Happy Holidays

From our heart to yours,

Jazz, Kat & Nestle

In the Press

VetInfo.com has a very nice article on TTouch:

http://www.vetinfo.com/tellington-touch-dogs.html

Which brings thoughts to mind.....

A friend called me the other day. I was putting that "saran wrap" stuff on the windows as the temperature outside was heading south, fast. She was really excited. She had just stumbled across an episode of "Unsolved Mysteries" that had an appearance by Linda (Tellington-Jones; founder of TTouch), demonstrating TTouch on a zoo tiger. My friend was blown away with the work, the results, and the species of the 'patient', to mention a few.

TTouch is not new. I'd like to say that prong collars are newer... but I don't know that. Linda has been steeped in the TTouches for well over 30 years and teaching this work worldwide. Such healing arts have been around in many forms for centuries (massage, acupuncture, acupressure, Tai Chi, etc.). There are over 1000 practitioners in 26 countries. My husbands' sister does TTouch in Great Britain.

You Tube has many good videos by TTouch instructors and pracs.

Helping the Shelter

My "day job" as co-owner of Gianna Violins. I typically do the invoicing, shipping, order tracking, purchases, etc. But, when I get a moment I like to stretch my artistic muscle.

In this calendar (and all the artwork) I've used the inventory images from the past year to produce a calendar that I sell through Cafe Press. This year I hope the artwork will be found to the likings of many.... I'm going to donate approximately 50% of every sale to the local "no kill" shelter that is still under construction.

Helping the shelter in more ways than Ttouch and sharing the joy.

Happy Thanksgiving!

One of my favorite holidays .... as it simply celebrates all that is good with no expectations other than the joy of company punctuated by a good meal of Biblical proportions. And on rush the holidays! Take time out to unwind with your favorite fur friend.

We entertained family who hadn't visited with our dogs since last June, when I began Ttouch training. They certainly noticed changes! All the dogs were non-reactive to their comings and goings and much more willingly affectionate as a matter of choice.

I visited with the local animal shelter before coming down with strep. I'm looking forward to donating time and doing Ttouch work with the dogs.

Thank you to the Universe for guiding me towards Ttouch and many heartfelt thanks to Linda Tellington-Jones for sharing her gift of Ttouch. And most of all, my deepest love and thanks to a wonderfully supportive family.

Peace, love & light

What the dog taught me

Dachshunds are such interesting creatures! Bred for hunting a rather voracious creature such as badger takes a being of great courage and determination. Is it little wonder that Doxies have a big heart in addition to such an active mouth? Being of diminutive size does not do justice to their large way of being in the world.

My own Doxie, Nestle, goes through various unwrappings of emotional reactivity stemming from birth to recent events of his choosing. His latest "deal" has been to stare at the corner of his crate and growl while his dinner is being prepared. Now, his crate is on the "second story" where only he can access. Well, the cat can, but what cat wants DOG food when his own CAT food is one floor higher (and accessable only to him)? Nestle is secure, to be sure, but apparently NOT in his own mind! Meanwhile, Jazz, who's waiting in HER crate down on the main level is getting aggitated and growling in response to Nestle. Then, Elvis, waiting waaay over yonder in the hall and being so good, laying down patiently.... will eventually get up and bark his big, boistorous bark. By the time we get to this stage, I'm pretty edgy too. Dinner time should not go like this!

So, with determined calm (not easy at times!) I went to Nestle and gently took his face in my hands. His eyes glanced about wildly and his growls were punctuated by whines. He didn't have any idea what he should be feeling right now! Poor guy. We know that "alpha growling" hasn't worked. Yelling hasn't worked. Asking him to calm hasn't worked. Sending calming signals hasn't worked. Time for Ttouch! His lips were taught and his face tight, so I wen't straight into doing Ttouches about his face and quickly moved to his lips and gums. I found chilly areas along his gumline where I spent time doing Ttouches as well as gentle belly lifts and leg touches. Nestle has taught me that when he stresses, he stresses (physically) all over.

After only 3 minutes or so, Nestle was much more relaxed. His eyes were calmer and his shaking had stopped. So, I went back to completing the doggie dinner bowls. To my surprise, Nestle followed me and stayed at my feet, wagging his tail and smiling! Thanks to his quiet, the other two were happy and calmer as well. Whew!

Nestle has taught me that for him, Ttouches are most effective for his stress.... WHEN his is stressing. Quiet Ttouch sessions lay the foundation and help him to be calmer in the world and not stress/react so easily. But when he's stressing, the Ttouches really do their magic in reminding him that he can go ahead and calm.

