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| Kat's "little dogs", Nestle & Jazz |
I'm tickled to share with you that I'm going to be adding acupressure and massage therapy to my areas of study in companion animal alternative healing. Whoopie!!
East Tennessee TTouch ~ Kat Perry, CA-P1
Feb 16, 2012
Positive Intentions
After a long week I spent the afternoon in town gathering groceries and with some extra time on my hands I paid a visit to a dear friend who also happens to run the local feed store that I love. My friend shared with me that a customer sang my praises and how I'd fixed her daughters' dog. What a lovely thing to hear! I remember the dog well, a sweet Lab mix that was worried, high strung and pulled on the lead like a budding Iditarod champion. He and his loving, petite owner had 3 wonderful sessions last summer, and what pleases me the most is that this lovely dog is continuing to do well 8 months later. This, I love about TTouch.
The TTouch dogs I get to deal with the most are my own. They have their amazing moments. Jazz was slated to have a complete hip replacement at 1 year old. There were many things that brought me to TTouch, and this reality was one of them for sure. Here we are, coming upon 4 years down the road and she still has the hip God gave her, excellent range of motion and easily bursts about the yard with unbridled speed, turns, leaps, jumps and general rocket-boosted energy. Her only claim to this success is a grain free diet, careful weight management and TTouch.
I'm tickled to share with you that I'm going to be adding acupressure and massage therapy to my areas of study in companion animal alternative healing. Whoopie!!
I'm tickled to share with you that I'm going to be adding acupressure and massage therapy to my areas of study in companion animal alternative healing. Whoopie!!
Feb 11, 2012
Household Harmony
I currently have three dogs, it feels like five if you take into account how huge Elvis is. Many of us manage multi-dog homes and sometimes the furry siblings just don't get along perfectly as we would like. It's really quite reasonable for beings to not get along 100% of the time, but they can learn to be tolerable most of the time, and civil all the time.
When dogs misbehave it is difficult to curb our own reactivity. We get embarrassed, angry, frustrated. Our blood pressure goes up, heart rate increases, muscles, diaphragm and vocal cords tense. Basically, we get pretty wired up one way or another. In essence, this reactivity actually compounds the problem rather than alleviating it. A dogs way of being in a stable and nurturing environment is pretty harmonious and peaceful, so when a dog reacts to something and then we react, our reactivity affirms (to the dog) that their reaction is well founded because we got upset *WITH THEM*. For example, a family member comes home from work and the dogs rush the door, bark like crazy and generally go nuts. The person already at home reacts and gets wired up over all this crazy commotion. The incoming person shouts at the dogs to settle down and is wired up as well. Over time, when this event is anticipated, the humans become tense and prepare for upheaval .... and so does the dog. It's a mess of a situation that's probably even worse when guests come calling..... and we taught them this. "People come inside and it's time to get wired up", is precisely how the dog sees it. Fido is doing his job. In TTouch we say, "change you and you change the dog".
As the higher being, we shouldn't have to deal with this, right? It should be easier. And, it can be! We just need to approach the issue with a different mind set and intention. The huge factor is the energy we bring to the situation. When we come from a place of calm authority, the dog will reflect this. When we are as reactive as our dog, well... that's fuel for the fire, not a quenching drench. How do we find our inner calm? Here's an extreme example:
When I was cycling hundreds of miles a week, I encountered a LOT of dogs and 95% of them fell into 'prey drive' behavior and would come after me as I came roaring by at speeds upwards of 17 to 30 miles an hour. You know.... you really don't want to crash at those speeds! So, staying safe with a dog barreling down on you is an issue that needs immediate resolution for the safety of all involved. No second chances, whatever is going to happen must work. Even though I'm a healing/harmless being, I don't project this soft energy at a dog who's running my ass down because you know what? It's not going to work! Calm, positive energy works when meeting a dog on foot, but not at speed (that prey drive thing). .... Although I'd never dream of actually harming another being, it is strong, determined, deadly energy that I project in this situation. As a higher being I could (in theory only) rip the animal apart and *this* is the energy and intention I send to the dog. Instead of being "the hunted", I became "the hunter", a calm, lethal being that IS coming at the dog with the intention of ripping it limb from limb. This kind of calm, dangerous energy that comes from the core of the gut without fear, and without reservation is the kind of energy that works wonders to diffuse a reactive situation. A dog can pick up this energy from 15 yards away. You *ARE* the higher being. When dogs are having a fuss, this sort of predatory, calm methodical way of dealing with it can be very effective and certainly give you an upper hand. .... Basically a sniper isn't thinking about fluffy cupcakes when they take aim. It takes mental intention to create the desired outcome. Mental intention is the key. One who worries about falling, will. One who concentrates on success, succeeds.
