Deb Burk Ttouch Maine

The TTouch Method for Pets: What Is It and Why You Should Be Using It

A new article out in Martha Stewart 🙂

marthastewart.com Even if you've never heard of Tellington TTouch, created by internationally recognized animal expert Linda Tellington-Jones, Ph.D. (H), others have: trainers, breeders, veterinarians, zoo personnel,…

I am so excited to receive all these amazing make up brushes from my friend Lisa who is a Younique consultant! I have no clue how she uses them for make up LOL. but I can tell you I will be using them to share Ttouch with my Pocket Pals! Thank you for your generous gift Lisa Ladd! I’ll post later to show you how they will be used in their second life! Stay tuned!

How Tellington TTouch resolves canine behavior problems | Animal Wellness Magazine

A great LTJ article on a positive approach to helping dogs with behavior problems! 😊

animalwellnessmagazine.com The Tellington TTouch Method helps shift your dog’s behavior, leading to a deeper connection and bond. These case studies show just how effective it is.

Tellington TTouch - Whole Dog Journal

People frequently ask me what Ttouch is...This is a nice short article that answers that question. I’m always happy to show you how to do Ttouch with your favorite furry or not so furry friend. Workshops for small groups can also be arranged! Text me:-) And, it’s not just for animals! Huge tons of success for people and their conditions are helped with Tellington Ttouch Techniques!

whole-dog-journal.com In 1975, horse trainer Linda Tellington-Jones studied the Feldenkrais Method with its founder, Moishe Feldenkrais. In this form of bodywork for people, gentle and non-habitual movements activate unused neural pathways to the brain. It is famous for helping people improve their athletic ability, incr...

Pet Sense - dog, cat & rabbit behaviour

Oh I love this description of the shake off and the reason for it.
This is one of the things I look for when I am doing Ttouch. It’s what happens in between the touches! Shake it off baby!

SHAKING OFF:
Dogs appear to need to ‘shake off’ adrenaline, stress, tension, or any form of arousal both positive & negative.
It appears to be a way of re-setting and has been shown to lower pulse rate. It’s super useful to know about because you can use it as a gauge as to how difficult or arousing your dog just found something (if you notice them shake off, you might consider whatever has just happened to have more relevance than you realised), as well as how quickly your dog is able to recover or settle after something a bit tricky or arousing (do they shake off very quickly as soon as an incident or encounter has finished, or do they harbour all that tension & adrenaline for ages until they feel safe enough to shake off?).
Of course dogs will also shake off when they are wet & to readjust their coat (e.g after a period of rest or when their fur has been messed with). In all contexts, shaking off is really quite predictable which means it’s pretty easy to put on a verbal cue. Add the verbal cue just before you know your dog is going to shake & then reinforce. It’s useful to have it on cue so that when your dog is wet/muddy you can get them to shake before coming into the house, for example, but also to help them recover if they don’t shake off quickly after a period of tension.
So many owners say “I don’t think my dog does shake off!” and then inevitably there are textbook scenarios where the dog displays the shake off. Once you know the relevance of the shake off, you will start to notice it all the time. It’s a good sign that the dog is recovering/calming down, but equally it also shows something had just happened that made the dog need to shake off in the first place- it might have been a period of play, or it could have been that the dog found a certain interaction difficult, for example. If a dog doesn’t shake off, it would pretty much guarantee a physical issue, apart from a severely emotionally shutdown dog.
Look for the shake off, praise it, register what just happened & if it was something the dog found difficult try to ensure you help your dog out if a similar situation arises again so your dog doesn’t need to get tense or stressed in the first place.
Many species shake it off- us humans don’t, despite Taylor Swift’s advice, and I’m sure that’s why we experience tension knots in our shoulders, back and neck & why yoga and massage help us relax!

Ttouch ear work saved my dog Jakes life after a hermangio sarcoma tumor busts in his stomach. I was able to keep him from going into shock until
We could see the vet and get the issue diagnosed!

Today's Tellington TTouch® Tip comes from the wonderful Carol Lang and is so important this time of year!

"There are few things that will put a lump in a horse owners stomach as much as seeing your horse showing signs of colic. While it is NEVER intended to replace veterinarian care, the Tellington TTouch Method has several helpful techniques that you can use on a colicking horse while you wait for your veterinarian.

If you think your horse is experiencing colic, take his temperature, pulse and respiration; listen for gut sounds; and check the colour of his gums and capillary refill time. Determining your horse’s vital signs before calling your veterinarian helps him to evaluate the severity of your horse’s condition and the urgency of his arrival. After calling the vet, start working your horse’s ears with TTouch Ear Strokes. Begin at the base of the ear; fold the ear on itself with your fingers on one side and thumb on the other and slide along the length of the ear. When you reach the tip, rub it between your thumb and forefinger to activate the shock point. Keep repeating. Working each of your horse’s ears individually, rather than both at the same time, is usually more effective. You can also use Raccoon TTouches around the base of the ear to activate the Triple Warmer meridian which affects the digestive and respiration systems. Raccoon TTouches use the tips of your fingers and are done with a very light pressure. You can stroke an ear while walking the horse if he seems to prefer moving. If the horse is standing or lying and not trying to roll or thrash, do the TTouch techniques without walking. The horse may be tired from hours of discomfort and might need to rest. Working the ears affects the horse’s entire system – there are over 200 acupuncture points in the ear.