This phenomonon has happened before. I was walking all three dogs down our street one afternoon when we encountered the (electronically enclosed) yard of three Weimeraners. A bark-match ensued and Nestle went into hyperactive reactive-stress mode. I maintained my calm and simply reached down and applied some well placed Ttouches along with gentle belly lifts to remind him to breath. In no time, all three of my dogs were calm and quiet. The weimeraner's calmed down too as their owner looked on in utter amazement.

To Date

Dorrie
Dorrie taught me a lot from our second session and my own Nestle confirmed my intuition. Dorrie has quite the separation anxiety issue, our chief area of focus to help her be more confident and comfortable.

During my Ttouch time with her, her human went outside to entertain "Cash", the other dog. Dorrie was so caught up in the separation issue that it took a long time for her to begin to relax (but she did realize that relaxing was okay!). I found myself feeling rather concerned about this and have felt less than successful with the session. ..... Nestle (my own dog of diminutive size) has his own separation issues which have been somewhat satiated with Ttouch. Then, it became clear to me. It's okay for the human of focus to be part of the Ttouch for reducing stress and separation! Dorrie's human should be with her. Dorrie's human can help her reduce her stress.

Thank you, Nestle. We'll do that in our next session.

I was pleased to hear from Dorrie's person that during a thunderstorm (after the second session) she asked her person for reassurance and did experience noticeable relief. Dorrie's learning to self-calm is a very good sign.


Elvis
Elvis, my hound of substantial size tends to walk on lead with a focus all his own... which can lead to lunges and discomfort for the human walking him. Having had two sessions with the confidence course has had positive effect.

Elvis was uncomfortable late last night, so I chose to take him for a walk. I don't have a step-in harness his size, except for the one in my "kit". Not wanting to use that, I took a narrow lead and made a surcingle (a strap around his chest) to accompany his buckle collar lead. This made a sort of balance-lead for walking him and gave me two points of contact. He walked beautifully. He walked with me better than he ever had previously. Ever. Only my competition dog from years ago walked on-lead better.


Check out the video on You Tube explaining TTouch. I met dear Marsha last June up in Maryland at the one-day workshop with Linda Tellington-Jones. Nifty lady!

This weekend is the area "Smoky Mountain Cluster", a 4 day AKC show event in downtown Knoxville. I'll arrange to have a booth there next year. Excitement!

Since September

Since my training session last September, I have been administering regular doses of Ttouch on my own dogs. Even brief contact is done in a mindful way as well as snuggle time. I also do actual sessions just as I would do on a client. Even my own dogs teach me a lot and they seem to really dig it. Here's Jazz's example:
Jazz requests her Ttouch sessions on a weekly basis. This is displayed in a subtle manner of canine body language screamed at me from the bed, her favorite place to be worked on. Her sessions last on the order of 30 to 40 minutes. So, to date I have worked on her a total of 3 hours, roughly guessing. Have I noticed any changes?

Behaviorally, Jazz has ceased barking at passing boats, birds and cars. She acknowledges passing cars with nothing more than a brief glance , where she had been an avid chaser. Fishing boats coasting by our dock are still fair game, and that I find quite reasonable, but the large cruiser way out in the channel is now free to pass in the world according to Jazz. Birds flying by used to cause quite a fury of barking .... that I don't miss. Barking at clients or delivery personnel entering our little store is an increasing thing of the past. Fears are greatly reduced, confidence is much increased.

Physically Jazz shows improvement in her range of motion and balanced use of both back legs. Jazz's right hip suffers from genetic degeneration. Symptoms cropped up at 18 months of age and were severe enough to warrant surgery. Adequan injections improved mobility so dramatically that a full hip replacement was postponed indefinitely. She would still carry her leg down stairs and would play cautiously. She also slept crooked. ..... You're probably expecting me to say that all those symptoms are gone, just like the excessive barking and car chasing. That now she runs, bolts & jumps again with reckless abandon, soars down stairs with no favoring of her hip, and she now sleeps with relaxed, straighter legs.

Yes.

This is an odd angle but Jazz's left leg is clearly visible in what appears to be propped on Nestle's face. Actually her leg isn't touching his face, that's how far the lower leg would stick up in the air when she's laying on her side. She received Ttouch on her hips during the Chapel Hill training session and I have focused two session on her hips. While still quite cow-hocked, this uncomfortable looking sleeping position is much reduced.

(As soon as I have a picture of her new sleeping position, I'll post it)

Peace, love & Light,
Kat

Case Studies

What is a Case Study?
A kind human volunteers their companion animal for me to work on and learn from. Ideally, not only do I learn lots, but the animal benefits from the Ttouches. For a formal study the owner agrees to commit to three sessions. The owner also agrees to any publishing of the study and/or images by Tellington Touch as copies will be turned in during my training.

