TTouch for dogs training sessions

Best Friends dogs got a treat when a Tellington TTouch expert came to the sanctuary to show everyone how it’s done. Staff, visitors and dogs alike enjoyed 10 lessons on the TTouch method, circular movements of fingers along an animal’s body that are said to relax them, help their bodies heal, and even improve their behavior. Plus, the dogs noticed. It feels great to them!

TTouch training sessions

Karen Rasmussen came from Virginia to offer these sessions. Back home, she runs Evergreen TTouch where she not only takes private clients, but runs workshops for rescuers. In addition, she volunteers her skills at the Alexandria Animal Shelter, where nervous animals waiting for homes can get soothed, and therefore be at their best for folks coming through to adopt.

Dogs enjoying the joys of touch

No one enjoyed the sessions more than the Best Friends dogs who were lucky enough to get picked for demonstration. And what’s better is their caregivers will be able to take what they learned back to the animals who didn’t get to come.

At the end of each session, even the humans felt happy and mellow, from having tried the TTouch on each other for practice. And how did Karen do with the notorious playfulness of a Best Friends audience? Karen was more than up to the task. She said, "This was such a fun group. Each hour and a half just flew by!"

Read a story about reiki for animals.