animals including dogs, the same results were noted albeit on a clinical and not a scientific level.

The groundwork exercises improve co-ordination and self-carriage and are an excellent way of starting to work with animals that are fearful of contact on their body. The ground work helps the dogs to settle quicker and are an excellent way of improving focus and giving the dog much needed physical and mental stimulation without increasing hyperactivity and over excitement.

TTouch is not just about the bodywork or the groundwork however. It is a way of looking at the animal as a whole and we take into account the environment, the diet and so on. The reality is however that even when these other factors cannot be changed such as in a shelter the effect of this unique training approach is just extra ordinary and the dogs are being stroked by the staff and volunteers already.

One aim is to improve co-ordination, which increases levels of confidence, and to improve physical balance which influences mental and emotional balance. These correlation's are understood by many working in the human field and from my own experience can say that the same does apply to our animal companions. More importantly perhaps, it also brings awareness to the owners of their own influence upon that animal. If a person is out of balance when walking a dog on the lead for example, that person is more likely to set up bracing in the dog and it takes two to maintain the pull. The way we approach, handle and interact with any animal will have a direct influence on his behaviour and ability to learn.

The beauty of TTouch is that it enables people to understand their dogs on a whole new level. It increases awareness of what actually may be going on for that animal in terms of posture and how his posture affects his behaviour, his responses to stimulus and his fears and concerns. It removes many of the labels so readily and often incorrectly applied to dogs and uses a variety of tools including harnesses, body wraps, and different ways of leading in order to help that dog to learn in a calm and focused way. When Ear Work was done on horses that were wearing heart monitors, it clearly showed that the gentle slides on the ear actually lowered heart rate and respiration thus reducing stress and enabling the horse to move out of the Flight Fight reflex. This is why it can be so valuable for animals that are going into shock. When an animal is in the Flight/Fight reflex it cannot learn. Neither can we.

I have a wide variety of canine clients and teach workshops in shelters, service dog training centres and for working dogs. The staff enjoy learning specific skills which provides a consistency for the dogs whether they are going on to new homes, coming into the kennels and or being handled by a variety of trainers/handlers and many vets, veterinary nurses, physiotherapists, shelter workers, trainers, behaviour counsellors dog owners and lovers world-wide enjoy the benefit that TTouch brings to the animals in their care.

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