Not everyone I work on need be a case study. I'll keep records for my own self, of course, but you get the gist. The real need for me is to practice, practice, practice! Folks with Foster animals in need of emotional/behavioral help are of special interest as well.

How much? Three easy payments of $0.00 - typically 90 minutes per session. A deal!

Where?
What I love about Ttouch is that it helps the animal where they live in their every day life. It's up to the owner where they would feel most comfortable ..... within a reasonable driving distance, of course.

Why?
Case studies do several things. One, they demonstrate to the Ttouch instructors that I'm actually studying, learning, and progressing. Two, by going over case studies with an instructor it furthers the learning process by gaining valuable feedback.

How?
During my 2 year training program, I will need to submit a total of 15 case studies, one of which should be someone other than a companion animal. The first 3 case studies will be due during my 3rd training session in May/June.

My area of study is companion animals.... which is not limited to dogs. I just happen to be a dog person. I'm also a horse person... but that's whole other Ttouch training program... which I'll do after completing the companion animal training! Then there's working on humans: My final frontier!

Dorrie

Beautiful and elegant, Dorrie, is my first "official" case study. She is a warm hearted 5 year old Golden who came from rescue where she was rather traumatized by the entire event, of which she still displays issues stemming from separation and stress. Her symptoms include pacing, panting, eye rolling, excessive barking and leash pulling.

I love this little fur-girl. She willingly warmed up to me right away and easily allowed me to work Ttouches all over her while she melted into deep relaxation.

After a short break while I set up the confidence course, Dorrie walked along with me very willingly while smiling all the while!
Dorrie thinks her way through the "star" (above) and the "ladder" (below). My leads are a bit snug... shudder timing wasn't the greatest. She was able to walk with the leads in neutral most of the time. A big change for her.
After our session, Dorrie was quite the relaxed and contented gal. I hear tell that she has since been sleeping throughout the night rather than waking and pacing as she's done in the past. Everyone is sleeping better!

Elvis - session 3

The basics of the confidence course are coming together! Here is the labyrinth. I used PVC because it's light and portable in my little red car and stows easily in a carry bag.

Here's "most" of the ladder. I can flip it around for small dogs, partially prop it up, or prop it up completely once I have the other side of supports done (Home Depot, here I come!). I'm very pleased with the outcome, thus far.

I chose to guide Elvis through the confidence course using a super balance lead and scrunchies on his back legs (instead of a wrap, which I used last time). The scrunchies aid in bringing awareness to his back legs - he wasn't even sure he could raise one leg for the application of these little jewels.

Here we are going through the ladder. I have my unfinished sides offset to present a bit more challenge to him. Elvis really liked this. Towards the end of our session I switched to using a simple balance lead (instead of a "super balance" lead pictured above). He walked well with me and in much better control of his once ungainly body. Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?

Since Elvis's first session a couple weeks ago, he has become much more comfortable in his rather large body and negotiates his way through life with much less clumsiness (much to our relief). His aggressive attitude towards being handled along his rear, legs and feet has gotten much better.

Elvis

Elvis at 1 yr of age

Elvis is my own "uber-hound" of exceptional size. He is a Treeing Walker Coonhound, weighing in at 125 pounds, give or take. When we think of dogs growing exceptionally fast, he is it. If growth made noise, it would have been a spectacular and noisy first year for him! Elvis is now 7 years old and diabetic. He has issues with feeling comfortable in his own body, tension, and sensitivity around his rear as well as his feet. I have not been able to trim his toenails since puppyhood (the vet does it); and I am reluctant to walk him due to his size and the danger of pulling which would damage my hands. He is at his core, a very sweet, cuddly animal who enjoys all creatures.

His first session (Sept. 25) with Ttouch was brief, but more so than he'd tolerated in the past. After a few hours of letting him process the Ttouch, I had another session (the same day) with him where I used a body wrap and balance lead configuration to go on a walk around the yard. He responded favorably to this experience, relaxing within a matter of minutes and walking calmly.

A week later (Saturday Oct. 2), we had another Ttouch session. This time Elvis calmed considerably and relaxed at a deeper level than I've ever seen. Our Ttouch session included mouth work, and increased comfort and acceptance of Ttouches on his hindquarters. The next day (yesterday), I applied a body wrap, harness & balance lead while we did some ground work in the driveway. He negotiated the labyrinth, ladder and star with increased comfort and ability during each pass....in between the obstacles we would take a walk where he would smile, shake, lick and yawn. By the end of the session he was quite relaxed and walking on a loose lead with confidence and balance.

