Getting in TTouch with Your Dog: A Gentle Approach to Influencing Behavior, Health, and Performance
by Linda Tellington-Jones
This book not only offers a positive, no-force approach to training but also much, much more! Using a combination of specific TTouches (22 are described in detail), Leading Exercises, and the Confidence Course (exercises over obstacles), a dog’s performance and health is improved, common behavior issues are solved, and physical problems are positively influenced.
Paperback, 128 pages, 226 color photos, 17 color drawings. Publisher: Trafalgar Square, 2001.
Note! You can purchase this book as part of a set that includes the Unleash Your Dog’s Potential video and the TTouch cards for $39.95. (If purchased separately, these items would cost $55.85. With this set you save $15.90.)
My best pal, Garfunkel (a black lab) tore the cruciate ligament in his back, left leg the end of August. His age, 9 1/2, and his weight (he’s a bit portly) made it difficult for me to find a veterinarian willing to operate on him. A specialist was finally recommended to me, and after I interviewed him at length to make sure he understood how important Garf was to me, allowed him to do a Teflon ligament replacement on Garf the first week of September.
Enough time had passed from the injury until the surgery to enable Garf to learn how to adjust to three legs well enough, and following the surgery he was not inclined to use the repaired leg at all. The vet told me that walking Garf would encourage him to use his “bad” leg, but because we already had a daily walking routine of around 4-5 miles (pre-surgery), Garf is quite the athlete and was able to hop on three legs over most of that distance. It made me sad to see his back end atrophy, and I just couldn’t give up on helping him get full use of that leg again.
My daughter is a message therapist. Finally, in frustration, I asked her if there wasn’t something I could do to help Garfunkel. She suggested your book. She had not read it, but had heart of it, and you. For the past month I have been TTouching Garf. Actually as it turns out, I been TTouching Garf since he came into my life when he was just 10 weeks old, but not in the structured method I learned from you book. I had always manipulated his ears, and he was used to being touched all over his body while I was sitting - reading, watching TV, whatever. He’s always next to me, and I’m always rubbing him. Now, however, we got serious.
I worked his bad leg. I worked the opposing leg. I worked his ears and his gums. I am happy to report that Garfunkel is not only using his “bad” leg, but he is well on his way to redeveloping the muscle and fat on his almost-back-to-normal leg. He has also learned that if he holds the leg up a little, and turns around and looks at me with those big, sad black eyes, I’m reminded that we haven’t TTouched for a while, and I almost immediately sit down with and take care of the situation.
My veterinarian, who had never heard of TTouch, was interested in what I was doing with Garf because he noticed the improvement.
~ Karen
|
|
Canadian Shoppers
;)