As I mentioned, my mental intention when cycling is an extreme example of how to project energy to affect the dog. Most of us don't encounter this fast-paced "do or die" situation with dogs and bicycles and high speed decision making. Hopefully you get my point on how much the mind and intention can influence a dogs behavior.
In addition to how you think and what you project in a situation you can also affect the behavior on a cellular level with TTouch. TTouch is a great promoter of mental and emotional balance in animals and a house with several dogs will find an increase in harmony if all dogs receive TTouch, rather than the bitchy dog alone. An example is my house of three dogs. When the Uberhound was diagnosed with diabetes his body chemistry changed and the other two became quite bitchy which would easily escalate into fuss-fights (not really full blown fights). As mentioned earlier, being reactive doesn't really work. If a dog reacts and then we react, the dog takes our reactivity as a sort of agreement rather than a correction. You've "joined forces" rather than telling him to "cut it out!". Hence the key to diffusing the situation is to remain calm. Breath. Find that core of "higher being" calm in your gut.
Being "the calm" in a doggie storm does wonders. What once was a house of three dogs storming my husband upon his coming home, has turned into three calm, happy dogs who greet him without the barking and uncontrolled behavior. TTouch is the foundation, intention helps it to happen.
Why did my two dogs become reactive towards an otherwise friendly, harmless dog? Because of a chemistry change. Every dog receives daily TTouch sessions and calm intention assistance when reactivity occurs. Finding my inner calm and combining that with TTouch has resulted in a definite increase in harmony amongst my canine family. Jazz was the most negative towards Elvis (the diabetic uberhound) by showing her teeth, snapping, growling and lunging at him. This simply wasn't appreciative nor necessary behavior! Jazz receives regular TTouch mouthwork, ear work and general body work, and Elvis receives equally targeted TTouch for relieving his own tension patterns in his feet, croup, tail and hindquarters. Both receive TTouch and verbal reward when bidding for my attention with no more negative behavior between the two. Both dogs need validation of their worth and love from the human they're seeking attention from. The results have been great. The two are not close by any means, but they are civil and that's all I ask.
With my own canine family, I rarely need to discipline or give warning, but when I do, I reach into my inner ape to deliver a warning sound. ....You know, as humans we do not growl. Dogs growl. Cats growl. Humans and apes grunt, not growl. So why do we try to imitate something we don't naturally do.... and why do we expect it to work? It may be speaking the dogs language, but it's not *our* language. A growl comes from the chest and no matter how well we try, it's an unnatural noise to our species. A grunt comes from the diaphragm, is much deeper, lower and is a very natural sound to the human species. It is, in essence, more convincing because it's real! So, my dogs get a grunt for major infractions. Because they know that's "it", they comply right away and are rewarded for it. Pretty easy, everybody is happy and remains so. But, what if the grunt is ignored? Well, then, I calmly walk over and push the dog and grunt again. Many times the dog rolls in his/her back and begs for forgiveness. I stare deep into their face and grunt again then release and walk away. As I walk away, I reclaim the joy in my being because somebody is going to be right behind me to make peace and it's then that we rejoice and deliver calm praise. It's important to the dog for there to be no hard feelings, so it's important for the human to recover quickly.
For lesser infractions I use a sort of snake/hiss noise. Just enough to distract and divert attention to something more favorable and rewarding. Corrections are momentary, dogs don't dwell on the issue and neither should we. Dwelling (on the part of the dog) is a sign of lacking confidence and having more issues under the hood....so to speak. If the hiss is ignored, the grunt comes and then there's potential for mild physical contact as mentioned above. Not once do I let my heart rate rise, or tension to occur....this tells the dog that there *IS* something to be upset about because *WE* are obviously upset, our bodies convey it. Remember, body language is the core communication between human and dog, don't muddy the waters by being reactive.
