Montevideo calling!

The first Tellington TTouch seminars to be held in Uruguay are scheduled for next weekend. This promises to be a wonderful experience! 

Take a look at the information pamphlet prepared by the organisers.

http://issuu.com/sylcor/docs/informaci__n-seminario-ttouch_y_zoo/1

Another step along the way in Buenos Aires

Some new people have joined the Buenos Aires TTouch community. The introductory course presented different canine personalities who taught us a great deal about observation and the importance giving options and paying attention to the individual needs of each dog. With the inestimable help of Pia Arhio-Lehto we were able to provide a high level of individualised attention for those who required it.

At the seminar on leading techniques the focus was on the human element - how our balance and focus are crucial to the success of our dogs. Bees, pigeons and butterflies were the order of the day and we had fun learning these new techniques. 

It was beautiful to see how the more timid dogs were able to find their own space and balance!

TTouch Premier in Brazil

This past week saw the arrival of the Tellington Method in Brazil. Two two day seminars were held for dogs and two one day seminars for cats and rabbits. The participants discovered the TTouch philosophy and the three basic pillars of the work - body work, groundwork and using body wraps and other TTouch tools - with time to practise and experiment with the wonderful animals that were our best teachers. Perhaps the best accolade was the comment made by one attendee: "The dogs that left this afternooon were not the same dogs that arrived this morning." Link, the dog in the photo below left arrived in a highly agitated state and after a little TTouch bodywork was able to relax.

It was gratifying to work with so many committed people coming from various walks of life including holistic veterinarians, physiotherapists, a lawyer who works with therapy dogs in her spare time as well as dog trainers and other professionals in the field. One participant travelled from the capital, Brasília, and another drove eight hours from Belo Horizonte.

The door is now open for TTouch in this vast country!

Link relaxing for TTouch bodywork

Didy with her "Thinking Cap" on.

Head wrap for calm and concentration!

Gearing up after a delicious lunch

TTouch in Brasil!

TTouch really is taking off in Latin America!  In August we will be offering the very first TTouch workshops in Sao Paulo, Brasil. Check the events calendar for more details.

How exciting!

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

 We had another wonderful opportunity to explore Tellington Touch with an open-minded group and their lovely dogs with a range of difficulties - blindness, deafness, anxiety, etc. This gave us the chance to explore TTouch tools in a variety of fields.  We were even able to help out one owner who needed a little bit of slack with a simple body wrap.

A curious case was a little chihuaha who always walks backwards.  With the harness and two point of contact she was able to walk forward and do the groundwork exercises.
 
Tabatha, expressive as always,  sticks to Noemi.

The day before the workshop we paid a visit to the Bañaderos Shelter where a group of volunteers were keen to learn a little about the technique so that they will be better able to help the animals in their care. Wraps were a hit there too when hyperexcitable Mila responded immediately to a half wrap and her excitement level dropped. Mouth work was another clearly useful tool for dogs that express concern through their mouths.

What is reactivity?

 

I am posting this quote from Leslie McDevitt's book because I feel that this is something that many people have to deal with and many are ill-advised and oriented in the wrong direction.

"Reactivity comes from anxiety, which comes from feeling uncertain about something. Reactivity is an information-seeking strategy.  A reactive dog will rush towards something or someone that he is uncertain about, barking, lunging, growling, and making a big display. People sometimes perceive reactive behaviour as aggression, but a reactive dog is not rushing in to do damage; he is attempting to assess the threat level of a given situation. His assessment strategy is intensified because he is panicking as the adrenaline flows through his body. If a reactive dog learns to feel confident about something, he is less worried about that thing and therefore reacts less to it. People also sometimes perceive reactive behaviour as "dominance" because they view a dog that flies at his triggers as a dog that wants to take charge. This is absolutely not the cases. Reactive dogs are anxious, and their response is intense because they are freaking out.

That is why clear structures are necessary for anxious dogs. They need to know what is happening next, and they need to know they are safe. If left untreated (or if treated inappropriately with physical punishment), reactivity can escalate into aggression. Much, but not all, aggression is anxiety-related. Reactivity and anxiety-related aggression are simply different levels of response to a stressful situation. Anxiety-related aggression will occur when the dog is put in a situation that pushes him beyond what he can manage with a measured response. In these cases the dog's anxiety takes him to the next level of response."

Leslie McDevitt  "Control Unleashed" p. 25

An Introduction to the Tellington TTouch® Philosophy