Rachel Jackson - Tellington TTouch and TTEAM Practitioner

21/09/2022

02/06/2022

I am always proud of our dogs, but last Sunday I was mega proud of Harrison.

We have been attending a few greyhound walks together, when we can. Like most ex racing greyhounds, he is very comfortable around other greyhounds, but is still rather challenged by other breeds. It makes sense, the world of a racing greyhound is very small, kennels, track, van and a few people basically. They have very limited life experiences and one aspect of this is they have not seen other breeds of dogs. They are not always sure initially that they are even dogs!

He finds other breeds scary. Harrison is a very sensitive boy and he prefers to keep a distance from scary things, which has included other dogs. I am happy to give him this space, and time so he can learn at his own pace, how he needs to. So the greyhound gatherings are perfect for him. He can be around other greyhounds and gain confidence from their presence (53 of them on Sunday!) and be out and about in the big world feeling more safe than on his own. On previous walks we have left before he starts to be at all concerned, if where we are walking is busier than I expect, or there is no way to give him the space he needs to watch other dogs at a safe distance by stepping off the pathway.

Yes, we are the ones stood in the trees so Harrison, other people and their dogs can have enough space to pass in comfort.

Well, this Sunday he completed the whole walk! Walking calmly on a loose lead amongst the other greyhounds and past a variety of breeds of dogs. That in itself was a brilliant step forward for him. We were at Pennington Flash with lots of options of where I could give him the space and time he needed. Then, there was icing on the cake. We had been stood chatting with a couple and their greyhound (well, the humans were chatting:-) ) about their dog who was a recent tripod. Harrison had that time to watch, to think, to assess and not just react. Harrison had ended up stood next to the couple, his choice - and when the man, so appropriately, bless him, said hi to Harrison, then made contact with him, Harrison remained relaxed. I was so very proud of him.

This may not seem like an achievement to some, it is massive to Harrison and myself. He is learning about the world at large, progressing with the help of the Tellington TTouch method, calmness patience and love.

We always celebrate these little wins, because actually they are not so little, they are massive. I haven't stopped smiling, so proud of our big dog, Harrison😊

Have you and your dogs had any wins recently? Big or small, let's celebrate them all🥰

02/06/2022

On this Platinum Jubilee Weekend, there may well be fireworks as well as parties taking place.
Here are a few fireworks safety tips. Please share.

If you would like further tips and guidance on helping your dog with their firework fears send me your email address I have a more in depth and detailed e-book I can share with you. Alternatively to best help your dog overcome their fear contact me for one to one help.

16/05/2022

You may wonder why this page is so quiet. Well, too many pages gets confusing. I post most of my information, top tips, Fact Friday and more on my business page, Well Balanced Animals. If you have any questions about TTouch please do drop me a message and I will be happy to help you.

19/12/2021

TTouch is at the centre of how I interact with all the animals I meet - it is a wonderful way of communication with our animals and helping them live in our busy, loud world.

08/10/2021

This weekend there is an exclusive Zoom with Linda and the vet to the Swedish Olympic Team, Dr Silvia Torresani. It is available for everyone to attend, all you need to do is register for access.

I know I can't wait to hear how Dr Torresani integrates TTouch into the care of the horses in the team, I hope to see you there. :-)

Interview with Olympic Veterinarian Dr. Silvia Torresani

Sunday, Oct 10th, at 11AM PDT Linda Tellington-Jones and Italian veterinarian, Dr. Silvia Torresani, DVM will "Talk Story" on zoom.

You will learn how Silvia integrated TTouch in her care and management of the horses of the Swedish jumping team. Silvia used TTouch on a daily basis during the preparation, quarantine, training, and competition to help the horses under her care stay relaxed, focused, engaged and comfortable, despite the potentially stressful environment.

Silvia is an Italian veterinarian since 2001 and is specialized in integrative medicine. TTouch and the Tellington Method are an important part in her every-day practice.

Since 2019 Silvia is the official physiotherapist for the horses of the Swedish show jumping team which won the gold team medal at the Olympic Games in Tokyo in August. Individually one rider won the Silver medal but the thing that impressed the whole horse world was that all the three riders finished in the first 5 positions. The horses of the Swedish team were on the lips of everyone during the Olympics games for their impressive performances: they were fitted, always ready to give their best and in top condition. They had only 2 rails down in 5 days of classes even though they jumped more than every other horse in Tokyo.

Silvia assists the Swedish team during the FEI Nations Cup Tour, in the more important international shows and during the Championships. The results during the last 3 years were so positive that the Swedish Federation asked Silvia to continue the collaboration till the next Olympics games in Paris 2024.

She will also talk about how the Tellington Method and the many innovative programs are integrated at the Bellavista Equine Breeding, Training and Rehab Center owned and operated by Silvia and her husband, Dr. Massimo Da Re, DVM near Udine, Italy. For 13 years they have organized and co-taught weekend sport horse trainings with Linda. Silvia and Massimo translated Linda’s “Ultimate Horse Behavior and Training Book” to Italian and have written more than 20 feature articles on the Tellington TTouch Method for Italian magazines.
Bring a cup of tea and join Linda after the talk to share your experience.

This talk is FREE for everyone, but registration is required.

To register for the talk visit the link below:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEvdOCvrDwrGtK6Riek4vyZlDIhE_k_xD_D

01/10/2021

24/09/2021

Did you know that September is Animal Pain Awareness Month? The International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management IVAPM has announced September as Animal Pain Awareness Month to coincides with human medicine's Pain Awareness Month, as a way of highlighting how animals suffer pain the same way that people do.

Being able to spot the signs of pain in our dogs can be difficult. These changes can often be very subtle and dogs tend to hide pain as a way of staying safe and self preservation.

