The Tellington Training Method
Practical Solutions
Behaviour & Training Issues
The Tellington Method of working with and helping animals was developed
over 30 years ago by a Canadian lady called Linda Tellington Jones.
Initially used for champion show horses, the success of the method meant it quickly spread to be used to help all types of horses, household pets such as dogs and cats, local wildlife and even zoo animals! The method is now practiced successfully by vets, dog trainers, zoo keepers, animal carers, rescue centres and pet owners all around the world!
The Method is primarily a training & teaching method for animals. It has been proven to help animals reach a state of learning unrivalled by any other training method.
Your pet's posture and balance will be improved allowing your pet to feel both physically flexible & emotionally stable. Your pets will feel happier, act calmer, and have improved self control and self confidence.
Fears and behaviours labled as 'dominant' will show improvement as will hyperactivity, chewing, barking, leash pulling, sound sensitivity, aggression and many more undesirable behaviours.
The Method is made up of 4 main approaches - all of which must be used if you are to see optimal results.
A qualified practitioner will be able to observe and understand how your pet feels during a Tellington session, and then adjust the use of the approaches to best suit and help your pet most effectively.
Body work - Over 25 different, non invasive, incredibly light movements of the pets skin. The aim is to bring awareness to the pets nervous system of how he 'is' and encourage neuro pathway communication. This will help his nervous system release limiting physical habits and tension patterns.
Ground work - Simple but effective tasks such as walking over bridges, sets of poles or through a mini labyrynth. All designed to encourage calmer, slower thought processes, physical balance and again neuro pathway communication in your pets mind and body.
Tools - Simple body wraps, specific leads and harness arrangements and the use of various tools such as wands for direction or to make comfortable contact with fearful animals.
Psychology - Practitioners of the Tellington Method understand that a pets feelings are the true root of his/her behavioural actions. Fear, excitement and vunerability are the primary feelings that behaviours rise from. These feelings are all simply ways animals cope with the world. By showing them new ways of being and helping them to release past habits they will begin to make less reactive, calmer choices of behaviours.
Control is still possible in a Compassionate way - in fact it works better!
Body wraps, leading arrangements and minimal soft signals from the handler are being used here to help teach this handsome German Shepherd puppy to stand and walk in his own balance.
Pets that are in balance are much less likely to pull on the lead, jump up or display other 'fool around' type of behaviours
Without this soft head wrap and leg wrap (on right hind) Amber the Boxer was not able to balance well enough to walk calmly through the rungs of this wooden ladder.
The wraps help because they encourage Ambers body to have awareness of how and where her body is in space - this is known as the bodys sense of proprioception.
Many Pets lack balance and often have habitual, limiting, proprioceptive feedback. This can lead their nervous systems to believe 'flight' - a major survival behaviour, is compromised.
Pets that believe flight is compromised tend to feel unsure and vunerable in some situations. Amber choose to cope with that feeling by fooling around. Some dogs choose to cope by using 'fight' ie aggression.
This Cat was timid and tense but hoping for a new home. By using a soft tool to give her some Tellington bodywork touches (TTouches) i was able to help her body become aware of and reduce its tension. She then became a contented, less fearful, more rehomable cat!
Tension patterns in the body occur for a variety of reasons and often become habitual. The Tellington method provides a way to alter the habits and help animals release fears held as tension in the body.
It is not always neccesary to know how or why the tension occured to be able to help them.