Just because they are dogs and we are not, doesn't dictate that *we* need to behave like them to be understood. We as humans simply need to get in touch with our own basic wiring as it is here that communication succeeds as all other mammals have this same core of basic wiring and understanding happens at this level. Be creative. Be positive. Find your happy and calm place. You deserve to live there and your animals enjoy this part of you the best. Modern life can be stressful but we don't need to dump it on our dogs. They are our release, our sanity and our connection to the real word.
 |
| Elvis kindly tolerates a young Nestle |
When dogs misbehave it is difficult to curb our own reactivity. We get embarrassed, angry, frustrated. Our blood pressure goes up, heart rate increases, muscles, diaphragm and vocal cords tense. Basically, we get pretty wired up one way or another. In essence, this reactivity actually compounds the problem rather than alleviating it. A dogs way of being in a stable and nurturing environment is pretty harmonious and peaceful, so when a dog reacts to something and then we react, our reactivity affirms (to the dog) that their reaction is well founded because we got upset *WITH THEM*. For example, a family member comes home from work and the dogs rush the door, bark like crazy and generally go nuts. The person already at home reacts and gets wired up over all this crazy commotion. The incoming person shouts at the dogs to settle down and is wired up as well. Over time, when this event is anticipated, the humans become tense and prepare for upheaval .... and so does the dog. It's a mess of a situation that's probably even worse when guests come calling..... and we taught them this. "People come inside and it's time to get wired up", is precisely how the dog sees it. Fido is doing his job. In TTouch we say, "change you and you change the dog".
As the higher being, we shouldn't have to deal with this, right? It should be easier. And, it can be! We just need to approach the issue with a different mind set and intention. The huge factor is the energy we bring to the situation. When we come from a place of calm authority, the dog will reflect this. When we are as reactive as our dog, well... that's fuel for the fire, not a quenching drench. How do we find our inner calm? Here's an extreme example:
 |
| At the TN/NC state line on Hwy. 129, "The Dragon" in 2006 |
As I mentioned, my mental intention when cycling is an extreme example of how to project energy to affect the dog. Most of us don't encounter this fast-paced "do or die" situation with dogs and bicycles and high speed decision making. Hopefully you get my point on how much the mind and intention can influence a dogs behavior.
In addition to how you think and what you project in a situation you can also affect the behavior on a cellular level with TTouch. TTouch is a great promoter of mental and emotional balance in animals and a house with several dogs will find an increase in harmony if all dogs receive TTouch, rather than the bitchy dog alone. An example is my house of three dogs. When the Uberhound was diagnosed with diabetes his body chemistry changed and the other two became quite bitchy which would easily escalate into fuss-fights (not really full blown fights). As mentioned earlier, being reactive doesn't really work. If a dog reacts and then we react, the dog takes our reactivity as a sort of agreement rather than a correction. You've "joined forces" rather than telling him to "cut it out!". Hence the key to diffusing the situation is to remain calm. Breath. Find that core of "higher being" calm in your gut.
Being "the calm" in a doggie storm does wonders. What once was a house of three dogs storming my husband upon his coming home, has turned into three calm, happy dogs who greet him without the barking and uncontrolled behavior. TTouch is the foundation, intention helps it to happen.
Why did my two dogs become reactive towards an otherwise friendly, harmless dog? Because of a chemistry change. Every dog receives daily TTouch sessions and calm intention assistance when reactivity occurs. Finding my inner calm and combining that with TTouch has resulted in a definite increase in harmony amongst my canine family. Jazz was the most negative towards Elvis (the diabetic uberhound) by showing her teeth, snapping, growling and lunging at him. This simply wasn't appreciative nor necessary behavior! Jazz receives regular TTouch mouthwork, ear work and general body work, and Elvis receives equally targeted TTouch for relieving his own tension patterns in his feet, croup, tail and hindquarters. Both receive TTouch and verbal reward when bidding for my attention with no more negative behavior between the two. Both dogs need validation of their worth and love from the human they're seeking attention from. The results have been great. The two are not close by any means, but they are civil and that's all I ask.
