Tellington TTouch practitioner Janet Finlay who is also a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers UK (no.01046) looks at the 5 things that she most likes about Tellington TTouch

Janet Finlay, TTouch practitionerTTouch is a gentle and effective training method that uses a combination of bodywork, wraps and groundwork to change a dog's behaviour. There are many things I love about it, as a way of working with animals, but these are my top five:

Its ETHOS: TTouch starts from a position of respect for the animals we work with. We do TTouch for dogs, not to them. The way we work lets the dog know that we are listening to it: we constantly observe the dog's response and adjust what we do accordingly. If the dog is uncomfortable with something that we try, we move back to a point that was accepted. We are aiming always to enable the dog to be the best it is capable of being, and we recognise that the animals we work with are the very best teachers we can have.

It's EASY TO LEARN. Anyone can learn some basic TTouch to help their dog and some of the most powerful tools it provides, are among the simplest to learn. For example, TTouch ear work can reduce shock, induce relaxation, and lower the respiratory rate, and the "Zigzag" slide is great for refocusing over-stimulated or "stuck" dogs. Yet both are touches that can be learned in minutes and done anywhere.

It EMPOWERS owners, equipping them with tools they can use on a daily basis, at home and out in the world, to help their dog. Simply doing regular TTouch helps develop a stronger bond between owner and dog, and relaxes both. This gives a firm foundation for training new behaviours and making progress.

It ENABLES dogs to move forward, to learn, to focus. It releases physical tensions in the body, reducing reactivity and increasing calm. It gives them greater self-awareness and self-control and allows them to experience alternative ways of responding to situations. Whether they have "issues" or not, TTouch helps dogs to develop confidence and fulfil their potential.

It's EFFECTIVE. It is not that it works in the same way for every dog – it is certainly not a one-size fits-all "magic wand" for all canine problems. But I have yet to meet a dog that was not helped to some degree by something from the TTouch "toolkit". Sometimes the effect is dramatic: putting on a wrap, for instance, can completely change a dog's physical and emotional response – for example, a previously reactive dog may voluntarily lie down and relax. Sometimes the effect is more gradual, for instance where a dog that was previously sensitive to touch, slowly becomes more accepting of being handled. But whether the results are immediate or develop over time, or the changes dramatic or gradual, the bottom line is that TTouch works!

Janet Finlay is a TTouch Companion Animal Practitioner 2 and a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (01046). She lives in Cardiff with her partner and her two dogs, Jake, a Smooth Collie, and Mirri, a Lurcher. To find out more about Janet Finlay's work or to book onto one of her workshops, visit her website http://www.canineconfidence.com/

To read more about Tellington TTouch visit  http://www.xtradog.com/ttouch-for-your-dog.html or visit www.ttouch-tteam.co.uk