Further reading

Below are links to recommended TTouch books - these are a great starting place if you are interested in using TTouch to help your pet, or would just like to know more about it:

Getting in TTouch with Your Dog - Linda Tellington-Jones

Unlock Your Dog's Potential: How to have a calm and happy canine  - Sarah Fisher

Getting in TTouch with Your Cat - Linda Tellington-Jones

100 Ways to Solve Your Dog's Problems - Sarah Fisher & Marie Miller

Other recommended reading

Clicker Training for Dogs - Karen Prior. Clicker training is a really fun way of working with your pet. The sound of the clicker marks the behaviour that you want (eg a sit) and is followed by a reward. Most dogs really enjoy clicker training and it encourages them to problem solve to try and work out how to get the click. This book is a great starting point, by the woman who pioneered clicker training.

Click to Calm: Healing the Aggressive Dog - Emma Parsons. Clickerwork to help with dog to dog aggression. TTouch and Clicker training work really well together, as the TTouch helps the dog to relax and be in a good state of mind to learn, with the clicker marking positive behaviours (eg being able to stand calmly in the presence of another dog).

Other End of the Leash - Patricia McConnell  A very informative and interesting book which looks at dog-human interaction and the way the two species communicate. Well worth a read for any dog owner.

Links

TTouch links:

TTouchTTeam  - the website for TTouch in the UK, advertising workshops and demo's all over the UK and lots of information about TTouch methods.

Mekuti - Animal training and behaviour solutions, selling harnesses with D-rings on the front and back which allow for two points of contact on the lead. I use these widely and both my dogs walk in them. Mekuti also sell Acewraps, t-shirts etc which are all used in TTouch.

Door Step Paws - UK site selling Thundershirts. These act in a similar way to bodywraps which we use in TTouch (we are now incorporating Thundershirts into TTouch as one of our many tools), giving the dog a sense of security, and can be very beneficial for anxious or noise-phobic dogs.

SE London links:

John Hankinson Veterinary Surgery on Shardeloes Rd, New Cross. A private surgery with a really thorough, caring approach. I've been taking my pets to John for 13 years and have always been very happy with the care and service.

Dog Knows  - Professional dog walking and puppy classes in SE London. I work as Area Manager for the Brockley/Honor Oak/Dulwich area.

Cats at Home Cat sitting in SE London - provide a great service feeding and caring for your cat in his or her own home whilst you are away.

I am a big fan of raw feeding. Bella was fed on good quality kibble for her first year but during that time had endless little health problems - ear and eye infections all the time, blocked anal glands and a chest infection that lasted weeks and weeks. I did lots of research into raw feeding and decided to try it for 3 months to see if it helped. That was 5 years ago and I've never looked back - Bella's trips to the vet reduced from almost fortnightly to once a year.  I raised Zorro on raw from 11 weeks old and he has always had very good health. My vet always compliments me on the condition of both dogs, especially their gleaming teeth and Zorro's "six-pack"!

Raw feeding is growing in popularity and a number of companies now supply ready-mixed raw food straight to your door so that it's really no more complicated than remembering to defrost your pet's meals the night before.  The websites below have lots of information on raw feeding as well as supplying ready-mixed portions.

http://www.rawmeatybones.com/ A great starting point if you are thinking about raw feeding your pets, giving lots of information on how and why to feed raw.

http://www.naturalinstinct.com/ A web-based company which provides ready-packaged, high quality raw meals for dogs, "Ready meals for dogs from all natural ingredients, 80% meat & bones, 20% fruit & veg, NO grains or fillers of any kind!"

http://www.darlingsrealdogfood.com Wiltshire-based company which uses organic or farm-assured meat and seasonal vegetables. You tell them your dog's requirements and they will tailor-make a month's supply of food, including mixes of meat/veg/ground bone/offal, chicken wings, bones, biscuits and liver treats, all delivered fresh to your door.

Misc Links:

http://www.mctimoney-animal.org.uk/ McTimoney Animal Chiropractors work with animals in the same way that Human Chiropractors work with humans, very gently manipulating the skeletal system and adjusting the spine so that it is correctly aligned.

www.londondogforum.co.uk  The London Dog Forum aims to provide essential information to all dog owners, and in doing so hopes to encourage responsible dog ownership, improve dog welfare and enhance the enjoyment of the human/dog relationship in and about London.

www.chow-bella.org.uk Handmade, personalised pet-bowls - I have to recommend them as they're made by me! 

If you would like me to consider your link for this page, please email claire@tellingtontouch.org.uk.