 |
| Nestle Kindly tolerates an inquisitive Elvis |
With my own canine family, I rarely need to discipline or give warning, but when I do, I reach into my inner ape to deliver a warning sound. ....You know, as humans we do not growl. Dogs growl. Cats growl. Humans and apes grunt, not growl. So why do we try to imitate something we don't naturally do.... and why do we expect it to work? It may be speaking the dogs language, but it's not *our* language. A growl comes from the chest and no matter how well we try, it's an unnatural noise to our species. A grunt comes from the diaphragm, is much deeper, lower and is a very natural sound to the human species. It is, in essence, more convincing because it's real! So, my dogs get a grunt for major infractions. Because they know that's "it", they comply right away and are rewarded for it. Pretty easy, everybody is happy and remains so. But, what if the grunt is ignored? Well, then, I calmly walk over and push the dog and grunt again. Many times the dog rolls in his/her back and begs for forgiveness. I stare deep into their face and grunt again then release and walk away. As I walk away, I reclaim the joy in my being because somebody is going to be right behind me to make peace and it's then that we rejoice and deliver calm praise. It's important to the dog for there to be no hard feelings, so it's important for the human to recover quickly.
For lesser infractions I use a sort of snake/hiss noise. Just enough to distract and divert attention to something more favorable and rewarding. Corrections are momentary, dogs don't dwell on the issue and neither should we. Dwelling (on the part of the dog) is a sign of lacking confidence and having more issues under the hood....so to speak. If the hiss is ignored, the grunt comes and then there's potential for mild physical contact as mentioned above. Not once do I let my heart rate rise, or tension to occur....this tells the dog that there *IS* something to be upset about because *WE* are obviously upset, our bodies convey it. Remember, body language is the core communication between human and dog, don't muddy the waters by being reactive.
Just because they are dogs and we are not, doesn't dictate that *we* need to behave like them to be understood. We as humans simply need to get in touch with our own basic wiring as it is here that communication succeeds as all other mammals have this same core of basic wiring and understanding happens at this level. Be creative. Be positive. Find your happy and calm place. You deserve to live there and your animals enjoy this part of you the best. Modern life can be stressful but we don't need to dump it on our dogs. They are our release, our sanity and our connection to the real word.
 |
| Jazz |
Feb 3, 2012
We had a little walk
Nestle was blessed as the "special needs" child during his brief time as a foster child. It was a stressful time for him, being neutered, relocating two times, life was rough right then. He was clingy. He's always been just a little bit reactive. Little wonder. So, he's my special needs kid.
To be a dog who goes everywhere with me, that's not saying a whole lot. I go to work. Everywhere else is a 'car ride' for Nestle and he gets to guard the car. So, going for a walk the other day was sort of a big deal. Because there are more loose animals in my neighborhood then there are fences, I prepared Nestle for his challenges. I decided to take advantage of his size and stated that, "if it got to be too much for him I can just pick him up." ... Oh, I felt like a cheater going this route, but it turned out well.
Nestle sported his step-in harness, buckle collar and double-end lead clipped to the harness's side rings for a 'little-guy' balance lead. I get two points of contact and no tangling lead on little legs. I tucked a wrap in my pocket and Jazzie's new "calming cap" which is in prototype and doesn't fit her so well, so Nestle's noggin' will be more agreeable if I get to try it. .... More later on the calming cap.
So, off we went, Nestle my hubby and I. When we got within range of loose dogs Nestle knew it and halted, so I took the opportunity to put the wrap on him. Once he had some TTouches he remembered he could still walk and off he went with quickly increasing confidence. Then came a dog. Nestle actually ASKED to be picked up. I complied and held tight to his harness.....then realized the reason I was doing so is that he historically goes absolutely ape-shit in this circumstance. So, I breathed and gave Nestle some calming ear TTouches. Nestle was so calm, and relaxed. I was amazed and impressed! Once we got beyond dog #2, who was following us, Nestle was put down and he walked along nicely with no reactivity to the following dog at all. Again, this is rather amazing! Once dog #2 gave up and left, Nestle let me know that wrap time was over. I removed it and we finished the walk without its use again. He did get carried past dog #1 &2 on the way back, but wrap free. Not once did Nestle go nutty with reactivity, barking, lunging, stress, craziness. He kept it together and had a good time! No calming cap necessary.
