Frequently Asked Questions about Ttouch
What’s the difference between TTouch and Massage?
TTouch looks a lot like massage, but unlike massage
which works with muscle groups, TTouch goes only as deep
as the skin. By working with the skin, the animal’s
nervous system is engaged, individual cells can release
tension and fear, and the parasympathetic nervous system
instructs the animal to breathe normally and become
calm. This is an ideal state in which to educate an
animal about new behaviors.
Touches are rated on a scale of 1 to 6 – six is the
deepest pressure that a person could withstand on his
own eyelid. Most dogs receive a touch pressure between 2
and 5. Cats, between 1 and 3. Very little animals rarely
receive a touch greater than 1.
What’s the difference between TTouch and Training?
TTouch educates the animal by teaching him the
necessary skills to cope with a difficult situation with
confidence. Without confidence, an animal is usually
fearful or uncertain, adrenaline increases, and the
animal’s body instructs him to fight or flee. TTouch
educates the animal to approach difficulties with
confidence and more acceptable behaviors. By exposing
the animal a variety of situations in a safe
environment, the TTouch practitioner can help the animal
and the handler learn to ACT rather than to REACT.
Training uses repetition to teach an animal skills.
Training relies on a reaction by the animal to the
command of the owner. When trained to a specific task,
such as heeling, an animal may repeat his performance in
a comfortable environment. But in a new situation, such
as an aggressive dog moving toward him, he may be too
distracted to remember heeling. New sights, sounds,
people, and other animals can all be so distracting that
an animal can forget his training. A TTouch trained
animal often has more skills to help himself calm,
communicate, and act appropriately in a distracting
situation.
The Touches
What are the touches?
Practitioners use about 15 -20 different touches for
different situations. Most of the touches are named
after the animal on whom the founder first used the
touch. Practitioners have been trained to choose the
best touches for the situation. All touches work at the
level of the skin, and are as gentle as touches used on
the eyelid of a human.
When do we use touches?
Practitioners always use touches. Even if we’re also
using wraps and groundwork techniques, touches help the
animal become physically and mentally comfortable and
balanced. Just like humans, once balanced and calm, the
animal is in an optimal place to learn.
How do touches work?
The basic TTouch, the Clouded Leopard, is a circular
touch that has been shown to awaken all four brainwave
cycles in each hemisphere of the brain:
Alpha – enhances relaxation, reduces fear, and
provides a feeling of peace and well-being;
Beta – increase alertness, concentration,
higher level coordination, and contributes to peak
performance;
Delta – improves detached awareness, deep
sleep, and healing;
Theta – augments meditational state,
heightened memory receptivity, “super-learning,” and
peak performance..
With all four brainwaves active, the animal is
physically, mentally, and behaviorally balanced.
In addition to circular touches are touches that can
stimulate, enhance awareness of the animal’s body,
improve internal issues such as gastrointestinal and
circulatory problems, and improve physical problems such
as arthritis and lameness. Several touches can soothe
the animal so completely that he or she often falls
asleep.
What does the animal learn from these touches?
All animals instinctively know how to move into a
fight or flight mode. But few animals have the ability
to achieve a place of calm and balance. TTouches
educates the animal's body to achieve these. Often, an
animal will learn to do this after just one or two
TTouch sessions.
Wraps
What are Wraps?
Wraps, usually in the form of an ace bandage or light
cloth, are used to bring enhanced awareness to an
animal's body. Like athletes, excellent awareness of the
body improves confidence.
When do we use wraps?
We use wraps very frequently. Often a practitioner
will place a wrap on an animal for a brief period of
time during a TTouch session.
How do wraps work?
Wraps bring awareness to an animal's body in a
different manner than he or she is accustomed to. A wrap
will cause the animal to move his body differently and
distribute his weight and balance differently, often
alleviating pain from an injury, arthritis, indigestion,
or even fear of a difficult situation.
What does the animal learn from a wrap?
Following the use of a wrap for 10 – 20 minutes,
practitioners often see improved flexibility, better
posture, and greater confidence. And very often these
characteristics remain with the animal after the wrap is
taken off.
Groundwork
What is Groundwork?
Also known as the "confidence course," the "awareness
course" or the "Playground for Higher Learning," this
work is used to help an animal (and his human) gain
focus, self-control, balance, and confidence.
When do we use groundwork?
Practitioners use groundwork in addition to touches
and wraps with animals who
- are frightened in certain environments
- pull while on a leash
- have an injury and have lost their natural
balance
- are aggressive as a result of needing more
confidence or training
- experience separation anxiety
- exhibit other behavioral issues
How does a practitioner use groundwork?
A practitioner might choose to do groundwork with an
animal during a regular session. A modified labyrinth
can be set up in minutes. Depending on the goal, the
practitioner may have the handler participate in an
exercise in the labyrinth or ask for help from other
persons and animals.
What does the animal learn?
To move slowly. When an animal moves slowly over
unusual terrain, the nervous system pays more attention
to what it is doing, using different parts of the brain
and different muscles.
To have fun. When animals and humans have fun, they
are relaxed. Relaxation translates into an ability to
learn more quickly.
To increase coordination. By exploring non-habitual
ways of moving an animal can increase his knowledge of
his own body – where his hind feet are in relation to
his front feet; how long his body is; how tall he is.
Knowledge of the body leads to increased confidence and
improved coping skills when faced with frightening or
challenging situations.
