Linda Tellington-Jones developed a way of communicating with dogs that combines massage-like touches, body wraps and physical manipulation to improve athletic performance, aggressive behavior, nervousness, fears, as well as medical problems, and injuries. Linda started this method with horses where her skills were called upon frequently for unruly, uncooperative, injured or aggressive horses. She later adapted T-touch for dogs.
T-touch for dogs can be performed by any owner and its benefits are amazing. Animals who start out frantic and hyper become relaxed while being treated. Tellington touch can also improve an animals ability to learn . It can be used for nervous dogs who are fearful of loud noises, people or other dogs. It can be used to help aggressive dogs relax and learn new alternatives to aggression.
So how do you get started ? Here are some examples of T-touch techniques to try on your dog:
The T-touch is based upon the circular movement of the fingers all over the dogs body. It’s function is to wake up cells and improve the flow of energy within the dogs body. To begin, imagine the face of a clock on your dogs body about 1″ in size. Curve your fingers slightly at the 6 o’clock mark and move in a clockwise circle one an a quarter times around the clock. Don’t bear down too hard as you make your circle, just enough to move the skin. Pick up your hand and move to a new spot and make another circle. You can do circles in a straight line or randomly all over the body. The benefits are equal, see what your dog likes. Remember to breathe as you gently work on your dog and keep the first sessions short, less than 5 minutes. Give him time to adjust to this new way of interacting with you.
Another type of touch that is useful in relaxing dogs is Ear T-touch. There are several different ways in which you can work the ears. The simplest is to get behind your dog, place the rest of your fingers under the earflap and slide the ear through your thumb and index finger. Experiment with the speed and pressure and see what effect it has on your dog. Another type of ear touch involves making circles at the base of the ear or all along the length of the flap with your fingertips.
T-touch principles work similarly to accupressure. The pressure of touch stimulates the body to heal itself, relax itself and otherwise improve the quality of life and health. No matter how clumsy you feel at first keep practicing in short sessions and gradually increase their length if your dog seems to be enjoying himself. You may find that spending time with your dog in this way is the best part of your day!
Paws for Health of Virginia is a new service based in the Chesterfield/Midlothian area of Virginia. Offer your dog the same benefits that humans get with massage. Canine massage is a safe, effective way to help your dog live a healthier life. Massage is great for improving circulation, reducing pain, and promoting overall health and well being. Massage is especially helpful for dogs with hip and elbow dysplasia. Services include introductory massages, full body massages, and massage for sick, injured, or elderly dogs.
In this blog, we’ll look at some tips that can help your dog lead a happier, healthier life. Take a look at the massage video posted here at www.caninegames.com for massages you can do at home. It will get you started on helping your pet feel their best.
Remember, although massage is a safe and gentle procedure, it is never a substitute for regular veterinary care. You should always consult with your vet before using any treatment he or she is not aware of. Verify with the vet that your pet doesn’t have any condition that massage might make worse. Always offer your dog clean fresh water after a massage. This helps flush out toxins and other waste from your dog’s muscles. Also, massage is a useful addition to veterinary care, not a substitute. Always keep your vet informed about any outside treatments.
For more information, see the contact information below:
Stephanie Whitehead
Canine Massage Therapist
Paws for Health of Virginia, LLC
9947 Hull Street Road
Suite 244
Richmond, VA 23236 pawsforhealthofva@yahoo.com
804-986-4675
After a day of strenuous work or play, give your dog a cool-down massage.
It will be pretty much the same as your warm-up massage with three differences. First, you want a little bit firmer pressure than you used for the warm-up massage. Where you wanted to wake up the muscles with the warm-up, the cool-down massage helps the blood to move wastes out of the muscles to where they can be eliminated.
You also want your movements to be slower and more fluidly connected. This helps to relax tense muscles and calm your dog. Again, use the strokes you did for the warm-up, but make them longer, a bit heavier pressure, and slower.
Third, although you will still use an open palm, you want to turn your hands around. Where you were stroking down the body with your palm leading your fingers in the warm-up massage, now you want your fingers to lead. This feels like a pushing motion and that’s what you’re doing, helping to push toxins and blood through the muscles. This helps blood flow assist the body in removing toxins like lactic acid from the muscles.
As with the warm-up routine, you’re using the same pattern. Down the spine from the crown to rump, around the jaws, and over the snout. Repeat this sequence three or four time or for between five and ten minutes. Just slow it down and make the strokes longer and firmer. Note any tension or “flinching” responses from your dog. These are areas that may need a bit longer massage or even heat or ice therapy. If your dog shows marked flinching, check with your vet to make sure it isn’t a pulled muscle. Check the paws, too, for any injuries. After the massage, offer your pet clean, fresh water.
Contact Information:
Stephanie Whitehead
Paws for Health of Virginia, LLC
9947 Hull Street Road, Suite 244
Richmond, VA 23236
804-986-4675 pawsforhealthofva@yahoo.com
Remember, although massage is a safe and gentle procedure, you should always consult with your vet before using any treatment he or she is not aware of. Verify with the vet that your pet doesn’t have any condition that massage might make worse. Always offer your dog clean fresh water after a massage. This helps flush out toxins and other waste from your dog’s muscles. Also, massage is a useful addition to veterinary care, not a substitute. Always keep your vet informed about any outside treatments.
Linda Tellington-Jones developed a way of communicating with dogs that combines massage-like touches, body wraps and physical manipulation to improve athletic performance, aggressive behavior, nervousness, fears, as well as medical problems, and injuries. Linda started this method with horses where her skills were called upon frequently for unruly, uncooperative, injured or aggressive horses. She later adapted T-touch for dogs.
Paws for Health of Virginia is a new service based in the Chesterfield/Midlothian area of Virginia. Offer your dog the same benefits that humans get with massage. Canine massage is a safe, effective way to help your dog live a healthier life. Massage is great for improving circulation, reducing pain, and promoting overall health and well being. Massage is especially helpful for dogs with hip and elbow dysplasia. Services include introductory massages, full body massages, and massage for sick, injured, or elderly dogs.
