In the last podcast I talked about how we often have to break tasks down into bite-sized pieces appropriate for each individual animal to digest and assimilate. Just as important is recognising and being grateful for each step forward, no matter how tiny.
Very often we simply don’t even see these tiny progressions, let alone feel gratitude for them and honour what each tiny step has meant for the animal in question.
Years ago in Buenos Aires after the day’s course we held an evening session for a local animal shelter whose wonderful volunteers brought along some dogs they thought might benefit from Tellington TTouch in order to make it easier for them to find homes. One dog stands out in my memory. She was quite large and was overwhelmed by the travelling from the shelter and finding herself in a large room with many people whom she did not know.
One of the tools I wanted to offer to the participants was the TTouch wrap because this simple and inexpensive tool can help bring animals and people back into their bodies and find a calm space, where they can begin to learn. This dog backed into a corner and clearly found the presence of strangers too much, so I moved away and sat some distance away. From there I was able to guide her handler through the process of introducing the wrap: first allowing her just to smell it, then putting some tasty treats on it so that she could eat from it. Then the wrap was draped over her shoulders but without tying it. Gradually the wrap was passed around her body and after about 25 minutes she accepted to wear it. Each step of a process which for most emotionally balanced dogs takes just a matter of minutes was rewarded and we were immensely grateful to her for allowing us to help her in this way. By the end of the evening, she was able to come out of her corner and sit in the circle with the others.
Here is a link to how to put on the simple half wrap. The commentary is in Spanish because it comes from an online course in Spanish but it is easy to follow the process visually without any commentary. Half wrap
Working with the two horses I mentioned last time is another painfully slow process. When animals have been mishandled, the first thing we have to do is gain their trust, and from that place begin to gradually introduce new things. When they allow a hand to move near their bodies, that is cause for celebration. When they feel secure enough to accept touch, another step forward. Then putting their noses through the halter, allowing the band to be passed over the neck, accepting the halter to be secured. These may all seem like routine activities, but for animals who have lost their trust in humans each tiny step forward is a major achievement.
People mostly set their sights on a goal and until that goal is achieved, they tend to think that nothing has been gained. Far from it! That is why I always encourage people to keep a diary and note down each little advance as well as the steps backwards because they will happen too. Then after a few months when we look back on where we started from, we can appreciate that we have in fact come a long way, even if the final goal has not yet been achieved. This gives us the encouragement to keep going.
We owe it to the animals who share our lives or that we work with to honour their courage and willingness to work with us