Our dogs often suffer pain in silence, they can't pop into the bathroom and get a couple of paracetamol and rest. Whether it is because of an injury or an underlying issue. There are some tell-tale signs that may give you a couple of clues, some of these are more obvious than others, they include:
~ difficulty going up and down stairs or jumping into the car
~ Excessive licking/grooming of a joint or area
~ Difficulty getting up after they have been lying down
~ Less active / not playing as much
~ Grumpy with other dogs

I gave a talk on exactly this topic a few weeks ago for the Empowered Dog Community - which has been uploaded to You Tube. If you would like to learn more, watch my masterclass: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jm1360PuknE&t=8s
To book a personal and unique consultation to help your dog, contact me to discuss your needs and book an appointment: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=21561259

24/09/2021

11/07/2021

My treatment room doubles as my Zoom studio.
All ready to teach the Introduction to TTouch online course today and tomorrow. Can't wait😊

09/07/2021

Lead pulling ~ One issue that troubles many dogs and their guardians. The guardians are the ones who struggle with the pulling, but it is also certainly to the dog's detriment too.
You may wonder why it is a problem for the dog? Well, it puts them out of balance and changes their posture. This affects them physically, creating asymmetrical muscling and putting pressure on the neck being just two of these effects. It affects them emotionally as well. If you had a constant pull on your neck, it would certainly make you cranky, if not out and out grumpy, it would to me.

With us on the end of the lead we restrict their choices too. Many dogs would prefer to have more space between themselves and other dogs, not wishing to interact with them, yet we casually walk along the pavement, directly towards other dogs as our own start to tense, maybe get higher on their toes and tail raised, or the opposite response, tail tucked and getting lower to the ground. Both of these will create pulling on the lead, or more accurately pulling against the person attached to the lead.
There are many different TTouch leading techniques, which we use to benefit the dog to encourage them back into good balance and self-carriage. This in turn encourage calmer walking on the lead.
If you struggle with lead pulling or a tight lead, firstly look at yourself and your own balance. Do you end up in the water ski position, behind your dog, leaning backwards while your dog's weight is forward? Assess the equipment that you are using. Is it a good choice? A harness with a clip on the front of the chest and one on the back so you can attach a double ended lead, one clip to each ring on the harness allows us to take the pressure off if the dog does go to the end of one and the lead tightens, we can then meet that pressure and then slowly release it, while maintaining a connection with the other end of the lead. This alternating between the connections means there is nothing for the dog to pull against and create that triggered leaning against the lead.
This is only one of many methods we use to help dogs that are out of balance and need help with their self carriage. Each dog is a unique individual, meaning it may require more than one method to help your dog find their own balance.

If you have tried all the recommendations you have heard or read up to now and are still struggling, get in touch with Rachel to find out how she can help you really help you and your dog walk in harmony together.
www.wellbalancedanimals-vetphysio.co.uk [email protected]

21/06/2021

🎵 🎶 Today is world music day, did you know that dogs respond to music and reggae is one of their favourites?

We even released our own album a few years ago called 'Paws, Play. Relax' especially for dogs! All the tracks on the album, ‘Paws, Play, Relax’, are based on the results of collaborative scientific research with researchers at the University of Glasgow.

The ground breaking research showed that music can help dogs to relax when they are stressed and anxious, leading to lower levels of stress hormones, better cardiovascular control and more chilled behaviour.

Why not see what your dog thinks? You can find the album just by searching Paws Play Relax on Spotify.

15/06/2021

Tellington TTouch Tip Tuesday ~ neck wrap
Last week I wrote about dogs that freeze and how this response is one of the Five F's and part of a dog's coping mechanism. Using the Zebra TTouch and stroking the lead can help our wonderful dogs relax and be able to move on again.

This is a picture of our current wonderful foster dog, Harrison. He is an ex racing greyhound who has had little experience of the world, which means he can become overwhelmed occasionally on walks and freeze. When he freezes, his head becomes very high, both ears go upwards, his eyes go very wide and his muzzle goes tense. I had used a neck wrap at home with him, to increase his awareness of how he holds his neck and head, plus to encourage softness in his posture, which it did very quickly. I then used it when out on his short walks and it benefitted his posture, encouraging a lower neck and calmer response.

TTouch recognises the link between posture and behaviour and how when posture improves so does behaviour. Any body wrap configuration can be very helpful reducing fear of thunderstorms and other loud noises, travel sickness, building confidence and improving movement and reducing anxiety.
If you would like to learn trust based, gentle and effective TTouch techniques from the comfort of your own home, Join me in July for my interactive and online Introduction to TTouch Course. https://learn.ttouch.ca/product/interactive-online-tellington-ttouch-for-dogs-intro-with-rachel-jackson-july-2021-uk-time-zone/

25/05/2021

An early tea for everyone in the Jackson household today.
This evening I am discussing the benefits of the Tellington TTouch Method and Veterinary Physiotherapy for working dogs with Sue and Georgia Selby who are North and South Gundogs.
Really looking forward to this Zoom. Dogs are very stoic and often mask and hide pain and discomfort. In addition to this stoicism, working dogs also have a massive work ethic that keeps them going sometimes when they should stop. Often small behaviour changes may be the only visible sign they give. Never discount behaviour changes, as they can be super important in showing us how they are feeling. Get them checked, rule out illness and pain.

18/04/2021

I saw this just now and said yes! in my head.
Many complicated dogs may not appreciate being held tight (though others do) but we can hold them tight in our hearts and our souls and appreciate theirs for what they are - beautiful, special, unique beings we are honoured and blessed to share the lives of.❤

😘