A couple of weekends ago Tashi and I had the privilege of attending a T-Touch seminar by Pam Wanveer of Woodside T Touch. Tashi is normally a jumpy young woman, one who hates having her paws touched, won't let you pull out a tick or a thorn without a lot of wiggling and hollering, and for the last few years, one who doesn't even seem to like to be cuddled very much. In her younger days, though, she was a very affectionate little dog who loved to cuddle with her humans.
In class, she was a complete disaster--I touched her and she jumped a mile, squeaked, and got as far away from me as her leash would allow.
Pam suggested an anxiety wrap. Take an Ace Bandage, place the center of it flat against the dog's chest. Cross behind dog's shoulders, then wrap again under the dog's armpits. Tie on the dog's side.
The effect is like swaddling a baby: gentle pressure, evenly applied, is comforting, grounding, and relaxing.
A few minutes in her wrap, and Tashi allowed me to touch her all over. For the rest of the class we did little circles all over her ears and head.
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| Lamar in an anxiety wrap, still pretty anxious |
Pam suggested an anxiety wrap. Take an Ace Bandage, place the center of it flat against the dog's chest. Cross behind dog's shoulders, then wrap again under the dog's armpits. Tie on the dog's side.
The effect is like swaddling a baby: gentle pressure, evenly applied, is comforting, grounding, and relaxing.
A few minutes in her wrap, and Tashi allowed me to touch her all over. For the rest of the class we did little circles all over her ears and head.
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| Cosmo would only let me clip his nails with an anxiety wrap on |
The anxiety wrap is such a great tool--I'm going to bring one to class with me and use it for dogs who can't settle down.
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| Tashi's orthopedic bed also seems to help her anxiety |
This is interesting...I've noticed my dog being a bit more anxious in certain situations so I will have to try a wrap on her!
ReplyDeleteLet me know how it goes! Some anxious-dog owners also swear by a Thundershirt, but TTouch experts I've spoken to say the Ace bandage is essentially the same thing, and cheaper. For me, it seems to help allow me to even get started on TTouch with a dog who is too jumpy to even want that sort of mindful touch. I hope it works well for you, and would love to hear about your experience.
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to tell you again how much I love love love this post. I shared this today on a forum discussion about creating anxiety wraps out of shirts, etc.
ReplyDeleteEveryone should read this blog!
Jen, you're so sweet! I'm so glad you found it helpful.
ReplyDeleteAnd again ;)
ReplyDeleteI've emailed this post to at least 10 people, including our trainer who is in love with the ace bandage idea!