Is Anyone Else Interested In T-touch Tecniques?

[Loves Dogs]

I have just bought a magazine thta explains the t-touch. I had never heard of it before but realised I do some of it anyway with my dogs. Every morning I sit and go through their toes and look in their ears. I was amazed at some of the testemonials coming from people who were using it on there dogs for various reasons. It seems amazing so I am going to start trying more of it on my pup who hates it when you try to look in his mouth or keep his head still to check in his ears or eyes which can make it quite a strugle at the vet. Has anyone else used this technique and have your dogs benifitted from it?

[Jed]

I've been using a "bastardised" version for years. I read about it years and years ago for horses, tried it, and found it very effective, particularly with youngsters during handling, and in new situations.

I tried it with the pups, and did t hink it had made a difference. It was so long ago that I read about it, I am probably not doing it right. And it's difficult to remember what they were like before. However, I have dogs who are very easy to do anything with. Puppy buyers often tell me how good the dogs are. Whether they would have been anyway - I don't know, but I keep doing it.

Probably should get the magazine and refresh my memory

[fifi]

I had the video many years ago, and forgot to get it back from a friend !

Like Jed, I use a quickie version at work ! but I think for most dog/animal people, they are calming movements that many of us would naturally use.

I remember watching the video, where she goes straight to the face of a large and uncertain dog - and thinking that if I did that on some of our less...ummmm......'nice' client dogs, someone would be making me a new face !!!!!

fifi

[Stitch]

Looks like I have been practicing a 'technique' all these years without knowing it!

All my pups have to permit touching in all areas. They are all well handled before they go to their forever homes and their new owners know to continue with this practice.

Any breed that needs regular grooming ie several times a week, must be able to be 'touched' everywhere.

All mine, including my hyperactive girl, stand for inspection on the grooming table.

[Cala]

Looks like I have been practicing a 'technique' all these years without knowing it!

All my pups have to permit touching in all areas. They are all well handled before they go to their forever homes and their new owners know to continue with this practice.

Any breed that needs regular grooming ie several times a week, must be able to be 'touched' everywhere.

All mine, including my hyperactive girl, stand for inspection on the grooming table.

Yes, I too have been using this method for the last 8 years, with great success, brilliant for calming anxious dogs, and I have used it for teaching things were I want stability eg: stand for examination in the obedience ring.

[Loves Dogs]

Thats great everyone. I have agirl who you can touch anywhere and she wont flinch an inch but my boisterous boy is just to excited at the moment but I do get him in quieter times and do little circles all over his body which he loves. At the moment he is finding it hard when I go around his mouth and feet and hind quarters (he mouths me softly as if to try and distract me) so hopefully the more I do the less uncomfortable he will be when doing it. Also I have problems with him in the ring. I can stand him quite well and he stays stacked well untill the judge goes over him and then he cant contain his excitement. Any suggestions? I have tried getting my boyfriend and other friends to go over him but because he knows them he is ok. Its the new people he is just so interested to meet that is the problem. He is a very distractable dog to and if too much is going on around him he wont even notice me and my food or treats.

[NaturallyWild]

my boisterous boy is just to excited at the moment but I do get him in quieter times and do little circles all over his body which he loves. At the moment he is finding it hard when I go around his mouth and feet and hind quarters (he mouths me softly as if to try and distract me) so hopefully the more I do the less uncomfortable he will be when doing it.

A body wrap (ie bandage lightly wrapped in figure 8 in front of chest, over shoulders and under belly) or ankle wraps (eg fluffy hair tie or soft velcro) may help a bit with this. Don't keep them on for more than a few minutes at a time.

It is often best to only do a few seconds of the touches with him being comfortable and then stop so he doesn't feel pressured to have to deal with it (shown possibly by the mouthing). Go to somewhere comfortable then back to iffy areas.

Also I have problems with him in the ring. I can stand him quite well and he stays stacked well untill the judge goes over him and then he cant contain his excitement. Any suggestions? I have tried getting my boyfriend and other friends to go over him but because he knows them he is ok. Its the new people he is just so interested to meet that is the problem. He is a very distractable dog to and if too much is going on around him he wont even notice me and my food or treats.