So far I've observed an increased comfort and relaxation on Elvis's part. He is more relaxed about having his posterior handled. He is more relaxed with having his legs & feet handled. His fidgets while being petted are all but gone completely. His gate involves his whole body now....the rear end is no longer "just along for the ride".

TTACT - Session 1

Once I got the Universal message that Ttouch is the path that I'm destined to follow, I waded in rather than diving head first. I took a one-day workshop by the founder, Linda, last June. She taught the sensory aspect of Ttouch and some basic Ttouches. Nestle was my companion and his transformation was nothing short of Biblical over the course of the day. I signed up for my first week long session immediately.

Mid September I took my first TTACT (Tellington Ttouch Animal Companion Training) training session. Six magical days in a room full of like-minded, spiritual humans learning this gentle work. Six days later it was like sisters parting...only better maybe. I never had a sister. I hear stories. Jazz & Nestle were my companions for the session.

What did I learn? I learned the Ttouches, of course. I think, more than anything though, I transformed. I see animals through different eyes now, softer, kinder more knowledgeable eyes. I see possibilities instead of problems. Nestle, being familiar with the Ttouch, calms down right away in frightening, unfamiliar situations. Jazz makes better choices when something triggers her (usually that would be her big brother Elvis wanting to share attention). I learned the basic philosophy of what type of Ttouch and pressure for influencing affect in the animal.

To put my training in a nutshell, it's a two-year journey during which I will attend 6 week-long trainings. After my 4th session I'll be "in business", so to speak. After my 6th session, I'll be all official. After that, I can move on to the horse & human trainings.

I learned mechanics, psychology, behavior assessment, client relations, body language, and I transformed. I "became". I don't just "do" Ttouch, I "am" Ttouch. I completely get this, how it works, where it comes from, what it can do, what I've seen done.

Case Studies are my best teachers. They are kind volunteers offering their companion animals for me to work on. I learn, the dog and owner experience positive change (hopefully!). We all have a wonderful time along the way!

This is Rufus, a mature Border Collie mix surrendered to the shelter for "herding sheep". He was the dog I worked with (with two other gals) during the TTACT session. Rufus was having issues with jumping (and yes he could!) and pulling. We worked with him about 30 minutes the first day where he calmed down a LOT. Prior to our second session, the next day, a volunteer dog walker noted how much better Rufus was behaving and walking for her. We had 3 30 minute sessions over three days with the fella, each time he showed marked improvement. He was much calmer, didn't pull on the lead and exhibited no jumping.

Intro

A chronicle of my journey to becoming East Tennessee's first and only Tellington Ttouch practitioner. My name is Kat Perry. I'm located in Friendsville, Tennessee, near Knoxville.

I came to East Tennessee in 1976 by way of California, New York, Pennsylvania and Italy. Since the age of 4 I've lived in the company of companion animals. My teens and twenties were spent with horses; training, showing, teaching and owning hunters and jumpers. I also worked with Arabian farms in the area.

In the 1990's I evolved into teaching, training and competing in dog obedience and agility trials. My dog at that time didn't appreciate the standard approach to training, so I moved on to the more rewarding journey of pet assisted therapy, in which I am still active today along with private obedience instruction.

In the early 1990's I first heard of "Ttouch" spoken in skeptical undertones from fellow obedience trainers. I would later find that Ttouch came up time and again in my life till (finally!) I took a closer look after surviving a near-death accident involving (of all things!) a dog. The universe was yelling at me to pay attention to my calling, yet it took quite a whallop on the head for me to get the message, apparently.

In June of 2010 I got my feet wet in the universe of Tellington Touch as taught by the founder herself, Linda Tellington-Jones. This one-day workshop would make clear to me that this is indeed my life's calling.

The Ttouch training for becoming a practitioner takes approximately 2 years and a total of six 6-day trainings. After the fourth training I will be a "PiT" (practitioner in training) at which time I can make a living with this. Till then, it's practice, practice, practice and learn, learn, learn! I recently completed the 1st of my 6-day sessions. Not only is this highly rewarding for myself, it also appears to be greatly beneficial to the animal; as well as the human-animal bond.

So, what on earth IS Ttouch?

First I can tell you what it's *not*: it's not about fixing, curing or doing something to the animal. And it isn't intended to take the place of proper veterinary care.

Ttouch promotes balance to the body (physical, mental and emotional). The Ttouches are a series of gentle circles, slides and lifts that release tension in the body and promote healing (physical, mental & emotional). The ground work brings new awareness and information so that the animal learns to become more flexible and adaptive. Aiding the animal to be more comfortable in his own body can produce permanent changes in behavior and well being.

I'll get into the fascinating angle of all the cool neural stuff another time!

So, that's how I got here. That's who I am.