Another helpful technique is rubbing the acupressure point for pain either between the nostrils or directly on the gums.

A horse’s croup may swell in cases of severe colic. Gently work the area using Abalone TTouches (the flat of your hand) on the flank and loin and abdomen. You can also gently do slides on the hair at the top of the tail and if the horse is comfortable with it, tail work can bring relief. There is a gas release point under the tail above the anus, rub in a circular motion with the finger.

TTouch Belly Lifts are very helpful for gassy horses. Use a towel (folded six to twelve inches wide). Start near the elbows and work back as far as you can. Support the belly with the towel and lift slowly and gently, hold for six to 10 seconds (sometimes longer if the horse seems relieved) and then release more slowly than you lifted. The progression of each lift can be guided by one of the lifters. For example: “Lift, 2, 3….; Hold, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.: Release 10, 9, 8…..3,2,1. Notice that the release takes longer in order to ensure a soft, gradual lessening of the pressure. Sometimes using material such as velour or polar fleece gives a smoother and more gradual release. Using hot towels has proven effective for some horses especially in cold weather. You could put the towel into the dryer before using or fold a heating pad into the towel. In many cases, gut sounds become more active, and the horse is able to pass gas after a few series of lifts from his elbow to his flank.

Always work within the horse’s comfort zone. You won’t know what type of colic the horse is suffering until your veterinarian makes his diagnosis. The lifts cannot harm the horse even if it is more than gas colic, and they can provide relief from pain as well as release gas. If you don’t have another person or a towel you can do belly lifts by yourself. Place your hands and forearms under the horse’s belly and lift, hold and slowly release. A second way of doing belly lifts alone is to use a long towel or blanket. If you are standing on the left side of the horse, with your right hand, hold one end of the towel on the left side about four inches below the top of the horse’s spine. The towel drapes over the spine and down the right side. With your left hand, reach under the horse’s belly and bring the towel to the left side. While holding the towel, keep your back straight and knees bent and then lift. You need only lift with the lower hand – the upper hand just supports the towel.

Caution: In this case, as with all ways of helping a distressed animal, be aware of your safety. Be safe, not sorry. Make sure that you can stay in balance while doing something and that you can move out of the way of danger quickly and quietly.
Colic Vital Signs: Normal Ranges ⇒ Temperature: 99-101 degrees F 37.5-38 C ⇒ Pulse: 30-40 beats per minute ⇒ Respiration: 10-20 breaths per minute ⇒ Gum Color: Pinkish ⇒ Capillary Refill: 1-1 1/2 seconds ⇒ Gut Sounds: Listen just behind the ribs for the nature of the sound as well as the frequency of the sound. A healthy horse’s guts emit a symphony of sound. Silent guts are cause for concern.

Many of these suggestions for colic can be applied to other animals as well as people. Dogs, cats, cows, llamas, goats and reptiles can also suffer from gastrointestinal disorders. Using the belly lift, ear work and TTouch can benefit them." - Carol Lang

Taking Orders $14.00. Will ship on orders of 2 or more. 15 % of each towel sold will go to a local Maine rescue.

Taking orders! $14.00. Will ship on orders of 2 or more. 15% of each towel sold will go to support a local rescue❤️🐾.

Now Offering Ttouch/Reiki Gift Certificates! Good for you and your furry friends! ❤️🐾❤️

Tellington TTouch Canada

Here's a re-post about an important part of observation, one of the fundamental parts of the Tellington TTouch Method philosophy.

This week's TTouch Tip from Mandy Pretty concerns the "Five F's".

"How do we cope? We all have different coping mechanisms. Some of us eat, some of us sleep, some of us shut down. No one is the same and no one has the same stress threshold and each one of us displays or copes with stress differently. Our animals are no different.

The Tellington TTouch Method has long identified 5 main coping strategies commonly used by horses, and to some extent dogs, in times of stress or anxiety. Flight, Fight, Fidget, Freeze, and Faint.

Flight is one that we are all familiar with, when faced with a stressful or fearful situation, the animal simply tries to exit the situation as quickly as possible.
Fight is another well documented instinct where the animal will respond to the situation in a confrontational manner.

Fidget is an extremely common response in domesticated animals and is probably one of the most misunderstood. This response can look like pawing, grabbing the lead line or leash, initiating play, scratching, head tossing, many behaviors that would typically be labeled as “pushy”, “bored” or “happy/playful” in dogs. More often than not these are signs of mild to high anxiety. The best way to recognize this is to notice if the behavior stops as soon as you change the context. For instance, if your horse or dog all of the sudden starts displaying this type of behavior when you touch a certain part of the body but stop as soon as you stop touching them, you can almost guarantee that they were quietly displaying their concern.