Could you ask the judge (or stranger) to come over and not handle initially, go away when he's relaxed, then just lean over without touching, go away when relaxed, then just rest then back of their hand on his side, then progress to touching in different places.

If he's a real squirmer, could also be useful practicing a "contained hold" (some people do a restrained hold which I find creates more of a fight) which is about keeping them within a small space by creating boundaries with your hands/body, but not forcing them to stop moving. The real trick is to soften your hands and take them off his body when he stops squirming. This teaches him to relax of his own choice a bit more than just giving up when being forceably restrained.

I remember watching the video, where she goes straight to the face of a large and uncertain dog - and thinking that if I did that on some of our less...ummmm......'nice' client dogs, someone would be making me a new face !!!!!

Lindas sister, Robyn, has said that the video is not really how she does things, because she was "performing" for the screen and not focusing on what she is doing as much (actually opposite to part of the philosophy we are taught with the method). She also does a lot of her circles much quicker than would normally done.

[Skruffy n Flea]

i would absolutely LOVE to learn this technique!

both my dogs enjoy being massaged, one to the full extent, the other (a rescue) only partly however ... i enjoy it too because it reinforces the bond between the three of us and it makes life easier for their vet...

it piques my interest because t-touch seems to take massaging to a greater and more beneficial level, even spiritual...

it is definitely on my to-do list

[Loves Dogs]

my boisterous boy is just to excited at the moment but I do get him in quieter times and do little circles all over his body which he loves. At the moment he is finding it hard when I go around his mouth and feet and hind quarters (he mouths me softly as if to try and distract me) so hopefully the more I do the less uncomfortable he will be when doing it.

A body wrap (ie bandage lightly wrapped in figure 8 in front of chest, over shoulders and under belly) or ankle wraps (eg fluffy hair tie or soft velcro) may help a bit with this. Don't keep them on for more than a few minutes at a time.

It is often best to only do a few seconds of the touches with him being comfortable and then stop so he doesn't feel pressured to have to deal with it (shown possibly by the mouthing). Go to somewhere comfortable then back to iffy areas.

Also I have problems with him in the ring. I can stand him quite well and he stays stacked well untill the judge goes over him and then he cant contain his excitement. Any suggestions? I have tried getting my boyfriend and other friends to go over him but because he knows them he is ok. Its the new people he is just so interested to meet that is the problem. He is a very distractable dog to and if too much is going on around him he wont even notice me and my food or treats.

Could you ask the judge (or stranger) to come over and not handle initially, go away when he's relaxed, then just lean over without touching, go away when relaxed, then just rest then back of their hand on his side, then progress to touching in different places.

If he's a real squirmer, could also be useful practicing a "contained hold" (some people do a restrained hold which I find creates more of a fight) which is about keeping them within a small space by creating boundaries with your hands/body, but not forcing them to stop moving. The real trick is to soften your hands and take them off his body when he stops squirming. This teaches him to relax of his own choice a bit more than just giving up when being forceably restrained.

I remember watching the video, where she goes straight to the face of a large and uncertain dog - and thinking that if I did that on some of our less...ummmm......'nice' client dogs, someone would be making me a new face !!!!!

Lindas sister, Robyn, has said that the video is not really how she does things, because she was "performing" for the screen and not focusing on what she is doing as much (actually opposite to part of the philosophy we are taught with the method). She also does a lot of her circles much quicker than would normally done.

Thanks so much for this info I will research it further and give the body wrap a go.

[newfsie]

I do the t-touch all the time. To me it is habit and do not realise it until someone noticed and pointed it out..........I am always fiddling with my dogs feet, mouth and ears and doing the soothing leopard touch or some of the other touches. I went to several TT work-shops with my horses eons ago. it never really did much for me and our horses, because they are quiet and relaxed. But i was impressed what it did to some of the other nervous horses. And she pointed out that when i stood beside my horse, I was doing a lot of stroking not that dis-similar to what they teach.......So it was just me anyway. I touch my animals a lot. my dogs sit next to me and i just touch/massage their feet, ears and anywhere i can reach.