Natural Pet Care & Management
Here are some techniques & ideas to consider when thinking about the choices you make for your pets. Some of the techniques may also be reccommended as part of a pets Tellington Training Programme.
Walking your dog
As this is something we all do with our dogs everyday it is an valuable management technique and one that has a huge influence on a dogs habits from day to day. It really is worth considering all avenues available to find what is right for your dog as an individual, and importantly what is the most useful for reducing his own chances of physical tension & unbalance and the subsequent unwanted habits and behaviours arising from them.
All dogs need exercise, their bodys function better with it. Tension and frustration can be released, muscles toned and their brain cells kept active for longer. Some dogs need more exercise than others typically the more mentally active the dog the greater the need for stimulation and exercise. Daily exercise on and off the lead is important, both free running and calmer on lead walks. Both these types of exercise can have a major impact on the dogs behaviour, health and physical balance either positively or negatively. The impacts are largely influenced by the handling techniques and equipment used by the person on the other end of the lead!
In finding ways to help keep dogs balanced physically and emotionally Inner pet methods include using either a harness and double ended lead or a head collar, harness & double ended lead OR to try leading techniques we call the Balance leash or Stroking the lead. All these techniques reduce any chance of pain, restriction or tension build up in your dogs vitally important neck area, aswell as giving you a more relaxed, less frustrating way of controlling them.
(Dogs with tension build up in their necks have been shown to be more reactive, hyperactive and anxious. Neck tension can also lead to tension in the jaw and mouth area which is linked with the limbic system & emotions, and can also give rise to tension down the spine which is linked to all parts of the dogs body but especially seems to compromise digestive ability, the hip joints and the pelvic area)
Even if you find that your dog walks to heel well there is always going to be the chance that an unexpected event leads him to react and pull on his collar, it only takes one incident to set up a pattern of tension in the body leading to unbalance and the beginning of physical, emotional and behavioural issues.
It is also worth noting that many dogs often become unbalanced as they become habitually accoustomed to staying on one side of the owner or setting there head in a certain postion each time they are walked.
It is a great thing to be able to do what is right for the pet, not just ourselves. Ultimately a tension free dog will be of so much benefit to ourselves in so many ways!
Your local pet shop or Tellington method practitioner will have different harnesses for you to try out on your dog. The key is to use them with a double ended lead too, using them without can lead to increased pulling or further unbalance (but this does depend on the dog and is always the case). You may have to measure your dog to get a suitable fitting harness.
Sites worth looking at are www.companyofanimals.com and www.mekuti.com.
You can learn the simple balance lead exercise or stroking the lead technique on one of my workshops.
The balance lead is fantastic for both your dogs and your own balance. It is a great way to allow the dog to feel safe in your control and for you to feel able to contain rather than restrain the dog. Saving your back and arms too, from inevitable aches and pains arisng from walking a strong or unbalanced dog!
As soon as you take up your dogs lead you become part of his ability to balance, your own centre of gravity and your relaxed or tense postures have a dramatic effect on him. Simply the best thing to do is to learn yourself how to release your tension and ground and centre yourself. Not easy! - but for your dogs, totally worth it!