Freeze also happens in dogs and horses and can be recognized too late. This will happen in horses where people may feel like their horse exploded “with no warning”. In reality the horse was likely in freeze mode and essentially “checked out” trying to cope with whatever was being done or asked. They probably held their breath, had a change in respiration, may have tightened their eye or mouth, and “stood like a statue” until they hit their breaking point and could not take it any longer.

Faint is the least common of the 5 coping skills, thankfully. Faint can sometimes be seen at the track when horses are saddled quickly and tightly and the horse simply lies down. A horse who is under extreme pressure to trailer load or go through an obstacle may simply lie down and “say uncle”.

Start noticing how your animal reacts in stressful situations and see how you can break down your request or exercise into smaller, easier pieces to reduce anxiety and listen to your animal’s smallest indications of concern. This will allow your animal to whisper to you, rather than shout!" - Mandy Pretty

Rescued Hearts Unique Boutique

This is a helpful article if you have a
Senior.

This is a tough thing that so many people are going through. It helps to have some guidelines. 

Here’s a quick overview of TTouch!

Here is some insight into TTouch.
I see this method improve relationships and dogs’ lives on a daily basis.
I am continuing to train as there is so much to learn. When we know better, we can do better.

Love this!

We choose dogs because they have hearts and brains to engage with....think about their emotional state too...

Curried Butternut Squash Soup | Minimalist Baker Recipes

minimalistbaker.com Simple, 30-minute Butternut Squash Soup infused with coconut milk and curry powder! A soul-warming, flavorful soup that's perfect for fall and winter.

Deb Burk Ttouch Maine

Deb Burk Ttouch Maine

Deb Burk Ttouch Maine

Allowing Dogs to Sniff Helps Them Think Positively

Sharing another article on the importance of sniffing!

psychologytoday.com New research shows that allowing dogs to exercise their noses is good for them.

Can’t wait to share with you new learnings! Call or text me to set up a workshop consultation!

Tellington Ttouch 5 day companion animal training 2019 crew😁
What a great group to learn and share with.
Looking forward to taking techniques back to Winnipeg and continuing my training.
For those interested: check out
www.ttouch.ca
www.ttouch.com

Shake Off - Dog Body Language - Silent Conversations

When we donTtouch, we look for a shake off or other signs of tension release so that the dog can relax and think rather than react. This article is awesome at explaining why a shake off is a good thing and what we can do as guardians when we see it from our dogs.

silentconversations.com In dog body language a shake off is when the dog shakes as if he is wet and shaking water off his body, but as he is completely dry, the shake off may seem out of context.

The Fearful Fourth of July – How to Maintain Calm for Yourself and Your Dog

This is an excellent article that will help with dogs who are fearful of loud noises like thunder and fireworks. Please join me tonight to learn how to do the Ttouch body work can help! You Time in Freeport 6-8 $30.

canisbodyworks.com By Denise Theobald It's that time again…the Fourth of July! Many of us look forward to this day for the time off, the barbecues, the parades, and, of course, the fireworks. Not everyone is so excited for the Fourth, though – specifically those of us with a pet who is anxious, afraid, or who down...

Dogs with noise sensitivity should be routinely assessed for pain by vets

Interesting article.

blog.frontiersin.org Animal behavioral scientists report that dogs with associated musculoskeletal pain formed a greater sensitivity to noise: Frontiers In Veterinary Science

Hot off the press from a seasoned Ttouch Practitioner and dog trainer in England. Can’t wait to read it Janet Finlay!

Profile Pictures

Deb Burk Ttouch Maine's cover photo

Deb Burk Ttouch Maine

I am Your Dog's Vagus Nerve - Dog Discoveries

When you do Ttouch on yourself or companion animal friend, you are helping to calm, relax and support their health and behavior! This article refers to the science behind the Touch:-) please let me know if I can be in service!❤️
https://dogdiscoveries.com/dogs-vagus-nerve/

dogdiscoveries.com The dog's vagus nerve is a part of the dog not many people are likely to hear about, but it's a very important bundle of nerves that carries many functions.

S:Let’s Go home Ma!
M: OK Steak, Just as soon as I do some ttouch for the babies who were spayed by Dr Berberich, DVM.
Thank you Dr. Spelke and Androscoggin Animal Hospital
Staff! You all
Are the best! Hugs!

[03/15/19]   There are a few openings left for Ttouch at Merkaba Sol in Augusta today. Give them a call and see what is available! 922-9916.

Reiki for Animals: The Power of Peace to Heal

Reiki is such a powerful
Modality for supporting our friends. I’d love to run a level 1 attunement class for you! PM me!

psychologytoday.com How meditating with animals helps us find healing, even in difficult situations.