To be a dog who goes everywhere with me, that's not saying a whole lot. I go to work. Everywhere else is a 'car ride' for Nestle and he gets to guard the car. So, going for a walk the other day was sort of a big deal. Because there are more loose animals in my neighborhood then there are fences, I prepared Nestle for his challenges. I decided to take advantage of his size and stated that, "if it got to be too much for him I can just pick him up." ... Oh, I felt like a cheater going this route, but it turned out well.
Nestle sported his step-in harness, buckle collar and double-end lead clipped to the harness's side rings for a 'little-guy' balance lead. I get two points of contact and no tangling lead on little legs. I tucked a wrap in my pocket and Jazzie's new "calming cap" which is in prototype and doesn't fit her so well, so Nestle's noggin' will be more agreeable if I get to try it. .... More later on the calming cap.
So, off we went, Nestle my hubby and I. When we got within range of loose dogs Nestle knew it and halted, so I took the opportunity to put the wrap on him. Once he had some TTouches he remembered he could still walk and off he went with quickly increasing confidence. Then came a dog. Nestle actually ASKED to be picked up. I complied and held tight to his harness.....then realized the reason I was doing so is that he historically goes absolutely ape-shit in this circumstance. So, I breathed and gave Nestle some calming ear TTouches. Nestle was so calm, and relaxed. I was amazed and impressed! Once we got beyond dog #2, who was following us, Nestle was put down and he walked along nicely with no reactivity to the following dog at all. Again, this is rather amazing! Once dog #2 gave up and left, Nestle let me know that wrap time was over. I removed it and we finished the walk without its use again. He did get carried past dog #1 &2 on the way back, but wrap free. Not once did Nestle go nutty with reactivity, barking, lunging, stress, craziness. He kept it together and had a good time! No calming cap necessary.
Crocus blooming in the yard today: February 3rd
What about this calming cap? If you've been a client I may have done a head wrap on your dog, or something similar. If not, well, it's like a head wrap! ((wink)) Which is an ace bandage wrapped artfully about the head to bring about calming, engage thinking, aid with certain disorders and a variety of other interesting applications. A "calming" cap achieves the same effect with an easier/quicker application than the wrap. Jazz gets so upset in the car when it's raining (scary extra road/rain related noises) that a cap will allow me to include her head (she already wears a body wrap in the car when it's raining) next time without trying to get her head all wrapped up from the front seat of a car. I'll let you know... and I'll take pictures!
I made the Calming cap that I have. It seemed fairly quick and easy but I'm going to need some practice to develop a generalized pattern. If you would like to give your dog a try with a calming cap, come by and we'll come up with some measurements and I'll give it a try.
News on Thundershirts! So, I first heard of these while at a training and got Nestle & Jazz a shirt not long after. The first few storms that came through, the Thundershirts were like a welcome life vest in rough seas. Both dogs were clearly grateful and comforted, though still visibly stressed. A small but positive step.
A few storms later and the Thundershirts were like a welcome shelter in a rough storm. Both dogs were clearly relaxed and stress was greatly reduced. No shaking nor panting. Huge change.
Now it's many months later and Nestle doesn't usually wear his Thundershirt during a storm. He doesn't need it. Jazz wears hers and is obviously more at ease with the added support. This may reduce when her rainy car rides are no longer upsetting (her Thundershirt lives in the car).
Both dogs wear their "jersey's" when they go to the vet.
Other newsy news stuff
I'm so pleased to say that I've seen some wonderful clients lately and watching them blossom and find happiness strengthens and lovingly reminds me of why I do this work. Sometimes the work feels so subtle, but the reward is hard to miss.
This weekend is the TVKC's agility trial in Harriman, TN. I'm planning on making tracks to the event on Saturday (tomorrow!) to enjoy the dogs and make a friend or two.
I'm contemplating companion animal acupressure as a complementary field to TTouch! That leads to a lot of training and study as I'd want to do both canine and equine as I plan with TTouch. Exciting thought! The curriculum I find quite exciting and interesting, no needles are involved and it offers amazing relief, improved balance and performance. Exciting. I can see diving into this by midsummer. To my utter amazement and some disbelief, there are no registered acupressure practitioners in Tennessee.
TTouch trainings on tap for this year, all things being well ~ session 5 in late March with Edie Jane and session 6 (graduation/certification) in June with Linda Tellington-Jones. I'm in need of a few more case studies, if you'd like your dog to be one, email me.
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