The Tellington TTouch Method:
Helping Competitive Canines Excel
T
Jenn Merritt, CPDT-KA
he growth of performance dog sports has exploded
in the past 10 years, with new dog sports springing
up all the time. From Flyball to agility to freestyle,
dogs and their handlers are performing in a wide range
of both competitive and casual venues. With increasing
popularity and participation in dog sports also comes
increased wear and tear on dogs’ bodies, the potential for
sports-related injuries, and behavior issues or anxieties
in the ring that can affect performance.
As a professional dog trainer, the most common
issues that I see with performance dogs are stressrelated behavioral issues, lack of focus, and lack of body
awareness. Examples such as excessive barking either
on course or off, running off course (often referred
to as the “zoomies”) or knocking over or running into
obstacles, increase the likelihood of injury or derailing
training goals. The Tellington TTouch Method, or
TTouch, a simple system of bodywork, body wrapping,
and balanced movement exercises, can address these
issues and be easily integrated into any training, sports
conditioning, and injury prevention program. Perhaps
the greatest benefit of TTouch is that the gentle exercises
can be done anywhere and anytime to support your dog
in achieving performance goals.
TTouch practitioner Toni Shelbourne, who works with
many high level competition dogs in the UK, states, “For
agility dogs, TTouch can help them to warm up, resulting
in fewer injuries, and it’s a great way to cool down and
recover from a hard day competing. Even if your dog has
no major problems, it can just be a really lovely way of
being with your dog.”1
Bringing the Body Into Focus
Dogs that lack focus and body awareness while
participating in dog sports are at a greater likelihood for an
injury. TTouch practitioner Carol Bryant adds, “Another
factor that places an animal at risk is poor balance and
coordination – dogs with poor spatial awareness are
at much greater risk of injury as they are unable to use
themselves efficiently.”2 TTouch groundwork can be the
first step in helping a dog to balance and coordinate his
body.
Groundwork exercises encourage slow, non-habitual
movements over obstacles placed low to the ground
such as poles/plastic gutters, traffic cones, surfaces such
as carpet samples, or labyrinths constructed of rope or
poles. Dogs are encouraged to move forward slowly and
pause for a few seconds between or on the obstacle, then
move forward again and pause. Getting the unfocused
dog to slow down and think about his body in space
38 w The APDT Chronicle of the Dog w May/June 2011
and how he is placing his feet in deliberate movement
can help him be more engaged and aware in subsequent
training sessions. Groundwork sessions need only last a
few moments. (Photo 1)
Photo 1 - Royal going over a simple groundwork configuration of poles, a
ladder, and some surfaces.
TTouch instructor Robyn Hood recounts a session with
one of the top agility handlers in Switzerland who found
it challenging to walk his dog slowly and mindfully
through groundwork. Hood states, “He did it anyway
and found that at the agility practice that evening, his
dog was actually faster, more focused and accurate than
he had been.”
Leg Wraps for Leg Awareness
Body wraps such as the
Thundershirt, can be used
during practices, warm ups,
and up until you walk into the
ring to help diffuse anxiety
and lower arousal. Specific
wraps on other parts of the
body can also function to
bring awareness to areas such
as the legs. Leg wraps can be
especially helpful for dogs that
drag their feet over obstacles,
knock over jumps, or those
with gait irregularities. A
Photo 2 - Royal with leg wrap/
simple application of a hair
scrunchie.
scrunchie placed on the dog’s
leg above the ankle during groundwork sessions can
increase awareness of his limbs. Even a few moments
working in leg wraps can help the dog feel connected to
all four feet. (Photo 2) >
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For some dogs, as well as their handlers, standing at the
start line or just outside the ring prior to performing or
running a course is a stressful, sometimes overwhelming
experience. There are two TTouches that can keep arousal
in check and increase focus, that can be done on the start
line or while you are waiting your turn.
The zigzag touch is very much as it sounds, gently
moving your hand in diagonal strokes down the dog’s
body both with and against the grain of the fur. With
one hand gently supporting your dog, place your other
hand near the dog’s shoulder with your fingers spread.
As you lightly rake the fur towards you, bring your
fingers slightly together. Then extend your hand forward
spreading your fingers apart. Continue to move your
hand up and down along the length of the dog’s body
raking the fur back and forth gently. Zigzags can be done
faster to focus a nervous dog or more slowly to calm an
already excited dog.3 (Photo 3)
Photo 3 - Beginning with fingers spread, slowly rake the fur back and forth
gently.
A second touch that is useful at the start line is earwork,
a slow sliding motion, moving the skin of the ear between
the thumb and fingers without pulling the ear. To begin,
place one hand lightly on the dog to stabilize the head as
you begin stroking an ear with the other hand. Starting
at the base of the ear, lightly stroke the ear, moving the
skin of the ear between your thumb and fingers out to
the ear tip. Repeat, as several slides may be needed to
cover the entire
surface of the ear,
stroking in the
natural direction
that the ear lays or
sets. Earwork can
be an easy way
to reduce arousal
and
respiration
in an excited dog
prior to entering
the ring. (Photo 4) Photo 4 -Earwork on Royal, slowly sliding the
skin of his ear in between the thumb and fingers.
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Another advantage of using simple TTouches on
dogs preparing to perform is that the handler often
benefits from them as well, giving her something to
focus on, calming her nerves. Agility competitor and
TTouch practitioner Laurie Bakay uses TTouch on her
12 year-old male Cocker Spaniel, Astor, at competitions
to keep both their stress levels in check. “From my
perspective, reducing stress is the primary need of Astor.
He has always picked up on my tension, but especially at
competitions. Before going near the ring we walk around
with a body wrap, stopping often to do zigzags. As our
turn approaches the wrap is removed and he gets lots
of ear slides, as do I.” Laurie credits TTouch for helping
Astor achieve his Master Agility Champion title.
Leg Circles for Warm Up/
Cool Down
Additional TTouch leg
circle exercises can be a
part of your dog’s warm
up and cool down routines
as well as increasing
awareness and range
of motion. To circle the
front legs, the dog can be
standing, sitting, or lying
down as you support his
elbow with one hand. With
your other hand, gently
bend the paw at the wrist,
and rotate the paw several
times in small clockwise,
then
counterclockwise
circles. Do not force the
movement, twist, or move
the paw too far out to
the side.4 For hind leg
circles, the dog is standing
as you pick up the leg
above the ankle and Photos 5 and 6 - Top Photo:
circle the paw carefully Supporting the elbow with one hand,
while gently bending the paw at the
in several clockwise and
wrist and rotating in small clockwise
counterclockwise motions and counterclockwise circles. Bottom
just over the area in which Photo: Hind leg circles, supporting
the paw would fall if it and circling the back paws.
were on the ground. The
range of motion is kept small without using any force.5
(Photos 5 and 6)
Regaining Confidence After Injuries
A final aspect of the TTouch Method related to
performance dogs is its application in injury recovery,
especially for dogs who have formed habitual movement
patterns to compensate for injuries or soreness. TTouch
practitioner Maria Johnson has used TTouch techniques
with her own agility dogs in their rehabilitation, going
on to compete in Crufts and in [continued on next page]
May/June 2011 w The APDT Chronicle of the Dog w 39
The Tellington TTouch Method: Helping Competitive Canines Excel
Creating Focus on the Start Line
The Tellington TTouch Method: Helping Competitive Canines Excel
the World Agility Championships. She now uses the
techniques to help other dogs return to competition.
She states, “Proprioception is the first thing to be lost
after injury and the last thing to be regained, and if you
don’t rehab it, further injury can occur. Everything about
the groundwork is so proprioceptively enriched, every
change of gait, every turn, every balance and change
of surface. With the bodywork affecting the sensory
receptors, we can prime the muscular skeletal system
to be ready for action as well as relaxed, and restore
confidence. In agility, every hundredth of a second
counts.”
In conclusion, TTouch instructor Robyn Hood stresses
that TTouch can be of value throughout the dog’s
life, whether you have a new performance puppy or a
seasoned veteran. “With various sports, TTouch can
benefit dogs starting from the time they are puppies,
through the training, competing and into retirement.
Puppies can benefit from improved balance by feeling
their bodies more clearly. Tools like the body wrap and
various groundwork surfaces used, in a row, to mindfully
walk over, help improve proprioception. Giving animals
a sense of where they are in space is vital for sports
such as agility to improve accuracy, speed and prevent
injuries.”
For more information, Linda Tellington-Jones offers
several books and videos available at www.ttouch.
com and there is a TTouch channel on YouTube with
useful demonstrations at www.youtube.com/user/
TellingtonTTouch and other videos at www.bluedogk9.
com.
Endnotes
AgilityNet Website. Tellington TTouch for Agility.
Retrieved February 2011 from: http://agilitynet.co.uk/
health/ttouchtraining_tonisherbourne.html
1
Grafton Dog Obedience Website. Canine Sports Injuries.
Retrieved February 2011 from: graftondogobedience.
com/Attachments/.../canine%20sports%20injuries.pdf
2
Tellington-Jones, L. (1999). Getting in ttouch with your
dog: a gentle approach to influencing behavior, health, and
performance. North Pomfret, VT: Trafalgar Square Books.
3,4
Fisher, Sarah (2007). Unlock your dog’s potential: how to
achieve a calm and happy canine. Cincinnati, OH: David and
Charles.
5
Jenn Merritt, CPDT-KA, is a Tellington TTouch Companion
Animal Practitioner and owner of Blue Dog Creature
Coaching in Efland, NC. She presented “Tellington TTouch
in the Canine Classroom” and “Training Canine Companions
for Lifelong Partnership with Autistic Children” at the 2009
APDT Conference in Oakland, CA and has written a series
of articles on the TTouch Method in previous issues of The
APDT Chronicle of the Dog. She can be contacted at jenn@
bluedogk9.com.
40 w The APDT Chronicle of the Dog w May/June 2011
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